The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10,1875.

Dunstan Times, Issue 699, 10 September 1875, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10,1875.

Renea'h the rule of men entirely just the pen* is mightier than the SWORD.

The Abolition meeting, held in Dunedin on the 31st ult., may be accepted as giving a pretty fair expression of the sentiments of the people therein respect to the great public question that so much agitates the Colony. It will not, of course, do for us to judge by the apparently garbled report published in the Daily Times, and which is evidently a very one-sided one, but correcting the Times’ report with that of the Guardian, which journal wisely represents the Abolitionists, we are enabled to arrive at something like an approach to the truth. Who the two speakers, represented by the Times as public nuisances are, that having spoken were said to have been got rid of, we are at a loss to learn, as the explanation given in that journal is so extremely foggv, and which includes the names of five gentlemen instead o f two, including likewise that of the Rev. Dr Stewart, who. above all persons we should hope, is the very reverse of a public nuisance. Then follows that of Mr Robert Gillies, who, had he not the pertinacity to make 1 imself heard would most unmistakably have been dubbed another nuisance ; and we should imagine that all the speakers in favor of Abolition would have shared a similar fate, had the Daily Times only have had its own way. That respectable body of ancient females, who keep a newspaper shop in Rattray street, pertinaciously insists, with Mrs Sarah Gamp-like obstinacy, of keeping behind the times, and instead of leading public opinion, permits public opinion—and that of the most o’d fashioned description—to lead thru. Likewise, at Ihe same time, instead of following up the most enlightened ideas of the day in abolishing one of the greatest monstrosities British subjects ever suffered under, seek to perpetuate the abominationIs the Daily Times so prejudiced in favor of Provincialism that it has no faith in New Zealand being governed as one united whole ; or is the spirit of advocacy of the leading journal become so feeble that i; is afraid to measure its lance in the people’s cause against the superior cunning and metal which will be brought to bear against it, whenever the Abolition of the Provinces becomes an established fact; and when we shall be brought into direct contact with the superior political ability of the Colony instead of having to deal with the illiterate contemptible gro veilings. of pefy Provincial Parliaments, the united intelligence of which, if we may judge by the doings of the last session of the Council, would be scarcely sufficient to make one respectable parish vestry] Well may Mr Robert Gillies say “ the opinions of the Daily Times possess a remarkable clerical appearance, changing its opinions with such placidity as to speak on both sides of a question, and afterwards vote as to its expediency.” Even had Air Gillies gone on further and said that the Daily Times possessed no opinions at all, we should have quite endorsed his utter ances. As a political guide the Daily Times is beneath onr notice; as a clerical one we can safely say it does not point out the straight track to the promised land; while, as to its evidently clerical contributions wo draw this simile that if, ns it says, it is deemed desirable that instrumenta 1 music shall be introduced into places of Presbyterian worship, so is it also desirable that priestly writings shall be no ’on,;er permitted in its columns. Here is r iom for another display of Mr Robert Gillies’ peculiar ability, who, St. Patrick like, has a fine field before him for exterminating all the “ varmin.” Even that chief pillar of Provincialism, Mr Macandrew, is beginning to dispair of his hobby much longer preserving an existence, as the following extractfrom thatgentleman’s speech, when supporting the cause of the Provinces in the General Assembly, as r al by Mr Gillies at the meeting, plainly indicates ;—“ In common with all previous speakers, 1 am of opinion that the time has come when it is absolutely necessary that there should bo some modification of the existing system of Government throughout the Colony. I am free, sir, to admit that this Colony is groaning under, and is over-burdened with, government. We have now two governmental machines to do the parish work which one sufficed to do before, and which I believe one is quite sufficient to perform still.” And yet, in spite of such testimony as this, we find the Daily Times persistently adhering to an entirely opposite course ot action to the one which, in the opinion of nil intelligent thinking

people is marked out as being correct, let alone that it is also Unmistakably indicated by the present political feeling of the Colony. The representatives of Dunedin did perfectly right and showed themselves to possess enlightened minds when in their s ats in the House of Representatives they endorsed the principles of the Abolition Bill; and had Mi Gillies’ motion for approval been put to the people of the lip country districts, instead of a disorganized unthinking Dunedin rabble, it would have been carried unanimously, and we cannot leave the subject without reminding the party of respectable old females in Rattray street that the Abolition Bill will be earned in spite of their ghostly fathers. The amendment, -which drew forth the almost unanimous approval of the mob assembled in the Drill Shed, —“That the representatives of Dunedin should have first con sur.ed their constituents before recording their votes in favor of Abolition,” was an insult to their common understandings. The gentlemen repre; enting the City of Dunedin were elected because of their ability to do so, and not to come before the citizens like a parcel of school boys, whenever the House of Assembly was in Session, for instructions as to what course they should pursue. Their business in Wellington was as members of the Parliament of New Zealand, not of Dunedin in particular, and with full liberty to do what seemeth them best in the discharge ot the duties it was th a ir business to perform, and this they have done like honorable, men, refusing to he cooioed by an unthinking and ill advised crowd. The enthusiastic cheers for Mr Macandrew which were given at the close of the meeting should be accepted by Mr Gillies—notwithstanding that his motion only received eight supporters—as an evidence that public feeling, instead of being opposed to him, thoroughly endorsed his sentiments, only it so happened that they did not comprehend them It matters little to us where Mr Gillies procured the copy of Mr Macaiulrew’s speech from, although his explanations doubtless show that a number ot copies of the printed speech, bearing Mr Macaudrew’s corrections had been received at the Daily Times office for distribution, and which appeared to have been done. It was, therefore, most unfair to urge anything against Mr Gillies, on the score of a bleach of privilege, because he is in the position of a 'arge shareholder. and is also a director of the Daily Times Company. Mr Gillies’ conduct, to our way of thinking, leaves it still more convincing that his motives were not influenced by personal considerations, or he would in >st decided!}- not have acted as he did. We believe that the Genera! Government are entirely opposed to the ideas propounded in the D uly Times “ that the opinions of the large towns on the Abolition question are of the mast value.” The proceedings of the Assembly point out the very reverse of this, the greatest weight being at tached to expressions of opinion coming from the country districts, and which are more thoroughly independent and less influenced than those coming from Dunedin or other Provincial capitals. Precisely the same may be said of the up-country journals : they are known to be far more independent than the town ones, and we possess positive assurance that the opinions expressed in our own little broad sheet on the Abolition question have been quoted in the House of Representatives as fairly representing public opinion in Otago in the matter, while Dunedin newspapers have been ignored ; and we need s-arcely point out to our readers that it is only a few days since the Guard'an came over to the Abolition side. We. do hot requite, like our big brothers in Dunedin before wo decide to see which way the cat will jump ; we have no Boards of Directors to consult; nor any very serious conflicting influences to warp our decision ; neither do we need any sleek coated ghostly lathers to direct our footsteps ; but, knowing, as we did, that it was from the country districts the initiative must spring, we from the very first declared onr convictions, and instead of being found lagging behind so as to keep out of danger, we were numbered amongst the foremost in the ranks of those who had set themselves seriously and resolutely to the task of ridding the country of our adoption from the long continued course of injustice to which it has been subjected. .The opinions of a Dunedin rabble, with the Daily Times as its mouthpiece, can only be accepted by the General Assembly as of very questionable value; anything emanating from such a source of information, whenever any great public question is at stake, invariably bears upon its surface, however disguised, the unmistakable imprint of intense personal selfishness.