Latest Telegrams.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 38, 27 June 1868, Page 3

Latest Telegrams.

Mil FOX ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION. [by BunMAitiKM .vjtiiisanArjd] WKMiitfCWOK, Juno 20, 5,20 pm, Mr Pox was olootod for tho Eangi-i tikoi Soat in tho Houao of JioprosonCafcivos on Monday, Without; opposition. Ho declared himsolf ft'oe to Hupport any bonoflcitvl policy, and would support Mr Stafford's polioy if, wlion onuuoiafcod, it was good for tho country. Bui; it Wd« difficult; to diacoi'ii what Mr Sfcaflbrd'a policy is, Ho had iiovor onunoiatod a polioy yot, Mr Stafford had mado numorouo opoochos defending pant doinga, but ho novor pommits himself, oxcont in fcho vftguost torms, to aivjr groat principles by which his party might ntand or fall. la Mr Stafford a, ProvinoialiatP Judging by hi« statements, ho is an ardent admiroi? of Provincialism, but judging by his acts and tho bad company ho hoops, ho is bont on its entiro destruction.' Ho talks tondorly and affectionately of Provincial Govornmonta, whilo'ho.supports and introduces moaßures which gratify tho wildost hopoa of tho Centralists,, Tho Now Provinces Act in a oaao in point, Its miflohiof was not in tho creation of throo fooblo Provincoß, but in hanging a haltor round tho nooks of tho old PtfOviiieoH, which by roiuloi liug thorn uncertain when thoy would bo lod to oxooufcion, paralyood thorn for good, and doatroyod tho solfroliant spirit which animated their oarly years. Again, thoro never was a inoro hollow protonco of conferring local govornmont than tho moftwiu'flfl of last; aosaion. Thoir wholo aim, object', and result, was to concontrato all local govornmont povvop and natronago in tho hands of one Central Government;. Ho (Mr Fox) nover «aw ft more fooblo parody on oolfogovorumonti Suoli institutions as Vvofltland'a woro fooblo auokora growing up from tho roots of tho provincial troo, which, incapable of bearing flowors or fruit thomsolvos, destroyed tho vital onorgy of tho paront stom. Tho extension of local solf-govoi'nmont muat bo something very cliffcrcut ; it must bo gonuino, not a sham, Yot tlioso County institutions woro part of Mt 1 Stafford's avowod policy which, whilo deafcroyingPt'ovinciiU itwliiliubioiui did not oxtond local govornmonti Tho Provincial Govornmonta woro weak, bocauao thoy havo no iuhoritanoo in their work \ thoy woro moro tenants at will, indisposed to drain and till m fchoy would, if thoy had "a loaso ; thoy Imvo boon brought to tromblo boforo tho la«h of any outlying minority, and to droad tho loss of thoir very existence at tho will of any Miniator adroit enough to conceal, or bold enough to avow, his intontion to exterminate thorn. Is it vet too late to limit tho powor of fcho Goneral Govornmont; to thwart its groat appotito for aggrandisement; to roinetato Provincial Institutions as tho fountains from which local aolf - govornmont must flow ? Tho coming sossion would show. Tho Assembly would insist on knowing beforehand whithor it was drifting; whothor it is, as in hint session, to rojocfc by largo majorities principles embodied in a general measure, and thonquiotly adopt tho samo principles by a largo majority in particular moasuros ; whothor institutions rofusod at an early poriod of tho sossion for adoption by tho wholo colony, aro, at tho cloho of tho flosaioi), to bo slyly introduced in detail into ovory part of the colony — whothor, in short, Provincial Institutions aro to bo maintained in vigoui' or insidiously undorminod by protondod friends of local Holf.govornmont. Tho policy must bo dofluifco, intelligible and fcarloss, and not a thing of 'shreds and patches, which tho Govornmont was not bold enough to stand by as a polioy, but it loft to chance decisions of " open questions" on which its own oxintonco was novor stakod, Ho condemned tho Public .Debts Act, and greatly foarod that tho rosulfc of Mr Pit/,, horbort's mission would provo nothing olso than somo olovor scheme for a

largo addibion to tho alroady oxcosbivo jiabilifciofl of tho colony, Ho could not forofloo what finanoial quoationa would Isriso, but ho could novorfcholosa plodgo himself io two points — ho would not sanofcion any attempt to add to tho alroady too heavy burdens of tho pooplo. It woro bottor thoy had no Govornmont at all than got deopor into dobfc, Nor should any voto of liie support buoli an obnoxious impost as M\ income tax. Tho nativo dimoulty was only to bo mot by treating tho friondly nativos with kindness, and by loaviug to thoraaolvoa auoh as proforrod to remain in tho Bulky eoolusion of kingship ; timo would work tho euro. But, whon thoy woro guilty of unprovoked ajggroaaiou it must bo ohooKod by dociaivo and autnmary punishmont. ■In foply to ft nuoation, Mr Ifox Baid that Mr Stafford had exhibited a cwditnblo doairo to rotroncli extravagant oxpondituro in tho ordinary sorvico of tho colony, though thia was ron« dorod uHolosa by such rockloaa wnsto as that inflictod by tho Public J)obte Aot.