The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1875.

Dunstan Times, Issue 707, 5 November 1875, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1875.

Beneath the rule of men entirely just the pen is mightier than the sword.

Provincialism promises to die hard—those who have enjoyed the sweets of the system for so many years bitterly oppose the dealing of the final blow which puts an end to their opportunities for profit and plunder, andfinding i themselves about to be cast overboard from the Provincial ship into the sea of modern enlightment, seek to be permitted to steer the vessel on an en- , tirely new course, by an amalgamation of interests in the shape of w r hat they please to call insular separation, or Provincialism upon an enlarged scale. The North and South Islands divi led by Cook’s Straits forming two Provinces, with a federal government still ■ at Wellington. The project at first ‘ sight appears feasible and inviting, ‘ and had it, when mooted years ago i been put into practice the change ; might have been welcomed, however, beyond mere talk, nothing of a practi- • cal nature towards a realization of the i desired end was ever accomplished. > Insular separation would have been i most acceptable at that time, not so i much because people desired to per r potuate the abuses of Provincialism, i but, because it was a step in the right , direction towards New Zealand, like > other British Colonics, becoming one united whole, while at the same time the system would have been endurable as the Public Works Scheme, which I ere long will band the various disconi nected portions of the Colony together i in the iron bands of railway comrau--1 mention had not been mooted. The r time for insular separation is howt ever past, the small difficulty of Cook’s j Straits dividing the two islands, does i not justify us in resorting to the absurdity of ,two distinct forms of goi veinraent when one will suffice, it i would be equivalent to undoing all i that we have done, and having accoma plished so much in the shape of cara rying the Abolition Bill, it would bo a positively suicidal to desist from the prosecution of the groat work, begun so successfully and accomplishand which notwithstanding all

tho outcry from the chief Provincial centres of Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington, must ultimately become tho law of the land. To adopt the. principles of insular separation would bo only putting off one difficulty by accepting another. With ample steam commu- ■ nication round our coast, and railways upon the eve of connecting all the chief towns together, besides to a considerable extent penetrating into tho industrial centres in the interior, let alone that every little hive of population in the Colony is in instant communication one with the other by means of the electric telegraph, and having a population of only three, hundred thousand souls in all, to argue that two forms of government are required; and with three distinct sets of rulers, is an absurdity, and repugnant to the common sense of an en lightened British community. The onward march of civilization points

out most unmistakeably over the world that centralism and amalgima tion of interests is necessary to the true course of progress—it is tne collective strength and co-operation of the many which.is sought to be obtained in all countries and by all Governments, a division of interests being opposed to all the known principles of popular advancement in the nineteenth century. We will allow that there has existed a considerable amount of corruption in the management of affairs by the Colonial Government at Wellington, but are the Provincial Governments free from blamed—such evidently has not been the case in Otago, and there doubtless exists the same elsewhere, taking therefore tho peculations of die several Provincial bodies as a whole, the extent of the plunder must amount to, something enormous. Why do so many of us

