The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 552, 2 December 1875, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Equal and exact justice to all men. Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political # # # * # Here sball the Vrens the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbnbecl by gain.

THURSDAY, DECEMBERS. 3875.

Another of the great leaders of the •Opposition has spoken, and still the policy of fche party is shrouded in mystery. The speech of Sir Geosge Grey, earnest, eloquent, suggestive of much that is •worthy of thought though it be, is fitill wanting in the element of strength and practical usefulness. Tb has no backbone. And in .this it truly .represents the 'Opposition of which Sir George G-ret is himself the acknowledged leader. It can no more be called an exposition of policy, than the Opposition itself can fairly assume to be called a party. The one is made up of political cliques or sections having nothing or little in common save hostility to the Government, and whose ! views as a body have never yet been placed before the electors, whilst those of its individual leaders have differed each from the preceding one, and each been in turn repudiated by the succeeding speaker. The other touches upon many matters desirable to-be known and interesting to hear, 'but carefully leares untouched that very matter which the people of Auckland flocked to the Choral Hall, on Monday night, to listen to and the electors generally throughout the colony, are anxiously -waiting for, namely, a clear definite -sketch of the Opposition policy, and a practical demonstration x)f the manner and cost of working it out in practise. This is what the country looked for — something.tangible, something practical, the pros and cons of which could be argued out and 'discussed upon their merits HistruethatSiß Gkorge has given a $ualifiedussent to Insular Separation, or, we should rather say, recommended it to the notice of the electors of this Province, but it is clear to see that his heart is with the election of Auckland into a separate Colony, and that he merely looks upon JnMilar Separation in .the light of the proverbial half loaf of bread. But whether the one or the other, or indeed whether either, or whether the four provinces echeme is to be the basis of the Opposition programme Sir George Grey does not distinctly tell us. lie cannot do so, and for this reason thathi«.party,as we must for argument's Bake^eaH it, .have siot agreed amongst themselves. •" Your Chairman,," said Sir George Grey, at the meeting at the Choral Hall, "stat>d that I was going to sketch out a policy for you, but that .in «fact is a thing* which at present it »would 'be impolitic <for 'me to do in detail. I can grve you some subjects for consideration, upon winch you must make up your minda. But the other question of an actual policy would be, in my opinion, very impolitic on my pait to sketch out at present." Neither Sir Gkohge Grey in Auckland, nor Mr Macandrew in Dunedin, nor Mr Stout, nor any leader of -the Opposition dare lay

down a deiimU buyie of action for the " party." To do so $rould be to alieimte one half their following. Their only chance ia to fool the public to the tog of its bent irith vague generalities and implied promises, to make th« most of such party iciiee as " General Government corruption and extra v&ganco " and trußt to tlie chapter of accidents themselves for what the political may turn up. Stripped of its imagery and discursive eloquence there is literally nothing in Sir •♦George Grsy's speech. It was not to listen to an uncalled for and irrelevant comparison -of the British constitution with that of New Zealand, or to a general disquisition on the political "and social development of the human race, or how : Auckland might bo made to resemble | Carthage — past history would show, as | the people of Waikato too well know, that Sir George Grey has been indeed its Hannibal — that the people of this province were invited, bift to learn from the lips of the member of the »Gity West what it is that he and hia colleagues are prepared 'to substitute for the matured ■plan and definite proposals of the Ministry. To use a homely Scotch saying, before we throw away the dirty water we ought to be sure of the clean. We want to see the Opposition scheme plainly mapped out and its cost and the practicability of its adaptation, with their varying conflicting interests, to the seveial Provinces of the Colony fairly shown. This is what the elector* look for, and this ia exactly what the Opposition leaders -can none of them show* But fhou^h Sir 'George and 'his •colleagues will not declare a policy, there is before tiae electors a .plain and unmistakable issue which must not be lost sight of, and which 'must be forced -upon the Opposition. When tfoe AbeKticn Bill was before the House a great outcry was raised that the public was being taken by suprise, and the coming into operation of the measure was postponed u&til«the day after the last day of next session in order to allow of an ".appeal to the .country." Here then is a diatinct issue wliich the electors must not lose sight of. An appeal to the -country was, and but -a few months ago only, the cry of the Opposition party, but it would seem that it is now convenient for them to forget 'it. 'If they have no constructive policy of their own to substitute for that of the Government let them rally to this their former war cry, and let the question of the hustings be that of adoption of or rejection of the Abolition measure. Tt is in fact the primary of all, and those >of insular separation or a return .to $ie model of the 'Greek -states or free cities of the middle ages put iorward by Sir George Grey, or the two Provinces scheme advanced by Mr Macandrew are but mere secondary and illusory questions depending upon it. The electors must not forgot that the Abolition of Pro\inces JBill is not yet secure, and must take care, lest in the discussion of 'the future formof Government, they are led away fffrm the main poiut at issue, apd such a Parliament be returned, that, however unable 'it may be to devise a better system of Government than that proposed -in the Local Government Bill of last session, may nevertheless be sufficiently powerful on one point, that of 'repealing .the Abolition Bill. This indeed is the hope of the Provincialists, who in such event see, in the political chaos and difficulty of constructing a new form of Government that will suit all parties and portions of the Colony, a chance of the people reverting, in despair of any other, to Provincial institutions as they now exist.

