The Star. FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1868.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 26, 12 June 1868, Page 2

The Star. FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1868.

Some idea of tho growing importanco of tho Auckland goldflolda, and of tho belief which thoao who havo embarked thoir money thoro ontortain in thoir pormanoneo, may bo gathorod from tho fact that on Juno 1 a publio mooting

waa hold in Shortlnnd— -tho chiof digging township—for tho purpouo of coiwidoring whether it; wiih advisable to pofcition iho Gonoral Government for fcho orootion of tho; diutrict into a county, nimilai- to Wontland. Tho chair mw ocemj-iod hy an old Cantor, bury eottlor, Mr A, Bootham, ttnd Mr Carlofcon, n woll-known mombor ol tho llouho of Itoprofloufcativoa, had boon oonl; for fco advocafco the county eyatom. Judging from tho report in tho Southern Grow, tho mooting waa aomowhnt noiny, not to nay rowdy. tMr Ourloton roprononts an outlying district; of Lho Province of Auckland in tho General Anflombly, and haa lately boon employing hit- loißtii'o timo in Hj)oaking fiercely agniwit tho Provincial Government. At ono timo— -in tho palmy day« of Auokland—Mt* Carloton waa a very prominent mombor of tho Provinoial Government, and thou no ono waa no loud m ita praiao, ao valiant in ita dofenco. But Auckland in bankrupt, and Mt* Oarloton fniltt to hoo tho incotiaidtonoy, to aay tho vory leant, of kicking tho idol ho once wor/diippod bo fonuly. Any man lian, of eout'HO, a right to ohango hia opiuiona*— publio mon in a young country nro obliged to do ao from timo to timo, no progrona ia mado and now idoaa dovolopou—but thoro ia a way of doing thia, which, while it ia fwmk and honofit, ia at tho enmo time conaiatont, and in kooping with corfcnin ruloa usually observed by politioiaiiß of a high elm, Mr Cat*loton'(-j denunciation of Provincial GovornmontH now ia in too ntriking contrast with hia previous oaroor as a Provinoial politician. What did Mr Onrloton toll tho diggers ab tho Thamos, who had mot to hear iv full expedition of what ifl meant by local Holf-govornmont, tho advantages ib would oonfor, tho roapon. rtibilifciofl tt* would itnpoao, and tho manner in which it might bo obtained? Why, ho tolls thorn that ho objects to Provincial Govornmonta on tbo ground of thoir centralism, and bocauso thoy are oxpontdvo and extravagant. This ia nearly all, Perhnpa it nover* occurred to Mr Carlofcon that tho moat ardonfc ad mi row. of Provincial G-ovoru« menta object to thorn on precisely tho anino grounda, Thoy dii For from thoae who would nboliah tho provinces nt oneo, by aaaorting that Provincial instittitions ai-o capable of being so reformed aa to do away with the objootiowj brought againut them; and thoy ask, abovo all, to bo thoroughly satiafled that tho Government offered in place of Provincial institutions is as choap, aa oifoofciYo, and aa certain to secure tho full political liborfcy of tho pooplo. Mr Onrloton doolinod to toll tho ThamoH Uiggors what local -olf-govorn*-mont mount, or how thoy woro to obtain it, But ho told thorn that tho Auckland Provincial Government had boon taking away fcho rovonuo raiuod among them, and that they would continno to do ao. Wo may aa woll aay afc onco fch/tfc thia nfcatomont waa ilnfcly denied— <m Hiibsfcantial grounds —by another aponkoi", And the people of Canterbury do not roquiro to be told' that a goldllold ia nob nocoaanrily a profitable coiuiern to tho provineo in whioh it ia aituiitcd, Tho varidus golduoldn Acta havo taken caro that fcho revonuo dorivod from a goldflold, after tho usual liberal deductions for General Government purposos, shall bo upon, on tho goldflolda, No ono knows, or ought to know thia bettor than Mr Ourloton. -Speaking of tho Westland County Aot, Mr Onrloton told hia uudioneo that it worlcod well, and that tho pooplo of tho district woro happy in tho onjoymont of tho privileges ib conforrod. Mr Onrloton alao sneered, at what ho called " half-informed organ- of tho pt'OHS," which had ventured to hint that tho Westland Aot workod badly. From whom, or from what flourco doo« Mr Oadefcon de.ive his information regarding this Act P -from thoso who frnmod, or from thoso who havo been called upon to work it P Tho former will not, of course, admit a flaw in thoir owii work ; but wo can asauro Mr Carlofcon that tho mombora of tho Wosfcland County Council havo nofc hoaitated to express their diesatisfaotion with an Act which dooaw^ allow thotn to govern thomaolyofl, but only por mits thorn to "mako auggoationa" to the roprewonfcativo of fcho Gonoral Government, Tho Act which

Mr Oarloton ao muoh admires dooe not ovon givo tho pooplo of Weatland tho powor of saying how thoir vovonuos whtvll bo epontv- It i« imposBible, from the ivbrup-tiofitf witli whioh tho report of ' tho Thamoa mooting eoneludofl, to nay what wns agrood on, Tho fact iw, diggorH don't caro two «trawß about General or Provincial Govornmontß, or Oountioa, ao long m thoy gotplonty of gold. Thoy know woll enough that thoy will bo protootod on account of thoir contribution*, to tho rovonuo, and that ovory pofloiblo facility will bo ailbrdod thorn in tho 'pursuit of thoir occupation. Thoy attend theae mooting™ lor tho relaxation thoy aflbrd, not becuutto thoy caro for politioa.