loVk upon tlie General G ivomment at "Wellington as a. hostile b dy, or why is it that we know so little about their doings, or that we have been content to look ' upon them with feelings of wondering curiosity like spectators viewing a wild beast show, praying that the animals may not get loom . and bite 1 It is because of the pernicious system of Provincialism, which lias thoroughly estranged New Zealand colonists one from the other, until quasi Provincial parliaments have come to he accepted as the only form of governing bodies with which wo ■ have any business nr are at liberty to approach, All Jiat we want or all that, we desire to possess must he accomplished through go-between Pro--1 vincial Councils, and through which all good only can come. Happily the scales have at last fallen from our eyes, we see things as we should have seen them long since, and we must nevermore permit intermeddling bodies to estrange ns from that which we shouid ho most intimately acquainted with. We must acknowledge that the General Government requires watching, but who is immaculate. e Precisely the same must be said of Provincial Governments, and then there exists this difference, how much easier will it be for us to have only one government to look a r ter instead of three, and we feel assured that pul;- - lie attention when turned in only one direction will permit of very few , things going crooked. If we suffer our land fund t<> he taken from us i.it will be our own fault—there can be no preponderance of squatters in the House of Assembly u dess the votes of ' the people place them there, and it is not likely that when public attention comes to be directed to the injury which must ensue to the future .of the - Colony by its being turned into a f sheep walk, that an undue proportion r of the wool growing interest will find 7 itself in the ascendancy. The squat- - ters are doubtless all very well in ( their places, but as their interests are 1 from the nature of things naturally agi gressive upon the rights of others, a - well defined line of demarkation must - be drawn. We (must have no more i pre-emptive rights, picking out the f eyes of the best portions of the land, r or ten acres allowed here, there and everywhere for a hut or woolshed beI coming private property, and go spot- - ting the country that all the rest is rendered comparatively useless for the t purposes of settlement by the .people, ', while as so very many depasturing ) leases will run out during the next 3 Session of Parliament, it will behove , the electors to see that the property - of the country is made the most of, e and not one class permitted to grow . rich and fatten upon the depredation i of another. The squatters have 1 ee i > treated in a most liberal manner by the Provincial Governments, who , reallv have played very considerably : into their bands, and finding that e these privileges are ahus°d it is time b to cry out “ hold enough.” We are i quite averse to the belief that under a General Government rule the squati ters will find themselves in such a - good position as with Provincialism, f The Provincial authorities have of late - years worked hand and glove with the e run-holders, and it lias been only for - them to ask and to have to the injury s of all other interests. Under (no cirs cumstauces r do wo believe that the i- General Government would have pori- petrated such a wanton spoliation of t the public estate as the sale of the I Island Block. The Piako swamp i- affair, of which so much has been ■- made is nothing in comparison to this o iniquitous proceeding. The large ine dehtedness of the Colony renders it highly essential that there should be i- no division of interests, while that our II system’of Government should possess

that unity and oneness of purppie about it, which alone can inspire confidence in the public creditor, moVo es- ' pecially as in all probability we shall bo compelled once more to have re course to the English money market to supply the means to complete our /Public Works. 7 Circumstances now render it imperative that it will depend upon the well being of the many to provide the means to meet the liabilities to which the Colony is pledged. Population becomes therefore of first necessity, and wo cannot expect to possess it unless the people

are, permitted to occupy the lands. This is a matter which must intimately affect every interest, as, without population, property must decrease considerably in value. The occupation of the merchant, the retail trader, the farmer, and the handicraftsman will be of little account with the lands locked up from occupation, and the country turned into a sheep walk;

while, even the squatters themselves would, in the end, find themselves so hegvijy taxed that, even with wool at a lush price, their business would scarcely pay. Sheep taking the place of men would, leave no other course open to the Colony than a repudiation of its liabilities. Having Provincialism abolished all our difficulties are placed plainly before us, and the line of politics necessary to pursue to meet them is at once apparent To infer that the people of K ew Zealand cannot form one mutual system of government by which they may govern themselves, is a libel upon their intelligence. Instead of a varied division of interests hung a source of weakness it is a source of strength, and one of the chief attributes to efficient and good government. With the Colony divided into Shires we have local self govevn-

raent bi ought home to our very doors. Unassuming country districts will possess advantages equally with the more opulent Taieri, in having their fdr share of the revenue for expenditure upon local improvement*, which hitherto have been almost entirely neglected. Inland towns will be placed on a footing of equality in respect to their means, the same as Dunedin ; while the goldfields having ample justice meted out to them will occupy a position they have never been permitted to occupy before, because they have hitherto been laid under contributions to support Dunedin and its surroundings. Instead of—figuratively speaking—hearing of no other place but Otago, we have become fully alive to the fact that there really does exist such a British Colony as New Zealand; while the thraldom from which we now find ourselves free, has so far opened our eyes that we are enabled to discover that instead of a petty, narrow-minded principality we form an integral portion of a future great and powerful empire, and which duty calls upon us to assist in fashioning. The future of New Zealand'is now in cur own keeping, and whether we possess a good or a had Government rests entirely with ourselves, and the coming elections 1 will prove whether the country districts appfeci ate the great work of emancipation which has been accomplished for them.

