The Star. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1868.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 118, 29 September 1868, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1868.

o It is impossible to read the telegraphic news from Wellington, published in another column, without, coming to the conclusion that Canter- ; bury and the other Middle Island provinces are threatened with a very great danger. Their land fund, to which they acquired an exclusive right and title hy a compact as feonourable and .as binding aa it well could be. is boldly clutched at as the last remaining asset available for the, prosecution of another Maori war in the North. That is the plain, iiavnrnished meaning of the latest Government manifesto, and we ask our readers to consider most earnestly the position, in which it i 8 sought to place them. After all the sacrifices which 4<he South has made on behalf of the Norths after all tht» money which has been drawn from us for purely North Island purposes, it is the very sublime of impudeuce to tell us that we bad better give up a portion of that which specially belongs to us by an Act of the General Assembly. When we think ■what tho Middle Island might be at' this moment, if it had nofc been for thati fearful curse of partnership which has dragged it iuto the mire, the people may well be pardoned if they rise as one man and declare that they will h.'ve separation at any cost. No other course remains, aud the sooner we let our voice be unraistakeably heard, the better will it be. In ouo sense, we are glad that the Government, of which the Hon. Mr John Hall is a member, has made such an audacious aud iniquitous proposal. It; proves that they are prepared to stick at nothing, and that they consider the South may be robbed to any exkmt. And what else can we expect when we allow ourselves to be bought and sold like Bheep by such men as Messrs Oracroft Wilson, Hall, Potts, J.'.illie, and Cox, the latter of whom is said to be directly interested in a run in one of the disturbed districts of the North Inland ? It is the solemn duty of every man in the Middle Island — -for his own sake and the sake of his children — to defend the land fund to the

very last gasp. There can be no faltering, no doubts, no indifference now. The knife of the robber is at our throats, and woe betide us if we flinch.

It will be seen, from our report of the Borough Council meeting last night, ' that the " negligence " aad " error " | by which certain burgesses were disfranchised at the late election, have at ! laat been distinctly laid at the door of | the Town Clerk. "Why this waa not i done in the first instance, we are at a loss to see. However, ifc has been done, and, on the principle that crying ovsr .spilt milk is a very useless operation, the burgesses generally will no doubt agree tp let the matter rest where the Cpjoneil. has leffcjt. At the same time, we would point out fco Councillors Duncan, Jameson, and Euddenklau — in case they should again be called ou to investigate a similar case — that it is always more satisfactory to speak so that every one can understand. And these gentlemen will alao permit us to add that, if it wrts not their duty to blame the blameworthy, it was still less their duty to make every possible excuse they could for the error aud negligence which they were unable to deiiy| We are quite willing to believe that tho Town Clerk was ab considerable pains to ensure accuracy, and we feel convinced that the public will derive benefit from the trouble we have taken to have the case fully investigated. The Burgess Roll of 1869 will, doubtless, be an accurate one.