The Evening Star SATURDAY, JUNE 4 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2208, 4 June 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, JUNE 4 1870.

Two days have been spent by the Provincial Council in discussing Mr Shepherd's postal resolutions. It is quite right that the Provincial Council should have an opinion upon the matter, although it is not very likely that any resolutions adopted by it on subjects beyond its control will have much effect on the General Legislature. In the House of Representatives the question will be raised in a Federal rather than a Provincial light. They will have to weigh conflicting claims, and to settle the matter on different grounds from those taken by many of the speakers in the Provincial Council. Neither can it be settled there, irrespective of the wishes of those Colonies who are expected to contribute a large share of the subsidy. It is not in this case as fn the Panama Service, where only New South Wales and New Zealand were concerned. In this instance Victoria is expected to contribute liberally if any change is made in accordance with Mi* Collie’s proposition, and that Colony will therefore be entitled to have a potent voice in the matter. If Mr Millar’s suggestion can be carried out of tendering Otago Harbor

safe for vessels of two thousand tons burden, one great objection to this being the port of‘call would be removed. The advantages the port already possesses for repairing vessels are not to be overlooked in an estimate of comparative claims, and as before any arrangement can be finally determined upon, the graving dock will be nearly completed, that additional machinery will be no inconsiderable weight in our favor. So for as Melbourne is concerned, too, the increased facilities for communication with Dunedin would form an inducement rather than a drawback to Port Chalmers being the port of call in New Zealand. But against these reasons in favor of that arrangement we must set the question of time, and the evidence of those best able to judge points to Wellington in that respect. Practically we may consider Mr Shepherd’s motion a waste of time. Not one of the members for Otago present at the debate can consider himself bound to support resolutions that have a Colonial rather than a Provincial bearing. The whole matter will have to be gone over again in the Assembly, and will have to be dealt with in view of that broad additional light that will be thrown upon it there. That the interests' of Otago have hitherto been sacrificed in the previous postal arrangements, is not open to question. Mr Stafford appeared studiously to advocate every course of policy calculated to annoy this Province, No matter what the question, if he could place Otago at a disadvantage he did so ; and so persistent was he in the repetition of his slights that h® led to steps being taken that were insurrectionary. It is well that he is no longer in a position to carry out his petty warfare against the Province, otherwise, however general an expression of opinion, there can be no question that the claims of Otago would be simply passed over. So far, therefore, as an exposition of the claims of the Province, the transmission of the resolutions of the Council may have weight with the present Ministry, although we are inclined to think that well - considered resolutions of the Chamber of Commerce would be more valuable on a matter that must be so much better understood in all its bearings by the merchants and bankers of the Province than by the rural and goldfields members of the Provincial Council. We do not wish to disturb that self-complacency with which Mr Shepherd must contemplate his own work. If that gentleman imagines that his eloquence and resolutions will have any weight in the council of the Colony in considering the postal service, we should be sorry to destroy the illusion, albeit taking into consideration the probable actual amount of influence it may have on future proceedings, we feel very doubtful whether it was worth one-fiftieth of the expense the Province has been put to by the discussion. It really is of importance that this “ tall talk” on matters beyond the province of this Council to deal with, should be curtailed. The whole matter has been gone into as if the Council of Otago had only to say and its mandates would be adopted. Had the postal arrangements depended upon the resolutions arrived at, they could not have been more elaborately debated. Two days have been wasted in talking about them. Two days have been added to the length of the session. At one time we really did think of estimating the cost to the Province of that expensive plaything, the member for the goldfields who moved these resolutions but the task proved too much for calculation. The bursts of eloquence, the motions and amendments were too numerous and longwinded ; so we gave it up in despair. Should he be returned again, we shall be inclined to advocate an addition :to the gold export duty to defray the cost of die extra length of the session.