The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1870.

Timaru Herald, Volume XII, Issue 513, 27 April 1870, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1870.

The speech of Mr Stafford on Thursday last was one which has not only given great satisfaction to his constituents, but will, we think, be favorably received by the colony at large. Mr Stafford's opponents no doubt expected the enunciation of a policy from that gentleman probably hostile, and condemnatory of the present Government ; and a feeling of disappointment will possibly be felt that m a speech to his constituents just before the nineting of Parliament there was not a single point that could well be cavilled at. Taken as a whole, it was the speech of a man not guided by party feeling, but ot one thoroughly actuated with a desire to forward the public weal. The policy he enunciated is at once bold, and of a nature to commend itself by its own intrinsic merits to every thoughtful man. Whilst putting forward a possible future policy to be followed by the colony, Mr Stafford alluded to the policy pursued by the present Government. Although their policy was not m accordance with their professions on taking office, he commended the course they had followed, ns it presented similar features to that propounded by himself when Premier. Where he differed and found fault was m thrir provincial tendencies, and on that question he took a firm stand, and clearly pointed out the anomalies existing under the present form of government. He showedjplainly that, whilst deploring the evils of provincialism, he would be no party to bring about the absolutism of the General Government. The sweeping 1 away of the provinces was stated by the opponents of the late Government to be tantamount to giving sole power into the hands of the General Government, but this idea is peremptorily refuted by Mr Stafford. He wishes for no undue power to be thrown into the hands of the Colonial Government, but only that power which events have proved the provinces incapable of wielding beneficially. He wishes to see immigration, the carrying out of the arterial works of the colony, management of police and harbours, thrown into their hands, but nothing else, and Provincial Councils and other local boards should have, as heretofore, management ot all 'purely local concerns. Mr Stafford's answer to the pertinent question asked him at the close of Thursday's meeting proved the genuineness of this declared policy, for he then emphatically stated that the land fund — the great source of wealth m Canterbury and Otago — ought never to he alienated from the districts wherein raised, and the funds arising therefrom should be spent entirely by local boards. For the carrying out of' immigration, public works, etc., Mr Stafford proposes a loan to be raised on the credit of the colony, and m declaring that, took occasion to observe that he would never be a party to a loan for any province for similar purposes. Without such works are taken m hand by the colony, it is useless ever to expect that unity of feeling and of interest which is necessary for the future well-being 1 of the country. It would indeed be suicidal policy to allow each section of New Zealand to carry on immigration, etc., on its own account, and to suit its own petty aims and interests ; for, if allowed, New Zealand, instead of being homogeneous m character and sentiment, would be split up into divisions rife with jealousy of each other, which must lead to the sure destruction of anything of a national character. Although strong: for the unity of the colony, strong for laying the founda-

tions of a policy that would be likeli st to found a national feeling that would by degrees pass into those broad features characteristic of a distinct nationality, yet Mr Stafford was peculiarly alive to the necessities of the present, and seemed to recognise fully the wants and aspirations of those parts of the colony not under the immediate influence of the several provincial capitals. This was specially instanced by his referring to the action taken by himself m the last sessioQ of the Assembly when he saw there was no chance of the Bill being passed which his constituents desired. He then pressed upon the Superintendent of Canterbury the necessity ot keeping the accounts of the district south of the Rangituta separate from those of the rest of the province, and that, as far as possible, local matters should be managed by local bodies. That immigration should be conducted by the General Government concurrently with large public works is almost a necessity for the future, and the sooner steps can he taken to carry out such a policy the better. As Mr Stafford truly said, the