THE EVENING POST. SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 1865.

Evening Post, Issue 22, 4 March 1865, Page 2

THE EVENING POST. SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 1865.

The Gold Fields are of course the topic of the day ; interest in elections, Governors, wars, and rumors of wars, is entirely merged in "gold." It has a pleasant sound, a healthy auriferous ring in the ears ; all are anxious to be off to the El Dorado, and all start with lively hopes of making a rapid fortune. Words of wholesitne caution fall lightly on the determined digger's car ; led away by the prevailing excitement he is deaf to reason, and runs blindly, or as he calls it in his simple dialect, goes in bald-headed for the orthodox swag, en 1 starts off,in most caaeg,to return a sadder and a wiser man. Nothing can have a more injurious effect on human nature than this same gold finding — it opens, developes, and strengthens the worst passions we have, and renders either the successful or unsuccessful digger an entirely different man. On the one hand, while the fortunate gold finder in moat instances acquires a certain dashing carelessness as to tie real value of meney, going on the gambler's principle of easy come easy go, he acquires notions of boundless extravagan^ and is lavishly generous to every loafer who bangs about him; the disappointed man, on the other, who has probably given

up a snug business and comfortable home in his insane struggle for immediate wealth, becomes soured and Bittered, envious of his neighbors better fortune, and lowers himself, by giving way to feelings of envy, hatred, and malice, to the standard of the brutes that perish. A cartful research among the annals of the Californian and Australian Gold Fields show this to be no exnggerated overdrawn picture, and our own short experience in this country proves that,-take it all in all, the discovery of that precious metal is the greatest curse that ever can befal a new colony. It disinclines men to work at their natural calling, and engenders the very worst passions of human nature. The Government certainly reaps some benefit, but not equivalent to the injury done to all classes of the community. When we say that the Government even benefits we state a fact on which many are dubious. Take, for instance, when the astounding intelligence of its being a gold country burst upon the inhabitants of Xew South Wales, those who were in authority had no precedent to guide them in their new predicament \ all masters and employers of labor were at their wits end that the employed would desert, entailing ruin and destruction. Government officials and other functiionariea living on fixed salaries dreaded the prospect of raised prices on the main staples of consumption, and the then rapidly increasing Sydney retrograded very quickly. The " root of all evil " is not worth digging for ; to earn it by honest labor is good and proper, but the hurry skurry and scramble for nuggets injures a colony, and only benefits the horde of speculators and monopolists who show the most selfish prompitude in running up the bare necessaries of life fo starvation prices.

A dispatch arrive 1 this morning by the s.p. Wanganui, from the Hon. Mr. Mantel!, stating '.hat Pehi had given in hia allegiance to the Queen, and that there is every probability of immediate peace. His Excellency Sir George Grey, owing to this intelligence, intends proceeding in H M.S. Esk to Wangnnui, to negotiate the terms. C. B. Borlnse, Esq , proceeds this evening to Wanganui, to canvas that diitrict for the coming election on this day fortnight. We must say the Government have given scant notice to the opposition candidate j it may be fair, but, to unbiassed minds, it seems sharp practice. The City of Dunedin, p.s., arrived this afternoon from Otago. She brings a large cargo for this port, and about 100 passengers for the Ok] tiki gold fields.