CiMBRTDGB AvNUAL SPOBTS. — Our fellow Bfttlera at CambrifJ^t art 1 moving in (he matter of their annual snorts, «nd a meeting was to be held last night, at tie Ma-onio Hull, due account of whifh we may expect from our loca.l correspondent^ for the purpose o' ruak-ns? the necessary arrangements for rendaring them a success. Hamil>on and Nenrunwahi* are already moving in the matter, and co too, doubtless, will Alexandra, and Te Awatnutu ani other districts, so that we may ci ject the bolidiy woek will bo a geaaon of general eoity throughout the dintriot and prove a powerful counter attraction to the more brilliant, but perhaps lees satisfactory allurements of El'erslie, where the races are sometimes sold quite aafre j ly ua(he.ca r d!«6f theoo'.ors of the Jockiesand the names of th» horses. W-ukito settlers may, however, «ttke the chance ofthn even's withoit leaving their homes, for Mr Ellis, of the Exchange Hotel, ia, we pep advertising his sweepstakes on the Auckland Cup. Mbsmbrophbbnoi/'&tcil Beancbb EitraOBDTNART — Dr Carr njay be expected in Hamilton this evening, where he will deliver two of his phreno-mjesner'c leancea, the one on Fri i*y. the other on Saturday evening, "the 3rd and 4h inst in the School-house. He will -visit Alexandra, on Tuesday next, nd Te Awamutu on the day after. Perhaps the opportunity ' would not be a bad one for having a test made of the head- piece* of intending candidates, Of this we feel quite certain fh*t if the gentlemen leeking the suffrages of the electors will only come upon the plat form and submit their heads to the manipulation of Pr Oarr, with * view to testing their respective ability as legialrftors, and will then inhale the laughing gas, to the imbibition of which the proverb in vinovcritas may be rqually applied aa'to a liberal indulgence in the j'lice of the grape, and in that condition answer saoh ques'ion* as electors present m*j put to them through Dr Curr, that gentleman would "have full houses in all parts of the I istrict. Hamilton "Wrst Spouig— A. public -meeting to arrange f or the holding of sports in Hamilton West, on Mew Year's P -y, wa* held in tho oining-room of Gwynne's Hotel, on €atuida»y evening last. There was a fair attendance. Mr Qtirynne, who is ever ready topromotethe interests of tl c districts, was voted to tie chair It was decided that the l*t of January «'iouH be fixed for holding Ihe sp rts, so •• not to flash with the arrangements made by the Hamilton JEa*t ami Ng rudwahia spoits co mini' tees, both of which had decided to bold their annual spor'-a on Boxing I 'ay. A oxnmit'ee was appointed to draw up a programme, and arrange preliminaries, Cf)i Slfiting of the following gentlemen : — Me Bern Sndpp, Gwynne, J»s Martn, to Neale, nnd T Montgomery. Mr Cox w<s also proposed but dt-o'ined to atand. Be h wevt-r promised to render all the assistance hi* business arrangei» en'P would perrntt of. JVIr Via'ou was elected Tro-sur^r and Mr "Duuvers Secretary. A vote of thank" "was accorded to the chairman and the meeting closed. A committee. n>«)ting was held immediately afterwards when it w>is decided to open tubi-cription lnts and eet on foot a most vi.oroua canvas* both in Hamilton Eat«t and Wes' . In ' rder to show lieir zeal a subscription list was started in the room, and xome aeven or ei^ht pounds eubscribod. We have no doubt a sufficient aviv will b» raised to make the sports n. tu-cpse, an I induce many to oome from the other townshipa to oompete for the various prizes offered At a committee meeting held subsequently a programme wai arranged, which -will doubtle«sbe publiihed in our naititine.

