The Evening Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 12. 1869.

Wanganui Herald, Volume III, Issue 503, 12 January 1869, Page 2

The Evening Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 12. 1869.

The war of parties in the last session of the Assembly ended in a drawn battle, and will, for the purpose of c testing the real strength of the sides, be resumed at the commencement of the next session. So far as this district is concerned, the question of I centralism and provincialism is a I dead letter. Although our interests I are deeply affected by the way in I which provincialism generally, and I tfiis province in particular, are maI caged, the> results hanging1 upon the W issue of the war are too momentous P for the attention of the people to be ■.attracted to empirical questions of l.i politics. Provincialism is working Kjtself out without the necessity of I;.legislation to precipitate its, down- ■ ward progress There are natural I powers at work hastening ifs disso- ■; lution, and a period, brief in the life ■ of the colony, will see it interred. Kj&e grand problem, upon which and philosophers are reHpiired to expend their talents in ■ order to effect a solution is the native ■difficulty. Will a crooked policy, ■like that of the Stafford ministry, not Honly defeat the enemy, but. re-estab-Rji&h the,confidence which has been Mlost?, " Are the cannibal tribes, . have tried to exterminate the to be allowed.to find "a restplace for the soles of their feet th^,, land which has drunk the of so many of our countrymen ; if so, are the settlers expected to bnck*u|>on their land with the sewhich is necessary to successful ? The policy to be ac&pted regard to rebels has never been defined, and w« do not think

a definition would be difficult. If the present-Government femaiD in office, political expediency will prevail; and this make-shift policy will depend for its success upon the "ability-which is employed in carrying it out Public opinion lias much to do with the war, and there" can be no doubt in the mind of any observer, that the thing called "public opinion" has been centred in the Middle Island since the-heorinninjr-oft.be war. When Odristohurch passed resolutions to the effect that the Middle Island should vote no money- towards the | war, the Government affected a pari simony which was known here in the invariable wail—" the Govern - jment haven't the raonev." But ! when Thinedip and Timnru, after the Poverty Bay massacre, offered to j support the Goverment in snppresI ringl the rebellion, a sndden change took place in the ministerial policy, and all at once, just as if the regions |of Plutus had been opened to them, i the most liberal and profuse expenditure was inaugurated. The local volunteer forces here were put on I permament pay, bushranging companies were raised, paid for a month or two and then disbanded, men were poured in from Melbourne, Otago, Nelson, and other places, in hundreds, for the armed constabulary, and all the while not a blow was attempted to be struck at the enemy. The Government so far from desiring to see anything done were actually jealous if the local forces made a movement on their own account. The, cavalry animated with the most daring spirit of enthusiasm, had commenced the process of amputation, and their reward was insult, and slander from a Government agent. An impartial observer would have inferred that there existed a compact between the Government and their tool to discourage as much as possible any attempt, to seriously in]ure the enemy. After seven months' disaster, ruin, and defeat, we are in the same position—going to | attack, but dubious of success. The cause of all this is a fact patent in all history — there is no soul to I animate and inspire the whole body. ; When Cromwell or Chatham declared | war, every nation in Europe trembled. The cause and effect were so closely linked-together that the humblest person in the nation saw victory sitting on their brow. The Government of this colony consider first, if their acts can be justified in the Assembly, and next, is the war carried on according to the most approved principle of red tape. If wi th this system, the utmost imbecility and dishonesty are allied, the spirit that guides the vessel of state will be comprehended. W e have a right to ask Mr Fox to throw off his reticence ar d express his opinions upon the war. The colony expects him to come forward and if his policy is a straightforward 5 one, in the face of, and over, corruption he will be lifted into office

Committal.—The man Williams, alias Jones, who entered Mr Waller's shop, and stole a large quantity of property, was brought up yesterday f or final examination, and committed to take his trial at the fir^t sittings of the Supreme Gourt in. Wellington.

FoHWARn Movemknt.—A forward movement of the whole force at Westmere will probably be made before we publish our next issue. We refrain publishing any further particulars. Our Special Correspondent will be with the force, which will enable us to give our readers the latest reliable intelligence.

Tb« Mertiwq.—A tea meeting, in connection with the Wcsleyan Church, will be held to-morrow evening in the Wesleyan school-room. A public meeting will be held afterwards, when addresses will-be delivered and a collection made for the circuit fum's. These agreeable revivals of social friendship are the lights in the dark panorama of war. .Return or thr Mounted Kupapas. —The mounted kupapan, alias cavalry, have returned from Patea, after escorting the cattle and sheep thither. They did not «cc anything of Tito on their journey. A rumour wai current in town this morning that the kupapas had come

across some of the wounded Hau-baui, and had killed them, as loyal Maoris ought to do; but the story- is an invention/"" r "

Bodsfiei.l) !—Our contemporary, tbe Times, has thought fit to expose " Bousfield " in a leading article 'of inordinate length. An unworthy member of the

republic of fetters, it violates confidence by saying that Bousfield applied at the Times office for a job ; and. to show its own virtue, it rejected the offer, on the ground that "Bouefield" had some connection with Whitmore. Our contemporary would have been base indeed if it had taken briefs from the two rivals at the same time, and it was quite Tight to reject " Bousfield's " offer. But if the amiable " Bousfield'%is paid by Whitmore to speak in his favor, there is not much more harm in that than in being paid to write arainst him. Colonel W hitmore, generally beino: in full pursuit, has not time, like Caesar, to write his own Commentaries, and he therefore employs the mellifluous Bousfield to do it for him. Bousfield must be an astonishing fellow, and we should like to have a sight of him. The Times might have one of his cartes.