existing native difficulty is a sufficient reason of itself to urge forward the immediate adoption of a policy that would "bring into the country thousands of able bodind men. Every year of dela}' of initiating a broad scheme of immigration only adds to the burdens of the present colonists. On the commencement of such public works as sketched out these burdens would at once be sensibly relieved, as for every man introduced into the country the weight of taxation is reduced m ratio to every present tax payer. With immigration, and without means of employing' that immigration m reproductive public works, the colony would still languish as it has been doing for years past, and taxation could not possibly be lifted from a people who have the unenviable honor of beinjr almost the most heavily taxed people m the world. Although reticent on the important subject of the day — the native question — as to what should be done for the future, Mr Stafford said sufficient to show that his own Government and that of his successor were as one on this subject. Each Government had done its utm >st to get rid of the native difficulty ; each had tried to " conquer a peace." Mr Stafford's Government had. tried it by taking offensive measures, and his successors hud tried the same means, although their motto had been to act entirely on the defensive. Both the North and South Island were equally desirous of peace, and to say that the " North traded m war " was a shameful calumny. The evils and the cost of the war were shared equally by the North and South, but the latter only felt the pecuniary burden, whilst the former suffered not only pecuniary loss, but had brought home to it all the horrors of a savage warfare. It was certain that whatever Ministry were m office, they were bound to' try their, utmost to settle the native difficulty, and m their efforts to do this they should receive hearty support from tlm people of New Zealand. We are likely to have a plethora of provincial politics for a few days, as the two candidates for the Superin tendency are m our midst. Mr Rolleston addressed the electors at Temuka last night, and will speak at Timaru tonight, and at Waimate to-morrow at mid-day. Mr Moorhouse will speak at Wairaate to-night and at Timaru tomorrow night. We shall, we trust, hear something from each of the candidates, of their purposed policy towards the south for the future — so long as the district shall remain a portion of Canierbury. Although the south :s largely supporting Mr Rolleston, it does not follow that, his policy is altogether satisfactory. It is simply a choice between two "evils. We object entirely to the Provincial system, and to superintendents m particular, and we hope the south will not forget to enter a protest against the system whenever a favourable opportunity occurs. At the same time, as long as we are under the joke, we must make the best use of the privileges we possess. As far as we can see, Mr Rolleston has no new policy towards the south beyond that which he has previously laid before us. There is one point, however, on which we must have a clear and distinct understanding. Will Mr Rolleston support the claims of the south for an additional sum towards the construction of a railway between Timaru and Temuka ? The sum asked for — six or seven thousand pounds m addition to the sum already voted — is so moderate, and the justice of the claim so apparent, that we think Mr Rolleston will pledge himself to do the best for the south m this respect. If he does so, Mr Rolleston will be supported by an almost unanimous voice. It is the uncertainty ot what Mr Rolleston's views are on this point that has kept numbers from joining his local committee, who probably will stand aside on the day of poll m sulky indifference and not exercise their privileges at all, if Mr Rolleston is opposed to this lorg desired and much needed work. Mr Moorhouse, as we gather from his speeches m the north, is m favour of a railway from Timaru to Temuka, and would make the line at once if the money could ba found. On this point there should be no difficulty — m the hands of so eminent a financier. Mr Moorhouse is fully capable of expending all the money that can be raised, but unfortunately the claims of the north m days gone by hare invariably been the first to receive attention. We remember to have seen m the Appropriation Ordinance during Mr Moorhouse's tenure of office, several j votes made for works m this district, but the money was not expended. Then how can we place reliance on his professions for the future ? What the south desires is to have its own revenues secured to it by law, and not to be given or withheld at the caprice of any one man whoever he may be.

