The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News and the Morning News. TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 1875.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1655, 8 June 1875, Page 2

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

TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 1875.

£or the cause that lacks _u.sl3tar.c_, For the wrone tint ne«ds i-3jfit_i__.ee. *_r,the f«tnre in the distance, —»» —• 1 tod that we can do.

Gradually and steadily Dr. Pollen is put ting down the screw on Sir George Grey. There is no use in euphemisms, such as saying that the General Government is. acting with increasing stringency in its relations to the Provincial . Government of Auckland.

Letters and leaders written to order have shewn the necessity laid upon the Colonial Secretary to act a_ he did in respect of the advance to the Thames Pumping Association. The Commissioners of Audit would not pass the accounts in any other way than as money paid; to the account of the Province of Auckland. The Commissioners of Audit did it,and Dr Pdllenyfbrsobth, had been unjust Jy accused;': It did not' signify that ifrlj^d been done differen-I^th-r'etdfore. •] That had been in accordance with Mr Vogel's arrangements aa made face to,face. at,, the,, Thames and»sub" seqi^ently. ";:The Commissioners of .Audit .did, hot mind'it then. Bu^/when a new rider gets into the saddle," ahd;Dh-Pollen, who was. at all ,t»njes disinclined to/the' advanpe"^;!)|ie. has been to everything'for the relief or ass'is-'; "tahce of Auxskland ? had the supreme diree-. tion, forthwith the Commissioners'of 'Audit manifest their solicitude. And thus now. It was distinctly understood .that interest should not be exacted from' the" province on the cost of construction oh' sections of .a rail? < "way. until' it 'Was all' comple'tedi ,7,.That is altered now. Suddenly,' and without any warning, the ...balance <o. -the _apitaMon allowance is withheld, and this is not enough,, but the

money coming to the province, as its miser* able share ofi the proceeds of sale of vconfiscated lands, is also absorbed. And this is wh^i it has come to now. The very last dole handed back to the, province in return for some three hflndr6d thousand a-year of Customs jeyenue,. is now annihilated. When

we think of the bright promises held forth .with the inauguration of the " Grand Policy;" the largo 'and liberal capitation allowance that was ''.settled "on" ,the proovihoes ;'- When: we r contrast with, that ,the present' as presented to Auckland eyes, the railways incomplete,' and,"so! far as _Mshe<£ jEO^keddn&in^ uiksatisfactory to'" -the.lZpeopfe,/; v .and', v^hen we see the last of the capitation allowance for provincial works gone, we may well edify ourselves by saying, look on this picture and on that. Two causes contribute to this putting down of the screw. It is known that the General Government is really hard up. This is of course laughable to some who have learned to look on the sources of colonial loans as -an inexhaustible fountain. It is true though, and is clear enough to eyes that can interpret' the c signs of the times. Subterfuges for avoiding payme nt are . exalted into the observance of great political principles, and the very tradesmen who for months and months and months cannot get their accounts paid by the, General Government, are led to believe that the delay is in some way mixed up with the evolution of great constitutional theories. The second I cause that gives a twist to tbe screw in the I

deep and insidious dislike borne by Dr Pollen to his own province. We venture to say if retrenchment is necessitated, his province which bas not honored and never will honor Dr Pollen will feel it first, fin Sin

George Grey he sees the shadow of hijfvdoom - He knows that the anomalous position which he occupies, as virtual ruler of the colony,

though representing no jportio^ of its people save himself, is one that is intolerable to one like the new Superintendent, who comes rudely up to the root and principle of things. Dr. Pollen feels that like Mr Gisborne and others who depend, for subsistence on the public bread aud cheese, he is likely to have to soon scamper away into the rathole of office again. He feels therefore vicious, 'and wid use his little power when he can,to spite his pursuers. The Commissioners of Audit are convenient shields for him'in his spitefulness ; and he knows that so long as he occupies position, he will find • plenty of defenders who will straighten up their backs and "assert, that the Colonial Secretary was compelled by the exigencies of the occasion, and the necessities of the Audit Act, to perform the unpleasant duty. The simple fact, waiving all humbug, is, that Dr Pollen, [wishout any new necessity arising, is enjoying (while he can) the delicious pleasure oi putting the screw do^vn on Sir George Grey.

As the Tribune appears to have sliclden into the' position of trumpeter to the Ministry, there mky be something in its programme for the coming session. Referring to the proposed constitutional changes the consideration of which it would have us believe is not to be deferred,our Wellington contemporary says :—" The clauses will be so drawn as very easily to permit without any-rude dislocation. of the several parts of the measure the inclusion of provinces of the Middle Islandjas well." The ruse would be an ingenious one'and if sufficiently and carefully worked might catch all parties. It seems however to be such a plan as would require an adroitness in manoeuvre hardly to be expected in the absence of Mr Vogelj or even, with his presence, likely to be successful after the' clever manoeuvring of last session. On the former occasion, from gathering up the information supplied by caucusera when before their constituencies in North md South, it is--evident that Mr Voxel's scheme had been made to appear to Northern Centralists a3 the thin end of'1 the wedge which would inevitably separate provincial-1 iau. from the Oonbtitution ; while to South.] ernors it was nude equally clear that he-scheme was intended to confirm 'provincialism in the South, and confirm to it, its land revenues for ever. We greatly question, however, if these two parties could be brought face to face and hoodwinked again. If therefore a measure i 3, introduced capable as intended of being shewn to Southern men as only meaning, abolition of Northern provinces, and to Northern centralists as int-nded to ba moulded in committee into the total abolition of provincialism " withont rude dislocation of the several parts of the measure," we venture tq say •.that either it'will b? rudely dislocated on its .firat presentation, or it will dislocate the neck of the ~ Ministry that fathers it. ' Any man may.. be- oneehumbugged, but n,one but a.fool submits to a second attempt. The idea launched in the Tribune is either a feather thrown up to see ifhe course of the wind, or is intended to show that the Ministry is not emasculated by the removal of one member, and that it has the pluck "to dare and do, .if the Assembly extends to it that amount of confidence which it would fain show it has in its own capacities.