Poke^imu Kchooi House —The s< lx>ol com ttiilUe <A tluj/^ukenniu di^tricr bmng a'nouU.t(i i put up a bui ding for school purposes Are prepared to receive tenners *for its erection up to 5 p,«. of Saturday next. Bxvs or Mixb» Stock:.— "Mr 8 Bright will sett to-morrow, at noon, at the Bathing Brook Farm, F*Utftngi, »<quantity of cattle the property of Mr Meredith, consisting of mixed cattle, also «ight "bead of btrses and a qaaotit y of implement*. 4Tw Waikato Rao« H/Lvfriit; 1876.— Tie committee of the members of the Waikato Turi ! Club, met on Tuesday night at the Hamilton Hotel, when the programme of the race meeting for 1876 ' was drawn upyarit appears in ou* ad^ vertising columns. ©D» Bii,ii.-AThe ball recently held at Hamilton, in commemoration of the anniversary of-4he formation of a Lodge of the IndepeudejTti Order of Odd Fellows' Waikato, was a brilliant *uceeH. We are glad to learn that the Waikato Lodge is in a flourishing condition. THANEB. — Mr Danvers taVe9 advantage of our columns to thank those who subscribed at the timo of bis late walking match and lodged a •sum<of money in the bank to bis account, The acknowledgment is a general one, as Ihe money being in a <lnmp sum the names of the -several contributor* are unknown to him. SHBABiNa.— Owing to the indement state of .the wtather lately, the progress of shea ing hat been greatly retarded. Borne of the farmers hare however made good headway, but the larger number «of them are waiting .for fine weather to -set in, when work in that direction will be commenced in earnest. ; Noaruawahia Reserves. — This day is the i last on which tenders will be received by the' Ngaruawahia Bighvray District Board for the lease of the cemetry, market, and town park reserves, some thirty-nine. acres altogether. The i terms of dease can be seen at -the office of the Board. I.O.Gr.T.— The " Cross" of yesterday says :— "We learn that a. requisition sipped by a number of the members of the Hope of Waikato Lodge, 1 O.G-.T., Hamilton, has been received by the Executive of the Grand Lodge, .asking that a obarter may be granted for the constitution of a se> ond lodge in that township, and that the request is likely to be acceded to. It is believed that the number of members composing the Hope of Waika'O Lodge if large -enough to render this step advisable. Odbhklvks. - By the exclusion of all extract matter we have been enabled to pull up arrears of correspondence, and frhe report of ihe delegates at Ohaupo in rt the W»iknto Aificul. tural Show will be found reported elsewher*. At the time the repo.-t was received it was a sheer impossibility to set it up for Tuesday's issue, important as it undoubtedly was. We have of laic been favoured with a large amount of correspondence which had accumulated oa hand, dtisa skate of things however which we gladly welcome, as one of the most useful funo- ' lions of a public journal is the medium it affords for the discussion bj ou'sido writers in its columns df mutters afFectirg the public in'erests. N*w Rbbtaiteawt.— We learn that Mr Charles •Veitta, of Ne«ru*wahia, with bis usual spirit of enterprise is about to erect a restaurant and accommodation house at. Taupiri, «to -meet the requirements of the men on t.he railway woitks in thai district. R?he building will be I>s feet lone by 40 feet -wide, and will be fitted up with a dining-room 40 feet by 20 feet, and a number of -sleeping appartmente suitable for (those h« in'enda to Accommodate. j4u present: ther* are but few hands employed on th#> publio works at Taupiri, but it is eapected by the beginning of the next year there will beirom 150 10 200 men permanently employed on the ronria. In this case an accommodation bouse to the ooe Mr VHth intends ereotins; will be a boon to the workmen, and a sourse of profit to its proprietor. The buildiqg ->will be completed about Cnrutmat timeHymknbax,— *We learn ( From the Aackland papers that on Tuesday the Rpv C. M. Nelson, incumbent of St Paul's, was united in marriage to Miss G-eorgina 'Sophia Coat*s. The ceremouy was performed at St vPaul'* Church by. the Kight Pev. Dr iCowie, Bishop of Auokland, assisted <by the Rev R. Burrows. The earviee was rendt-red .choralty, Mr Beale, the organist, presiding at the crgan. (The bride, who is second daughter of lb*« late Mr J. Coates, was given away by Mr F. whitaker. Tiie Rev Mr Tomli son, of Onehunga, officiated as beat man, and Misfl.Coatea and the Misses Wlutuker were bridesmaids. His Honor Sir. George Gvey waa I present at *tl»fl ceremony, who, ire understand, is pod fat her to U>a bride. The beautiful vill residence of Mr .Whitnker, «t Lake Takupuna hits been placed at the disposal of the newly raarr'ed pair during the hoire i yrnoon.