The Star. SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1808.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 86, 22 August 1868, Page 2

The Star. SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1808.

Nbveh remarkable for tho possession of fixed 'principles! particularly on questions of political and social economy, tho Press gots absolutely bowildoring, and painfully fooblo in its utterances, In days gono by, its articles wore brilliantly- fallacious and nparldingly sophisfcicnl ; now they nro dull, dreary, and drivolling. And there is not even solidity or coherence to tnalco up for tho glitter which ban ofton carried off n looho argu inoni/', or rocommonded a doubtful cctuso. Our contemporary gropoa doubtfully whore ho used to vv/illc with at least a bliow of confidence, and tho sound oi \na trumpet is vroaic aa woll aa uncortain. A woolc or ton days ago tho Press was in a great Uuttor nbout a sehome mooted by a contemporary, apparently with tho view of flaying our land fund from tho insatiablo grasp of thoso who inpiat on colonising tho North at tho polo oxponso of the Middle Island, and at tho samo limo bringing out a largo num. her of immigrantf) of a uuporior clasfl. Tho Press was amazed and horrified at tho baro suggestion of free grants of land ; and, tojudgo from the language uwed in epoakiiig of it, no utfcorty prootrafcod that argumont wan impossible Tho proposal wan " childish," ",mi«chiovou», M "insane," " suicidal," " extraordinary," • " panic, inspired," " wild," and " most revolutionary." The papor, which published the nroposal, ib was mildly insinuated, required the application of a libido j French censorship ; and tho writor wan patrom'singly spolcon of as boing " occontric." But the Press is roeovering, and in this morning's mm the symptoms aro not ho very hyaborioal as tlioy wore on August; 11. Wo wish ib to bo distinctly understood that wo avo not advocating the adoption of tho free-grant scheme, Our ohjoot, in the meantimo, is simply to oxamino the position, to soo wliat arguments have boon adduced for or against it, and to 101 l pur readers as woll ua we can, after an imnarbinl examination, on which flido tho balanco of ren«on lies. On turning to tho Press ai'tielo of August 11, we fail to see oven nn attempt at argument, Indeed, tho writor oxproHrtly states that ho will not woary li is roadors "by any critical examination of propositions so insane and suicidal," Ho contents himaolf, oi wo have already shown, with a profusion, of opithots, tho Beloetion of which must 1 havo entailed a rather wearying neriifial of Johnson'a oreomo other dictionary. ( In othor quarfcora, it has boon impliod— not quite assorted— that tho freo grant system would bo an injustice to thoso who havo naid Jl2 an acre, and who havo slaved— -wo bolievo that was tho oxproasion usod—for yours to make thoir I'rooholds valuable But this is not argument. • And the writer who fldoptfl i this Btylo of dealing with tho proposition of an opponont has not oven so good a roason for what he says as tamed Kate had for agreeing with tho varying assertions of Potruohio. Tho Timaru Horald, to tho full as horrified at tho proposal as tho Press, was not quito so flustered, and managed to point out that if tho free-grant system woro adontod, tho provinco would loso the " princely income " now dorivod from squatters in tho shape of pasturage ronts. This, though tho nearest approach to arguraont wo havo yob soon advanced, is not tho gonuino

urticlo after all, as it can bo shown, first, that tho pasturage rents are not altogether ondangcrod by the froogrant fiyatom; and second, that though thoy woro, thoro is somothiug of fa'p groafcoV importance than ovon tho so-callod princely income derived from this Boureo. We have already otatod that our only objoot,in tho moantimo. is to arrive at tiio oxaot position in which the question now stands, and we repeal; that, with every desire- to bo correct, and affcor taking ovory procaution to ( orisuro accuraoy, wo ; havo boon unablo to diaeovor that any sub. Htantiftl argument has yot boon advanced against tho froe-granfc scheme. Wo do not say thoro aro noargumonta ; on tho contrary, wo think soveral might bo brought forward, and vro must bo permitted to protest against this or any other proposal of a lileo nature or importance boing disposed of excopt in a legitimate and reasonable manner. Argument ought to be mot by argument, and tho public ought not to bo troatod as if thoy woro bound to swallow any doao of assertion which incom potonco or flelf-intorost may suggest. Tho Press of this morning has " a "strong conviction that nothing bub " a sound, judieioua, and continuous " system of immigration will raiao tho " province out of ita prosonb depressed " condition ; " and it boliovca that "immigration will turn tho tido "in the, direction of pros- " perity." Furthor on, tho .Prim "tolls us that hibhorto to a groat ex- " tout our immigrants havo beoa "derived from tho cities and manu " facburing towns of the old country, " and no oufllciont stops havo yob been " talcon to gob at tho class wo ( want "hero. Wo want tho quiet villages " and rural districts to bo invaded by " our agont, .Wo want tho capabilities "of tho colony, as a placo for oottlo"mont, to bo thoroughly brought bo- " fore the small tenant farmer who is " possessed of a fow hundred pounds "of capital, and is struggling undor a "load of inoroaaod rent and heavy " taxation for a baro existence Wo " believe if propev. stens aro taken this " olasfl can bo got ot." Now, this ia vory cheering, bub bho tranaionb fooling of hopo which it raisos i« Bucooodod .by, doubt,, and wo begin to ask whothor it is all truo, Will immigration drivo away depression and bring back prosporiby P Can the small tenaub-farmor at homo, who is possessed of a fow hundred pounds of capital, bo induced to como lioroP Tho flrflb question is not bo difficult to answer ; tho ■ socond opoua up a wide field of enquiry, and many points for discussion. In tho t moantime, wo may say that wo think tho olafls of immigrants moutionod by tho Press could oe induced to como out hero, But wo muflb bo preparod to oft'or thorn somo very substantial atraction, and that is prooisoly tho point at issue, About two years ago, a looal newspaper forcibly poinfcod out that wo should continue to rooeivo an inferior class of immigrants so long as tho Emigration Agent moroly kopt a con. tral oflkoin London t for tho purpose of recording applications, And tho sumo paper abrongly advocatod tho nocossitr of appointing an agont who, knowing the province and interested in its wolfaro, would personally visit ovory rural difltriob in tho Unitod ICingdom, for tho purpose of disßomina« ting information and delecting the proper class of immigrants, Tho l?rm was Tory funny ovor that proposml, laughod at tho baro idea of our EmU gration Agent travelling about the country, and spoko Bneerinjjly about " flushing coveys of immigrants" Today, tho Press says that tho rural districts of tho old country must bo invadod by our agont — adopts, in short, the vory plan which it formorly tried to laugh to scorn. Truly, tho lapso of timo has a wonderful oft'eet.