The Star. FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 1868.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 73, 7 August 1868, Page 2

The Star. FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 1868.

d!it"G dobato on Mr Fox'a rcaolulion will ond to-night, and it is probablo thftfc tiie Miiijatey will manage to wonthor tho .tlut'in, At tho flame time, ifc is jutifc possiblo that tho Opposition may record a baro mnjority in tbo divißion. 'Whatovoi* fcho roault, Mr Slaflord and Ms) oollonguoa will havo received a lonson which tbey are not likoiy to forgot, nud tho colony will derive groat benelit, from tbo prenoncoof an oi'gaiii«ed Opposition in tho Hoimo, led by a politician ho able and oxporioncod an Mr Pox, TltuHO who liavo talcon tho troublo to read Mi' I'Vix'h npooch earolully, and to weigh well tho evidence which ho briiige forwanl in fluppor!7 of bin uimrgo ngainafc tlio Ministry — that thoy aro, ondoavouring to flujiphmfc true local solftgovornmont

by a spurious artiolo undor tho namo namo— must fool convinced fchafc ho ia right, Mt' Stafford haa undoubtedly tried' hard to raise n cry throughout tho country "by speeches, by bills, " nnd by emissaries," in favour of local solf-govornmonfc, Ho commoneod tho crusade himself, in his Nelson apocch, when lio invilod potitions from ovory difltricti that might I'niioy itaolf unjustly doalt with by tlio Provincial Governmont under whioh it wan plncod. Major Richardson nnd others followed suit in Otngo, nnd Mr Onrloton made himself very busy in Auckland. Tlio ro* suit of nil thin agitation iH to ho soon in «omo iWavh petitions to tho Gonoral Assembly, praying for tho erection of Iho disoontontod diafcriotß into eonntiei. — a boon which Iho Premior ia not ablo to confer, Mr 'Ji\>x was quite righfc when he called such mon an Mi 1 Oiii'leton and Mnjor .'Richardson by tho (mine of political podlars. Tho leader of the Opposition applies, wo think, a fcruo toot to tho Ho-callod local solf-govornmcnfc granted to Westland. No poopio can bo fluid to possess tho powei' of governing fchomsolvoa who nro denied the I'i^ltfc to deal with the ro volition thoy raiso, And thin in [)VGoisoly what 'Wen tl and, undor the illegal Oouuly Act, does not posscHs. Tlio local Holf-govei'niuent which Mr StalXorA would givo to tho colony " proposes to hund ovor tlio manage* " ment of local a/fairs to oach parti- " eular district, while iv reality it con. " fcr.il.Hosall power of legislation and " administration in tho lunula of the " Gonoral .Government, and sooks to " keep in fchcii' hands the appropriation " of tlio royonuo of those dißlrititV • Mi' Hall repudiated thia interpretation of the Ministerial policy, but no could not deny that tlio "Wofltland County Council i'h oven now deprived of the right to nay bow tho revenues) of the district ought to bo appropriated, Tbey may '•' adviso "' and " suggosfc," but they can do nothing more; audit in only by tho gracious permission of the (gonoral Government that thoy can spend their own monoy at all. Tho oxtraoi'dituiry quotation made by Mr Pox, from the columns of the Money MarhM Review, road in tho light of speeches delivorod from time to' timo by Mi* .li'ifcr.hcrborlj, can hai-cUy fail to oxoito tlio attontion which it deserves. Arid thoso, ' who _ dread onotbor Maori ' wa*/ , **-»nß' who in thin province doon not? — will do well to boar in mind what _ Mr Filtfliorboi't. said lnnt year in hit) ilnaneial slatement, '* .ft ib my duty," oaid Mr Ij'ity.horlx.ri., "to doelaro on " tbo part of tho Government, tbat " whonovor tbo occasion may arise, " and to the fullest eootisnt suoh ooeasion " may require, tbey aro determined fco " pub in roqitinitioii the entire mouroos " thoy enn command in order to main* " tain the poaco of. tho oountry in the " event of its being disturbed." Mr Fit/yliorbort'o word* can have only one inotuiiiig--'thiifc the Government are dotoi'ininod to fight tho Natives nfc all lin/,»i*<|t), aud to put additional l;axo« on tho poopio of the colony for thin purpofio, oven to tho yory last farthing which it in possible for thorn to bear, And fcho oxproHHion '•' entire roaourcoa " shows clearly that evon our land fund is not safo in tiie ovont of a protected Naiivo war, such as, to all appearances, wo liavo already oommoiicod. It is for tho poopio to say whether thoy will sit qu.ofcly down aud allow thomsolvoH to bo furthor robbod— wo uso tho word adviflodly*— robbod for tho boneflt of tho Worth, Tbo mooting ou Monday night did much, but wo must all mako up our minda to go a good doftl fuKhoi* il wo aro dotorminod nofc to pay more taxop, Oan wo afford to pay any more? Are we prepared to see our land fund illebed from us to pay for anotlior war P Aro wo going to ruin ournolvo!) for tbo solo bono/lfc of the North P I I' I IH, l««»MM------l---U___|