The Evening Star THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1870

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2165, 14 April 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1870

Mr Cutten has published a programme of his political creed, which appears to be elastic enough and to leave openings wide enough for any politician. In common phraseology, as applied to Acts of Parliament, you might drive a coach and six through it. He appears to appreciate just enough of popular opinion to try and hill in with what he considers its prejudices, and to express that appreciation in language so ambiguous that it will leave him at liberty to act in what-way-soever the wind may blow should he hoodwink the constituency into electing him. His allusion to his past political career is amusing enough. The electoral roll contains a number of names strange to him. Like Pip Van Winkle, he has been asleep for a number of years, and has suddenly woken up to find strangers where he used to find friends. Fourteen years have passed away since he took part in political affairs, yet he seems to think there must be traditional recollections of his career such as will justify confidence being placed in him. As editor of the Witness, at that time, he refers his old friends to his political opinions, and tells them they arc unchanged. It is really too onerous a task to ask even those who were then acquainted with his writings to rub up their memories by reference to the musty pages of a fourteen years’ old Witness. A man must indeed possess foresight who can predicate for fourteen years to come what course of action should be taken in the changed circumstances of a Colony. It would have been much more pleasant, therefore, had he plainly expressed his opinion of things as they are, and not have left us to infer that because fourteen years ago he thought certain measures good, he will have even any opinion at all upon questions that were not once thought of at that time. But Mr Cutten describes himself a “ Provincialist in the true sense of the word ;” a very high sounding

phrase, but capable of a very Jesuitical interpretation ; and as the question of provincialism is not likely to crop up next session in any other shape than in the retracing of our steps by reannexing some of the Provinces separated by the Now Provinces Act, it looks rather suspicious that Mr Gotten should have thought it necessary to remind the constituency of the fact. It seems however to have been a sort of introductory flourish on which to found a plea for • opposing the “ Hundreds Regulation Act.” The logic is rather crude and cramped. The conclusion does not by any means flow naturally from the premises. There is no necessary cannection between provincialism and a condemnation of the Hundreds Regulation Act. An ultraprovincialist might consider it a wise and judicious measure, as an equitable settlement of a question that has agitated the Province to its detriment for many years. Those who read the record of the debate during the last special session, will And evidence enough that the plea put forward that it was passed “ unfairly,” as Mr Gotten expresses himself, is untenable; and that in reality it was passed in consequence of the complaints of the “ unfairness” of Provincial Government administration, by the opponents of the Act itself. But the very qualified condemnation of the Act as an “ unwise “ law, and unfairly passed ” is easily get-overable, for although it might be unwise and unfair to pass the Act, it might be foolish and impolitic to repeal it ; so no one need be surprised to find in Mr Gotten, an ardent supporter of it. Then as to Native policy. Mr Gotten touches the question quite .ns gingerly. The expenditure must be put a stop to—but how 1 By Mr Stafford’s method, carried out by Colonel Whitmore, as enunciated in the Dally Times I We are told “ it would be better to make peace on ‘•any terms” than continue the Avar. This may be called the science of truckling. Make peace ! With Avhora 1 With Te Kooti, a proscribed rebel and a murderer 1 We are prepared to say that the Middle Island has no right to contribute tOAvards the Northern Avar \ and any candidate for the representation of Cavcrsham should be pledged to use his utmost endeavors to effect a financial separation of the two islands ; but avc can never be guilty of such poltroonery as to recommend the Northern Colonists to treat Avith a horde of barbarians fin’ peace so long as there is a man to raise a rifle in selfdefence. They are numerous enough and rich enough to defend themselves. Our complaint is that they are unAvilling to do so, and are not likely to keep out of quarrelsome neighborhoods until they know they Avill have to take the consequences, and pay the cost of the quarrel. There is one point of great interest that Mr Cutten does not seem to consider of any importance. His stock of political difficulties, in fact, is remarkably select. The ballot is too insignificant a question for him to discourse upon. We trust, however, that the electors of the Caversham district Avill not alloAV so important a question to be so silently ignored. Under present arrangements, as far as the circumstances of the Colony permit, a system of political terrorism may be practised. It must not be forgotten that a poll list can be got for paying for it, and published in a newspaper. This is inconsistent Avith political liberty, and there is no effectual remedy but the ballot. Whoever is elected, let him be pledged to support the ballot. There are other leading questions on Avhich M'r Gotten is silent—perhaps prudently —for judging of Avhat he does not discuss, by his style of reasoning on Avhat he touches, there Avould be equally ingenuity displayed in the choice of words to conceal his thoughts.