The Outgoing Mail.— A supplementarymail for England will be despatched by the Maori to-day at 5 p.m. Electoral. — A requisition to Mr G. Healey asking him to become a candidate for the representation of Timaru m the Provincial Council has been numerously signed, and the request has been complied with by Mr Healey. It will be seen from an advertisement m another column that Mr Lancelot Walker is also a candidate for the town. A requisition asking Mr A. Perry to stand for Seadown is aleo being signed, and we believe Mr Perry will comply with the request. Our Grass Lands — Several articles on this subject have appeared lately m our columns. Those who wish to refer to them will find the articles reprinted consecutively m our last English Summary. A series of original articles will now appear on plantations. No Coal. — At the present moment we believe there is not a single hundred weight of coal m any of the yards m Timaru, and the steam saw mills of Mr G. Cliff have stopped work m consequence. A cargo is daily expected, but m the meantime numbers of persons have been compelled to go back to the use of wood. Cavebsiiam Election. — Mr Melndoe has been returned for Cnversham for the General Assembly. Meeting of the General Assembly. — The Assembly is called for despatch of business ou the 14th June. Thk Main Road, Timaru. —We should wish to call the attention of the Engineer to the Municipal Council to the state of the road opposite the new building of the Bank of New Zealand, and Mr Stubbs' offices. Some repairs of the road have lately been done tthe e by simply putting clay on to the roadway. A cartload or two of shingle on the top is much required to make the road decent. A landslip has recently occurred highter up the street, on the east side, which blocks up the pathway. It would certainly be better if it was removed. The Timarit Foreshore. — During the gale on Thursday, when a heavy sea was running, a breach was made by the sea on the street piling at the Strathalluii-street end of the pile-work which protects the foreshore up to the Government; lauding shed. The piling was washed away immediately m front of the lifeboat shed and for a few feet on each side. Timabu Fibe Bbioade. — A meeting of the members of the above was held on Friday evening lust. Mr G. Cliff m the chair. It was resolved — " That rule 13 be suspended until such time as the Brigade has obtained its complement, so as to allow intending members to be proposed and balloted for the same evening. Intending members to be present on the evening they are to be proposed, m order that they should sign the rules. It was resolved — " That the subscription committee be instructed to push on the list until the end of th • present month, after which the list it to bo handed over to tho press for publication ; also, that the secretary b* instructed to collect the amount to bo subverted, and to charge the usual commission for so doing." The rules of the Wellington Fire Brigade were read and adopted by the meeting, with some slight alterations. The Chairman announced that the subscription list showed an amount of £32 m their favor, £o of which sum was subscribed for the purpose of purchasing an engine only. Before the meeting closed tho captain (Mr Clin") was requested to obtain the probable cost of badges, &c, and to report on same at next meeting. In the meantime it was decided that iv the case of /ire, the members should wear a piece of red braid on the left aroi, as a distinguishing badge. Tiiis Waitohi Flat.— Our Temuka correspondent saya : — " The farmers of Waitohi Flat are complaing sadly of the damage they have sustained by the late flood. I can state from personal observation that things are lookiug very bad m that district, and I am told that iv many cases, the stacks were soaked from top to bottom, and that the grain will not be worth threshing. Mr Stafford's Speech; — We are sorry to ' observe several errors iv the summary of Mr Stafford's speech, forwarded by telegraph to northern contemporaries. The telegram makes Mr Stafford say, when speaking of the County of Gladstone Act of last session, — " Failing that, the passing of the County of Gladstone Act would be a hard trial to effect. An arrangement had beeu made with the Superintendent of Canterbury," &c. The sentence should have read— " Failing that bill (County of Gladstone) he had tried to effect an arrangement with the Superintendent ot Canterbury" &c. Another stupid error is the insertion of the word " not," which we are certain never appeared m the original copy. The telegram says that many of the Superintendents were not Mr Stafford's friends. Whereas it should have read "were his personal friends." Other errora also occur m the transcription of the telegram, but we only point out the above, la the telegram of the speech to the Ola go Daily Times there are several omissions and inaccuracies. We have only space to notice two or three. In speaking of the outlying districts, Mr Stafford said, " but which, after excepting a more or less limited circle round the capital towns of the provinces, comprises all New Zealand." These words were entirely omitted. In another part "physiologists" is printed for "ethnologists" — the word Mr Stafford used Iv speaking of public men Mr Stafford said, " you must know the value of being able to rely on the promises of public men, and the difference of being able, or not being able to trust to them*" The words m italics were omitted. As regards the security of the provinces to borrow money the telegram reports as follows: — "It is absurd to think that provinces will be allowed to borrow unless security be given for the loans they propose." After the word "that" m the foregoing the report should have read' "the General Legislature will borrow for provinces which have no security to give." Otago and Mr Stafford. — The Daily Times gives the following: — "'Audi Alteram Partem' writes:— ' l am sure all those who take any interest m the Government of the colony must have been gratified at the intimation conveyed through your columns, that Mr Fox was likely to address the Dunedin citizens on "Politics," and, I hope, on "Temperance." Might I suggest that Mr Stafford, who is at present a aojourner m the neighboring province of Canterbury, should also be respectfully requested to give us more light on colonial topics. Personal contact with this Nelson bogie -would, I believe, show us that our fellow colonist, who has so often occupied an honourable position m the Government of his adopted country, is not quite so black as some limners would paint him. The meeting would also be of great benefit to Mr Stafford himself, and he would he able to form some proper idea of our progress since 1865, when he last visited us.

