The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2199, 25 May 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1870.

If we !ive to judge by appearances, we are not likely to have the Cluthaßailway for some time to come. No contractor comes forward, and there is no indication that the very vague and shadowy intimation found amongst Mr Paterson’s papers is likely to lead to anything satisfactory. Two gentlemen have come forward, one with a positive offer on behalf of a company, formed or partially formed, to construct the line for a given amount; and the other to go to Europe and make the necessary arrangements, or bear the expense of his journey. The Executive, however, give no signs of accepting or refusing either of these offers. They seem to prefer waiting for some chance that shall relieve them from perplexity, or perhaps they wish to throw the responsibility of decision upon the Provincial Council. This is equivalent to doing nothing at all. Already the Provincial Council has authorised the terms on which the line is to be constructed. They have done their part of the work—the deliberative. They have authorised a line to be constructed for the cost of which they will guarantee the payment of interest on a specified amount ; and it is for the Exccu-

tive to carry out that resolution of the Council. It cannot be denied that they have made great mistakes. Through pure timidity they have thrown away the only tangible opportunity of having the Avork done. Had the oiler of the Company that was formed to save the Kailway Bill been accepted, the line by this time would in all probability have been in course of formation ; but either through personal antipathy or to serve some inexplicable crotchet, the negociations were broken oft, and thus three years have been wasted, and some thousands ol pounds. The same indecision marks every act of the Government, and the consequence is the affairs of the Province are tending rapidly towards a stand-still. Perhaps, if it was to be, it is as well that this should have taken place before the dissolution of the present Council, for it marks the class of men, who, for the past three years, have had either a majority in the House, or at least such a strong minority, as to form a check to those who would have developed our provincial resources. This balance of parties may be the clue to explaining the matter. No executive, however progressive, can cany out their views with spirit, if they are dependent upon a majority of one, and this has been the case during the greater part of the existence of the present Provincial Council. The ground on which the elections turned was principally the land question. The settlers versus the graziers. The political warfare has been between these two parties, and their difference has been, not so much a political question as a personal one. The strife really has been whether the squatters shall pay rent for the use of land for grazing purposes, or whether the settler shall have the use of a quantity of laud for those purposes without paying rent at all. No matter how the question may be overlaid with specious arguments or spurious philanthropy on the part of the settlers, it resolves itself into the simple proposition whether they shall have the use of land declared into Hundreds for grazing cattle or sheep on without rental. Now although these two classes form very important sections of our industrial community, the value of their produce depends very much upon those who do not belong to either class, and whose interest in this squabble has scarcely been dreamt of. The latest phase in this warfare of the dominant classes has been the starving-out process of shutting up the laud from sale, because a higher power interfered to settle the quarrel on a more equitable basis than the belligerents could agree upon. The consequences of this voluntary starvation process in seen in the stagnation of all public improvements through the exchequer being empty. The question has been again referred to the General Assembly for rc-consi- ; deration, and such amendments are suggested as it is alleged v.'ill meet the views of both parties. Perhaps adopting this view, the Assembly may ,con-. sent to make the alterations if sup- ; ported by the Otago members ; but herein is the difficulty. The Provincial Council Iras condemned their work. There were no dissentients amongst the members of the Assembly, and although perfectly agreed on the subject, they are now asked to agree to alterations dictated by an inferior Legislature, and to press them on the General Assembly. Supposing they refuse, what then 1 Must the present stagnation continue—public works be stopped— ; very likely railway construction indefinitely postponed, and nothing done until after the next elections! From an expression of doubt expressed by Mr Bejd as to the soundness of the policy of refusing to bring the Hundreds Regulation Aef into operation, there is hope that Ire is not prepared to follow orrt such a disastrous course. ; We hope he will also see his way to doubting whether his railway construction schemes have been the wisest and best. He should by this time have learnt the way how “ not to do it,” and that may help him to reverse the process and learn Ijpw to do it.