Members of the Hospital Committee will understand the usual monthly meeting will be held this evening (Friday), at 8 p m. We are informed by the Postmaster that the Pot t Offices at Ophir (Blacks No. 1) and Hyde embrace Savings’ Bank and Post Office Money Order offices. Wo have to acknowledge receipt from the General Government Printer of Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Banking arrangements of the Government. It may be as well to state that applications for new licenses can be made at the ensuing and every succeeding quarterly sitting of the Licensing Court. The

amended Licensing Act passed during the past session embodies a clause to that effect. Mr G. B. Barton, barrister at law, and editor of the New Zealand Jurist, notifies that “ Reports of Cases in Mining Law, decided by the late Judge, Wilson Gray, will be published in monthly parts, in the new series. (See advertisement over leader.) At,the meeting of the District Land ’Board, Clyde, yesterday; the application of C. T. Marie for a head of water from Cooper’s Gully for domestic purposes was refused, the Board saying that they had dc. termined to make no grant on the Dunstan Commonage whilst it was in its present unsettled state. On Tuesday next the f)th instant, the opening Cricket Match of the season is to be played on the Clyde ground between ihe Cromwell and Clyde Elevens. A groat deal of interest is centred in this game, which is expected to be most keenly contested. We draw attention to the advertisements of the Concerts in another column. Our Alexandra friends produce a first class programme, which, added to the the object to which the proceeds are to bo devoted, (the Dunstan District Hospital) wo have no doubt will draw a bumper house. At Blacks there is to be a So : roe and Concert in aid of the School Funds, and at Clyde, on Wednesday evening next, a Concert in aid of the Episcopalean Parsonage Fund. We have to record another very sudden death at the Nevis, in the [person of Mr Jamieson Brown, which took place on Saturday evening last. From what we can understand, Mr Brown, on the Wednesday previous, in good health, had attended the funeral of a friend, at Cromwell, and on returning home the following day, was taken ill, never rallying till he died. On Tuesday last the body, followed by a large concourse numbering many from Alexandra, Clyde, Nevis, and surrounding districts, was conveyed to the Cromwell Cemetery and interred. The cause of death, we believe, was congestion of the heart,

Wo have to apologise to our Cromwell subscribers for the irregularity in the delivery of the two last issues of the “ Dunstan Times " The fault was not ours, as wo took advantage of the first opportunity of sending them on; however, to prevent a recurrence, we will in the future send the parcel* by coach' ot» the Friday afternoon, and wo will ask of our Agent to loso no timo in delivering them. For the Dunedin Cup, to bo run in March next, there are 44 nominations. On Saturday evening last about 10 o’clock, a fire occurred at Thormahlen’s barber’s shop, through the upsetting of a kerosene lamp. On the alarm being given a crowd soon collected, and with the aid of buckets and a plentiful supply of water in the water channel, the flames were quickly subdued, The only damage being the breaking of two large panes of glass in the shop front, and the destruction of the calico, paper, and lining of the shop, to the value of about L 7 orLB. The damage done was covered by

insurance in the Norwich Union. At the last meeting of the Waste Lands Board, Dunedin, it was decided, that the price of town lands be increased, front sections to LB, back sections to L 5 each. —Mr James Tyrrell's application to lease portion of Bailway Reserve, Clyde, was decline ’.’ —Mr S. Halcrow intimated his intention to surrender section 31, block 1., Chatton. Agreed to. The Otago Witness stys Out of the . seventeen men who voted against Abolitior, ] thirteen were office holders under the Provincial system, all more or less being animated by the statement ‘ Stick to nur Billets.’ ” It is with considerable satisfaction that we at last find our contemporary using its pen to point out the absurdity and abuses of Provincial Governments. The Daily Times hints that Captain Baldwin is likely to be found amongst the candidates for the Waikaia in the coming elections for the General Assembly. Mr J. B. Bradshaw and Mr Mervyn will contest the

