The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News and the Morning News. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1873.

Auckland Star, Volume IV, Issue 1198, 25 November 1873, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News and the Morning News.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1873.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For'the wrong that needs resistance. For the future in the dlstanco,

And the good that we can do

The election which has recently taken place of a representative to the Provincial Council for the district of Bamarama is likely to result in litigation. In our other columns reference is made to subsidiary questions in connection with it, but We understand that on grounds hiuch more important th^n those therein referred to an effort will he made to upset the election of Mr Crispe. In expressing our Sympathy with such an effort We are not in any degree questiollinc; the fitness of that gentleman as a representative. From his experience character and ability there can be little doubt that he is calculated to make an efficient and useful member of Council. But there are so many questionable things about his return that if he is a man of fine feelings or sense of honour he ought to resign. We know nothing of Dr Corbett who bad the honour of conducting this election, but if he is not a fool, he .at least appears wholly unfit for the conduct of the duties entrusted to him, and unless he can plead imbecility wc trust that he will be made to bear the penalty of his misconduct. His permitting a candidate to be present and to over-awo electors within the booth by his presence was a wilful and deliberate contravention o the express terms of the statute; and his bearing on the occasion appears onty another illustration of that insolent and defiant Jack-in-office tyranny to which we have often referred as characteristic of officialism •in rural district^ . these grounds of complaint—^fi^g o jp ncienilheVmaybetoexc;t^ ful regult Qf pugnance the ,£, suffici?9t to in . wrongdoings-would ' But the groUlU j s on validate the e\__ ollt t0 be taken by a writ which _ctyanio &re the exclusion from the

of .Qdl electoi's%hd hadavalid right to vote. that the electoral roll for the House of Representatvos is that which establishes the right to vote, and in the formation of these small rolls which are but copies';'no power or.authority.; was possessed of excluding any elector or depriving any one of the franchise. It appears also that a numberconsiderably greaterthan themajority gained by the successful candid ate are prepared to establish in the first place that their qualifi-

cations on which they based'their rights to vote are within the electorate of Bamarama ; that possessing such they are still enrolled in the roll of electors for the House of Representatives ; that .they have done nothing to : diminish those qualifications ; that they had' intended recordiig. theirjvotesiorMr Harris; that [they tendered "lilidse votes and ;were refused■',;by the" (Returning . Officersl If isuch can ,be established, and ,we are crediMyoOinformed, that it can; thes seat must, ; be/..decjlared 'vacant',., and '. a''.'. ,new" I election ordered ; and seeing the irregularities i wilfully1 or sthpidly allowed; by Dr Corbett lin thel;polling booths a spirit ofriairness com--j pels us to hope that.this may be the result

jof the action about to. be taken,

! With-that lack-a-daisy' spirit for which bur'1 j i."/_>/:((. ,_. .'■- 'i!,.T '•;..-: ir.,..i :,:'.,;>■■ ■;_ !'< -.- n;.iT,[) !.__.(_-: ■ Auckland merchants are/distinguished in-rbhes I commercial world of New.2eaia.rid, the trade lof Poverty. Bay, :as well as that* of. Napier, is j drifting, away , t.o Wellington. Our. merchants isee this,1 and 'adiriit this, arid they':bpw,lis junto the decrees of fate. We observe that-Mr ' McMillan brought the matter upd'n our local 'Chamber pf Commerce at yesterday's meeting, jand received something very nearly akin to a"si|ubbinjg for'Ms'painsi :Ho very naturally jAnd reasonably, drew attention to the action | that has been taken by the General Government on-Mr Sheehari's^resolu^ of; last j session anerit an .East : Coast, steamer/service 'for the North , Island. We can■ testify that • the distinct Understanding at '•'■ the ■time the- resolution '. was;. proposed and •carried was.'./' liat! ,it t",' 'sKbuid. '' connect ;all the East Coast^ort^Tvijfch Auckland as j well as ; Wellington/; 'ItWasJp'ropbsed by !an j Auckland, (member^- and' it wafl'thei reward to ' Auckland /members,.fpr e; rEayipg, supported J the ,W ( eßt,. ; Coast 7 steam,; service, fpr:~{6)tygp. | That any^'o'ne/^lho.uld *! question thip'biijy {proves tha,t influences have been-used by-the ! Gov eminent to -throw dust \\ in/ tho eyes of I ililj* i -■.. -'.'f ;-- (,l :it ill tl)t\e* '' • c j Auckland, while they go on with the work ■of aggrandising Wellington. We, learn that the service, has'been already ' established pn.the East, Coast of this North Island, but it is only between Wellington and Poverty Bay. Although originated therefore by an Anpklandmember,and grantecl by Southerns as a sop to Auckland, it is being worked by i the Government in a way; that ia worse to

Auckland than if, it had never been* started.,! And yet our Auckland merchants drop their hands by their sides and rest aontented. What are we to do with men of so meek and lowly spirit ? or what hope can we ever have of Auckland's advance when apathy—not simply culpable, but disgraceful —is so entirely characteristic. Every.dodgo and scheme that can be laid with any hope of success is freely availed of by Wellington, j which is always on the alert; and having centred in itself already all the steam coasting trade of the colony is now bidding for that of Fiji and everyplace else. •• i What is the use of sending men to the Assembly to j struggle.for justice to the■ province when immediately oil anything being gained it is Allowed to slip through the fingers and be picked up by others that have their wits about them. After a severe and protracted struggle' a branch service connecting with the Suez line, via Manukau and Sydney, was wrung out of the Government. Who has ever heard anything more about it ? It may have been for short or for long time, but if it was worth the struggle made about.it in the Assembly it-was worth an effort to have the promise of Mr Vogel carried out. But while Auckland merchants are sleeping the Government are gradually yielding point after point to the ambitious little city in Cook's Straits, which by the formation of his "gigantic" newspaper organ, and by all possible concessions Mr Vogel seems now bent on confirming in the possession of commercial and political supremacy. There seems to be some Curse resting on this place that blights its energies. Our people run madly after every swiudle dangled by the Southerns before our eyes, while not a thought is given to opportunities that are, lying about in profusion among ourselves, The trade of Poverty Bay may not be very important at the present moment; but that district is destined yet to be second to none in New Zealand. We should iiot perhaps envy others a share of its trade, but seeing that it lies within our borders,, and that the Assembly authorised to us the means of regular coramunication,rit.is not too much to say that Auckland .should at least have some share in the East Coast'trade before it permanently and irrevocablj becomes connected with the commerce of tho South-