The Star. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1863

Star (Christchurch), Issue 177, 5 December 1868, Page 2

The Star. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1863

A. few evenings ago we ventured to offer a few remarks on the late election of Mr Stafford . as representative of the Timaru district in the General Assembly. We found it necessary, in doing so, to question certain statements made by Mr Belfield, and to examine some arguments he brought forward in Mr Stafford's favour. The Timaru Herald l of Dec. 2, does us the houour to reply in a longish article. The first portion of this is devoted to an attempt which does more credit to the imagination than the information of the writer. If it pleases the Timaru Herald to assign us an imaginary position, and on that supposition to abuse us, we do not see that we need trouble ourselves ., about the matter — it no doubt amuses or gratifies our contem-' pprary,,and it does us no harm. The Hetfdld that we attacked Messrs Belfield and Turnbull, the

seconder and 'proposer -oi Mr Stafford, and that " the. attach on Mr Belfield is " about the most lame and puerfle " it ever remembers to have read. And the Herald adds that the " attack " on Mr Belfield "is calculated to do him " a vast amount of good in the eyes of " those who read it." We trust, sup- ' posing all the time that an " attack " was made on Mr Belfield— which we j entirely deny — that it wili do him I good, and that the wish will not turn out to have been father to the thought. But we made no attack on Mr Belfield; we simply examined his statements and arguments, and tried to show that they were either unfounded or of little account. Is that an " attack ? " If so, all criticism on men when they come forward in a public capacity, and do things or say things calculated to affect the public interests, is to be called by the same name. We have no quarrel with Mr Belfield or Mr Turnbull, but we think we have a perfect right to criticise the spoken words of the two gentlemen who respectively proposed and seconded Mr Stafford as representative of an electoral district of the colony. We do not remember to have called tbe electors of Timaru either " fools " or " lunatics," and we believe they will not accuse us of having done so. The Timaru Herald, in defending Mr Belfield's statement about the Constitutional Beform Association, appears to us rather disingenuous, and to have gone out of its way to say a good deal about a late member of the House of Bepresentatives which is not in the very best taste. But that, after all, is a comparatively small matter. Mr Belfield — we must insist on reminding the Herald of this — stated that the Constitutional Beform Association was "supported, he was glad to say, by " men of no name— no standing in the " country — only one member of the " House of Bepresentatives had at- " tached his name to it, and but three " or four members of the Provincial " Council." Now, we pointed out that this statement of Mr Belfield's is simply not true. , We repeat that. The list of names in our columns shows that the Constitutional Beform Association is supported by men who have a good deal of standing in the colony generally, and who have very large interests at stake ; . that it has evoked the sympathy and adherence of all classes in every portion of the province ; that names are being daily added to the list of members ; and that even in what is called the Timaru district itself, the Association has received no contemptible support: Besides, the Herald has forgotten that Mr Belfield made a statement contrary to fact, when he said that only "three or four" members of the Provincial Council had joined the Association. We told the Herald that ten members of the Council had joined, which is more than double Mr Belfield's number. We believe we may now say that at least twelve members of the Council have signified their adherence "6o the association. Perhaps Mr Belfield, or the Herald on bis behalf, will have the kindness to say that his statement on this point was incorrect. We are sure j that Mr Belfield will not refuse to do us this small measure of justice, because we have no reason to suppose! that he wishes the truth to be concealed. We ventured to. ask Mr Belfield where the expenses of the present, Maori war are .to conae from, and v/b did so because we, know that many able, conscientious menare seeking for an answer to this question. It is one which we feel deeply interested in, which the people of this province cannot help thinking about. The Herald replies on Mr Belfield's behalf, and says: — "We will tell him where "we hope to see it taken from. We " hope the provinces will be abolished, " and the .saying thus introduced used "fora final settlement of the Native "difficulty." This, we presume, is Mr Belfield's reply to our question — the Maori war is to be paid for by the abolition of the provinces. Is Mr Belfield content to accept the reply of the OPiiriai^u Herald on his behalf ? Does he really believe that ithe abolition of the provinces would cause such a saving as would pay for : .the Maori war ? If so, we are sorry that Mt Belfield should allow his hostility to Provinbial- s institutions' to blind him to what is really the hard,

plain truth. If FrovinciaLinstitutions were abolished to-morrow something would take their place. Would that something be so very economical ? Even if it were, can any man in hia senses believe that it could make such a difference as would enable the colony to pay for the Maori war ? We hope the people of Timaru will ask-Mr Belfield; the very first opportunity they have, to tell them — for of course he ought to know — how much would be saved to the colony by the abolition of Provincial institutions and the substitution of, say counties. Let Mr Belfield put the sum down in so many figures, item for item. The people would then be in a position to see whether it would pay for the Maori war, especially if Mr Belfield would also say how much the Maori war is likely to cost. We don't insist, of course, on exact figures in this case, but the saving by abolishing Provincial institutions ought certainly to be given with exactness. Mr Belfield will do the people of Timaru, the people of the whole colony, a very great service if he will show them, clearly and distinctly, how much tlwy would save by abolishing Provincial institutions. |This ought to be an easy task to a gentleman who so confidently asserts tbat the saving would pay for the Maori war.