same seat. Captain Baldwin is very well known in the district he aspires to represent ; the only thing .against him will be his close connection with the squatting interests, and we imagine that the electors of Waikaia have suffered rather too much at the hands of the sheepists to secure him the majority of votes. At a meeting held in Dunedin (Dr Bakewell in the chair) to take into consideration the propriety of establishing a Working Man's Newspaper, it was proposed by Mr Morris, “ That in tlio opinion of this meeting the New Zealand Press does not adequately represent the interests and opinions of the working classes,” which being seconded, Mr J. G. S. Grant proposed the following characteristic amendment : “That, in the unanimous judgment of this assembly, the newspapers of Dunedin do not reflect in any sense whatever -the impartial and dispassionate and impersonal public opinion of the community ; that they are simply the mendacious organs of worthless cliques and hishonest men—whose God is their bellies, who glory in their shamo, and whose principles, like the vanes of steeples, perpetually veer with the varying wind of passion, interest, prejudice, avarice, and the coarsest selfishness generally ; that, therefore, in self-preservation, it is abso'utely expedient and even necessary to start a free and independent organ of real public opinion in this benighted and misgoverned City of our habitation.” For the violent language he used in speaking to the amendment he was time after time called to order by the Chairman. Indeed a scene at one time between the two seemed imminent. In one part of hia ajiceoh he said that a working man’s paper was wanted was as clear as noonday—hut the question was, had they the spirit to form one ? Mr David Thomson seconded the amendment, which was carried- A Mrs Thomas (who occupied a front seat) screeched outDon’t keep anythin’ in the background—let it all come out. It’s perfectly right. The Chairman's no a working man.”

We now give the boundaries of the Dunstan Electoral District, as amended during the last session of the General Assembly. . The principal alteration is that the district ’v J now embraces the whole of the valley of the Nevis. On looking over the new roll, which is being prepare’, we find but the name of one Nevis resident. Whosever fault this may bo we cannot say, but wo would recommend the whole of the Nevis residents to apply in January next, to the Returning Officer to have their names placed on the Roll. The boundaries are as follows: —The Dunstan Electoral District is bounded toward the North-east and East by the Waitaki District, from the source of Pass Burn to the summit of Mount St. Bathan’s ; thence by the eastern and part of the southern boundary of Run No. 237 to Lauder Creek ; thence by the northeastern boundaries of Runs Nos. 223, 244, and 261, and part of the eastern boundary of the last-mentioned run to the summit of North Rough Ridge Hill ; thence by a right line to the summit of South Rough Ridge Hill; thence by a right line to tho summit of tho western watershed of tho Upper Taieri River, and a right line to.tho eastern corner of Run 199 ; thence towards tho West by right lines from peak to peak along the summit of Knobby Range to a point duo east of Rocky Mount; thence towards the South by a line due west to Rooky Point; thence by a right line to Lorn Peak ; thence towards tho West by right lines from peak to peak along the summit of the Hector Mountains to Double Cone ; thence on tho North and Northwest by lines bearing easterly along tho summit of the ranges from Double Cone to the junction of the Nevis and Kawarau Rivers ; thence by the Kawarau River to Its junction with the Kirtlehurn ; thence by tho Kirtlehurn and a lino bearing cast 23 degrees North to the summit of Mount Pisa ; thence by a right line to the junction j of the Linclis Burn and tho Clutha River; and thence by tho Lindis Burn and Pass 1 Burn to the commencing point.

Since the publication of our last issue the district has been, visited with some most seasonable showers, which have had the effect of giving a wonderful start to vegetation. The effect upon cultivated fields and gardens is such that now the appearance indicates a plentiful harvest, whereas, before, they presented a sorry aspect. There was buried at the Arrow’ Cemetery, on Friday last, a well-known Maori resident named Moses Wallace, his native name never having transpired. -He had been mining in the Arrow district almost since the first of that goldfield, and was universally respected. Moses Wallace died in the Frankton Hospital, after scarcely a week’s illness, apparently from a general breakingup of the system. He was fifty-nine years ofage, and in his younger days had led a pretty hard life as a sailor, especially amongst whaling expeditions. He had visited England, and was presented to the Queen. For some considerable time previous to his death he hadjresided with Mr Peter Henderson, of New Chum, Bracken’s Cully. Deceased was a member of the Order of Good Templars, who mustered strong at the grave. At least one hundred persons attended the funeral. The service was conducted by the Rev. Joshua Jones, Episcopalian Minister, of whose church he was a member. ~