Mr Stafford's Visit to Timabu. — During his recent visit Mr Stafford inspected the newly erected hospital and other public buildings m the town. He likewise visited the breakwater, and the Government Landing Service. We believe representations were made to Mr Stafford of one or two lucal want?, such as a letter delivery for the town, &c., which he promised to bring under the notice of the Government. Mr Stafford expressed surprised at the signs of progress m the town and district We believe we are correct m stating that after the resolution passed the other evening, Mr Stafford will again come forward as a candidate for the representation of Timaru at the approaching general elections. He has recently been solicited by thiee other constituencies m different parts of the colony to become their representative, but will not give up a constituency whose views are so exactly m accordance with his own, and who form one of the most important outlying districts m the colony. A Political Hunt. — It is somewhat amusing to a disinterested spectator to observe the "see-saw" arrangement between the Premier and ex- Premier of New Zealand at the present moment— not that we think Mr Stafford can help the position m which he is T>lneeJ, but it seems to us extremely ludicrous. A few weeks since we saw Mr Stafford's name as a paosenger to Auckland. Mr Fox was there the next week ! Then Mr Stafford takes a trip to the South Island, and has just been visiting his constituents. Mr Fox is on his track immediately, dogging his footsteps, and although he has no constituents m this Island to hear him, Mr Pox is m Dunedm, waiting to reply to anything Mr Stafford may say. It must be a source of great unhappiness and anxiety to Mr Fox to see the ex-Premier going about the colony at his own free will, and we are not prepared to say that some restraint should not be placed upon Mr Stafford's movement!), as they seem to cause nervous irritation aud to disturb the peace of mind of an eminent colonist — the Hon. Mr William fox, to wit. The English Mail Telegrams. — We have frequently before pointed out the extremely unsatisfactory way the telegram of English news is collated by the Government agent, for transmission to the newspapers. Nothing could have been worse than the quality of news, aud its arrangement, sent to us last Friday. The collator seems to have purposely gone out of his way to make of the telegram as great a mess as possible. Items of general news were mixed up m commercial news, and commercial news was scattered throughout the telegram. English commercial intelligence was sent under the heading of "France." The price of flax was sent to us as " fine, 21s ;'' we believe it should have been "315." Not only did the telegram contain many stupid blunders, but it gave us stale news — news which we had last mail. This is really most unpardonable, and shows great carelessness on the pai t of the collator. We trust that the Government will take steps to give newspaper proprietors, for the future, moneys worth for what they are virtually compelled tj pay for. San Francisco Mail Route. — A telegram from Wellington, dated Monday, sajs: — " A deputation of the Chamber of Commerce mot Mr Collie this afternoon, aud had two hours' interview. The result is considered highly satisfactory. Valuuble commercial information was obtained respecting Amer. a . demand for New Zealand produce. Full information is promised to be given at the approaching public meeting. Mr Hall's present contract is regarded as likely to fail through insufficient arrangement between Honolulu and San Francisco." Colonial Wines. — "As a social question," says a Victorian paper, there is much to be said m favor of colonial wines, which the zealous followers of temperance should not lose sight of. It is this : It has been established beyond the shadow of a doubt that however largely colonial wine is made use of, it will never produce those disastrous effects which spring from the 1 excessive use of spirits, or that excitemeut of the brain which eventuates m delirium tremens. And, further, that the moderate use of genuine Australian wines, so far from having a pernicious effect on the blood, purifies and freshens it, and conduces to health. Confirmed drunkards having a knowledge of the injury they were doing themselves by the abuse of alcohol, and unable to resist the temptation of drink, have as a last resource found all the exhilirating effects they, desired m colonial wines ; and, stimulating themselves with no other intoxicant, have, iv a few weeks, found themselves less the victims of the degrading vice, and improved m health and spirits. This improvement m health has led them to the more moderate use of even the beverage that they have received so much benefit from, and eventually they have become temperate and sober men. These facts cannot be too widely disseminated. Colonial wines are destined to be of great use iv tending to allay the disposition to drunkenness ; and it behoves every one to advocate their use m place of more pernicious beverages."