The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2241, 13 July 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1870.

The speech of Mr Reynolds ou moving the resolutions of which lie gave notice, deserves calm and thoughtful perusal by every Colonist, but especially by every settler in the Middle Island. It is a clear exposition of the relationship between the two islands, free from exaggeration and# bitterness. It shown what enormous sacrifices have been made by the South for the sake of the North, and how little likelihood there is that any return will ever be made for them. It explains, too, what was probably somewhat mysterious to most of our readers, the moaning of the intimation that hia resolutions would meet with support, ou condition that the land fund of the Middle Island was made common revenue. In the course of the debates that have taken place in former sessions, occasional allusion has been made to this monstrous proposition ; the meaning of which is that the proceeds of the sale of the lands in the South shall bo partly devoted to improvements in the North Island. We hear it frequently repeated that, at some future time, that island will equal our own Middle Island in prosperity. There seems no reason to doubt it—the only question is when! It is plain and self-evident that, from the nature of the case, the day is far distant. The truth is, the

quantity of land available for settlement is very limited. The greater portion of the area of the island is still in the hands of the Natives, and will only be acquired by Europeans slowly. We do not anticipate any serious difficulties in future, where purchases are effected from the Maoris, but the more enlightened they become the more they will ask for their land, and the more likely is it that Europeans will become lessees under Native landlords. That which has become European property has cost a fearful price. Apart from the revenue wasted in maintaining possession of it, which during the long dreary, dragging years of war has amounted to some millions, a debt has been incurred amounting to four millions and a. half, and to this must be added the constant expense of the Armed Constabulary of the North, and of the Native Contingents. Mr Reynolds shews in a forcible manner the difference in value of land in the two islands, when he points to the high price paid by the settler in the Middle Island, and the necessity for giving land free in the North as a moans of securing settlement. But to the cost of the land in the Middle Island must be added two-thirds of the war debt and two-thirds of the war taxes, and the mystery of the slow progress of the Colony is unravelled. The North Island settler has had his land cheap enough, for he got it for nothing, and has been maintained upon it at the expense of others. We cannot understand how it is that the Southern Colonists have for so long a timeallowed themselves to bo hoodwinked as to these facts, and that oven now they are not freely acknowledged and doterminately acted upon, so as to secure an equitable arrangement. The South, numerically stronger, has ever been politically weaker than the North Island, Richer in revenue, it has always allowed it to be wasted in defending its poorer neighbor. It has not even secured the gratitude of those it has helped, for whenever they have been told of the expense they were incurring by their wars, they have coolly told their benefactor to mind its own business, as they were competent to manage theirs. Had the South Island Provinces been united, and had their representatives possessed even common business tact, they would have long ago dictated the terms on which assistance should be rendered. They would have treated every advance as so much money lent on mortgage of Northern property, and insisted upon the North bearing the interest and repaying the principal. They would have prescribed the conditions on which settlement should be extended, and refused to protect those who, under the temptation of getting land for nothing, settled in dangerous situations, But it is too late now. Enormous damage has been done that cannot be repaired, but it is a warning not to allow further plunder of the Middle Island. We had a private letter from the North a few days back, in which the winter expresses the opinion that a settlement of the relations between the two islands ie like “ ‘ Separation,’ or “ ‘ the Millenium'—possible, but vastly “ improbable,” We fear there is too much truth in the surmise, not because of its impracticability, but because the Middle Island Colonists will not allow themselves to be roused to a knowledge of the merits of the question, nor to take such determined, and united action as to secure justice to themselves. Mr Reynolds deserves the sincere thanks of the Middle Island for again mooting the question. He does not seek to cany it this session, but his proposition must form the war cry of the South at the elections.