Wellington Independent SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 1871.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3234, 24 June 1871, Page 2

Wellington Independent SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 1871.

Unquestionably tho most important business of the present session of the Provincial Council was transacted yesterday. Tt is a subject of special gratification to us to note that there was uot one dissentient voice. This is the more remarkable as the resolutions are tantamount to an expression of the approval of the great colonial policy of the present Government, for our support of which, through much " evil report," we have received much petty abuse from several of our provincial contemporaries, some of whom now come forward to defend what they attacked with a virulence perhaps unexampled in the annals of journalism. The " gambling reckless policy," about which so many gloomy jeremiads were uttered only a few weeks ago, is now euphuistically described as " a great policy of progress." The railways, which we were laughed at for believing likely to be made, are now hopefully assumed as immediately to be commenced; and the Provincial Council, instead of feeling " disgraced" (as Mr Richmond declared in the Hall in which they now sit) at being called upon to do their part towards their construction, have with great alacrity responded to the call made to them by his Honor the Superintendent and the Provincial Executive. Even tw© members of the Provincial Council that opposed this policy in the late Assembly, yesterday afternoon gave in their adhesion to it. One of these (Mr Ludlam) will not have an opportunity of enforcing his convictions in the new Parliament, but the other (Mr Brandon) will, we trust, as cordially support it in the Assembly as he did yesterday in the Provincial Council. The latter, be it remembered, was one of those who, to use his own words, " did not see ho*v they (the Government) were to obtain the money to carry out those undertakings," and voted against the second reading of the " Immigration and Public Works Loan Bill" in the following miserable minority — Brandon, Brown, Kynnersley, Wilson, C.8., Jollie, and Richmond. In our list of members we have always counted him as Opposition, or at least Doubtful ; and it gives us special pleasure to add his name to-day to the Ministerialist phalanx every day becoming stronger. Mr Yogel has shown all the gloomy prophets of the colony where the money is to come from, and has demonstrated the absurdity and annoyance so lately rampant in Wellington, as to the view capitalists at home would take of our financial proposals, and of the " appearance" of our Financial Representative. " What an escape" every well wisher to Wellington will now readily exclaim " did we make in rejecting Messrs Richmond and Travers and electing our present representatives ! How have all their gloomy prognostications been falsified ! and how great an injustice have we done to the Minister whom above all others we persistently abused, and to whom lias fallen the high honor of establishing the credit of the colony on a firmer basis than ever in a period of great and general, depression ! How English capitalists, who are so eager to lend us money) when they see we are to apply it to the purposes of colonisation) must be astonished at (he existence of such a party spirit among us as has prevented so many from seeing, what all tho world but themselves now see, that the policy of the present Government is the only rational one in our circumstances, and that it cannot be expected to be better looked after by political step-fathers !" With great satisfaction we note that the moderate proposals of the Government will for ever put an end to that miserable jealousy that still lurks in a narrow-minded and selfish faction in the Middle Island. When they see that we ask only for railways within our means of construction, they will never be able to oppose them, especially when they must admit that our railway system, when completed will subserve the double ends of colonisation and defence. Having been laughed at so often for believing that to be possible which gloomy wise- acres believed to be impossible, we now in turn take the liberty of prophesying, and fearlessly predict, that, if the policy of the present Government is carried out in the spirit in. which it has been conceived, and in which it has been inaugurated, before the new Parliament expires by effluxion of time, there will be no Native Department. The Middle Island has now a splendid chance of getting rid for ever of the native difficulty and its enormous expenditure, and that is, by assisting the Provincial Governments of Wellington and Napier to get those lines of railways and tramways made which they have respectively recommended. When once these are finished, the stream of immigration flowing in simultaneously with their construction, and great numbers of natives being therein employed, the Native Minister may resign his present portfolio for that of the " Minister of Works for the Nonh Island." Disputes there doubtless will be about land for many years to come, but these will be settled by law and precedent, and not by powder and shot. It is then and then only that the policy adopted last session will be seen in all its fair proportion — a policy of utilising the credit of the colony, not iv powder but colonising works — a policy of effecting the unity of the colony, not by the destruction of existing institutions, but by inspiring colonists with a community of interest, and recalling them from miserable faction fights to the work of colonisation — which great work existing institutions must either help forward, or be themselves swept out of the way. In asking the Assembly to sanction the construction of railways from Wellington to Masterton, from Wanganui

to Waitotara, and from Wanganui to Marton, and of tramways for intermediate portions " which will facilitate and encourage the more speedy settlement of large areas of valuable bush country and be of high value to the operations of defence, the Provincial Council of Wellington are seeking the good of the colony at large. We do uot say that the railways asked by the Provincial Councils of Nelson and Otago are not great colonial works ; but they have not that speciality with regard to the native question which attaches to those of Wellington. Theirs secure progress ; ours secure both peace and progress. Theirs will develop great resources ; ours, we believe, still greater. Theirs will encourage settlement in treeless plains, ours will open up valuable bush which has been a hiding place for savages, and make it a home for prosperous immigrants.