THE PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2008, 11 June 1875, Page 2

THE PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 1875.

The Thames Advertiser and the Auckland Star have for somo days been carrying on a discussion about the Tairua prospectors and their right to the ground applied for by them as opposed to the claims of the jumpers. This discussion has caused to be said a great many things which had better have remained unsaid. The Advertiser has displayed a perTersity. of principle which is unaccountable. It has stated amongst other things that the prospectors never applied for a prospecting area, and on this ground takes a stand to fortify itself in a position which it finds is untenable. We are informed—and we have all along understood that such was the case—that Mr Neavcs, the prospector, when he reported his discovery to the General Government Agent, applied for a. prospector's area, and received a verbal promise that his rights would be fully protected. Subsequently, but before the Tairua ex- . tension .was proclaimed, a formal application was made for a thirty acre lease to. be secured, which, we are informed, was promised in writing. How, therefore; any other person can be assumed to-have a better right to the ground than Reaves. and his mates we cannot imagine; but the Advertiser has said dogmatically that if it be proved that certain parties pegged out before the prospectors, and after the proclamation was issued, the Tairua Goldmining Compapy are jumpers — ignoring tho claims of loaves and the promises made by the

General Government that his rights would be fully protected. We have no wish to go further into this matter, because it is supposed to be removed from the province of newspaper criticism, but we are compelled to come to tho rescue when our contemporary withholds facts or attempts to screen itself under cloak of a regard for the law. We have heard a great deal of this case, and throughout the whole community we do not believe that one person in ten would approve the conduct of the Advertiser, which, if followed, would bring about a state of things infinitely worse than the contemptible espionage and wholesale jumping practised under cover of the leg*al quibbles which the Goldfields Act enabled smart lawyers to seize upon to their own advantage.

Auckland has been relieved from the sorry strait in which-it was placed by the stoppage of the capitation grant to pay losseis on;the railway management. The General Government have advanced a sum of money which, we are told, will enable the Superintendent to carry on for some time. This way of helping the Province out of a difficulty will, however, further embarrass it, by increasing its indebtedness to the Government of the Colony. Sir George Grey must feel very keenly these repeated reminders o£ the helpless position-of the Province which he has undertaken to restore to its pristine greatness; and the very elevated position he s;has;assumed towards the General Government is scarcely compatible with the impecunious stale of the Provincial chest, If Sir George were able to carry on witnbui placing the Province under obligations to tho General Government, the high tone whichhe assumes iin his cbrrespondence could be appreciated; but we cannot reconcile his antagonism to the Government with his actions in; accepting assistance from them. Sir George'must have relaxed his determination somewhat, he hayings said that he could not accept anything for the Province as a favor, but would demand it as a right. We fail to see that he could demand this last loan as a right; and, however annoying the action of the Government in stopping.the c^pitatiqn-allowance to make iip the rail-; way deficiency, there is no doubt they had a l<»gal right to r do so, and might have done it^onjjagb^ ;j What they would' not give the Province as a right has been conceded by favor.

The principal strongholds of Provincialism are the towns in which Provincial Governments are administered. The country districts are almost unanimously in favor of abolition. An exception to the .rule has been r discovered in .Canterbury. " Owing to the refusal of the Provincial Council to vote a sum of money for the drainage-of Christchurch, gieat dissatisfaction is* expressed,-and it is said that the persistent ignoring of the city's claims will have the effect of increasing the supporters of abolition. The Government of Canterbury with the aid of the country members negatived the vote for the city improvements; hence the feeling on the part of the city representatives and citizens. Next time it may be the country members who arc disappointed on some favorite vote, and abolition, like the mythical sword, is threateningly suspended over the: heads of Provincial Governments, rendering it difficult to steer an even course between the rival

interests of Provincialists and" Centralists, without having tho fear before their eyes that the thread, will be snapped, and their existence cut off.