The Star. SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 1869.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 224, 30 January 1869, Page 2

The Star. SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 1869.

$~ — It is not often, or on many questions, that Ofcago and Canterbury can be got to act together. Such cases form the exception, and being so, they are more noticeable as well as more significant. Those who have given even a very limited attention to the subject have been struck with the want of unison between the two principal Middle Island provinces. They have noticed that Otago has generally been more ready to join with Auckland than with Canterbury, and that the latter seems to have chosen Wellington as her ally. These facts, for au appeal to the history of the colony will show that theyare so, have an intimate connection with the men who happened to be in power at auy particular period. No colonial politician has shewn such skill in the vicious practice of " log-rolling" as Mr Stafford, and no one perceived go quickly as he did that the time had come wheu a new species of that game would have to be practised. To set province against province is not so easy as it was, or so effectual ; hence arose Mr Stafford's efforts to set town against country, class against class. To hold the colony together, and himself to rule it with a rod of iron, appears to have been, and to be, the one aim of his life. And it follows that although he is the most consistent upholder of the " unity " of the colony, he is also the chief promoter of disunion among the several parts. Mr Stafford knows well the value of the old maxim — divide and conquer — and it is this knowledge, with the promise of power which it gives, that has made him so anxious to split up the larger provinces into counties. While Canterbury remained one it was like the knit bundle of reeds in strength ; but with Westland taken away, and a little centre of political activity created at Timaru, the elements of weakness, discord, and petty animosity were introduced and set to their natural work. They have done that work, which is evil continually, as well as Mr Stafford could have hoped for, and they will yet do it more effectually if the people do not rouse themselves to resist the insidious advances of the political poison which has been thrown among them by a skilful and cunning hand. It is not only by dividing the colony, or multiplying the number of political centres, that Mr Stafford hopes to rule ifc more rigorously. If we examine closely into the matter, we find that the multiplication of political centres proceeds from and is based on a political antagonism which will effectually prevent anything like harmonious action among the several parts. Look at last session of the General Assembly. Do we not find the members of the several provinces split into factions by lines of cleavage which correspond to town and country, which answer on fche one hand to urban and suburban members, and on the other to those who may be said to represent, or misrepresent, outlying districts? Eroin what did the Tooral-looral party spring ? Mr

Haughton and Mr Bunny, and one orj two others of that class, were not so much of the party as in it. They were j a mere accident of its existence, andj although they may be said to have foatered it, they did so only in the same w&y as attendant imps obey the behests and carry but the designs of the Master Spirit who commands their services. They hovered about the "outlying districts" element in the Assembly, noting its every action, catching the tone of its every impulse, poisoning whatever was good in ifc, nurturing all that was bad, and in a thousand ways creafciug and maintaining that division which their Master knows how to take advantage of. We appeal to every unprejudiced person who has read and who, ha? noted the proceedings of lasfc session of the Assembly to bear out what we have said. The more the matter is thought over, the more we engage in the useful work which is aptly described by the homely phrase of "putting thia and that together," the firmer becomes our conviction in the truth of what we have but very feebly described. There is a number 6f men in the General Assembly — and it is the inevitable though sad result of our position that such should be the case — who are personally interested in taking care that the vast tracts of waste lands " should not be filled up by population, " but should continue to fulfil the " more worthy purpose of feeding " sheep," as it has been very tersely put. In what way do we find these men voting ? Some of them, to their honour be it recorded, have exhibited a hearty desire to promote the general welfare. These men must have been perfectly aware that they were not doing what was useful for themselves ; they must, in short, have deliberately ignored their own interests in order to promote the interests of the people at large. But, the few of tbis class who did not act as if New Zealand was intended by nature for sheep runs, were sadly outnumbered by those who did. And Mr Stafford knows the run of the ropes so well that he can guide all elements of interest, especially self interest, to the furtherance of his own ends. The people of this and the other Middle Island provinces have never yet recognised how thoroughly — from circumstances which they are not altogether in a position to control, but which they might greatly modify — that they are at the mercy of a class who are directly and powerfully interested in preventing, the increase of population and the settlement of the country. The squatters have been, and are, tbe only " leisured class " in the colony, the only mon who could afford to leave their business for three or four months every year to attend the Assembly. How much of our legislation, how many of our misfortunes, do we owe to this fact ? Let the people think over ib, and they will most probably arrive at a conclusion pretty near the truth. We do not, be it observed, blame the squatters. On the contrary, we think they hdvei, on the whole, acted well by the colony ; but they would have been more than human if they had not, to some extent, allowed their own interests to influence their actions. Nor have they striven i after the honour of representing the! people. It bas been thrust upon them in most cases. One of the greatest problems which the people of this and other Middle Island provinces have to solve is — how to increase tbe list of suitable leisured men from whom they may choose their representatives. Every man who has a stake in the country ought to think well over this question.