The Evening Star TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2258, 2 August 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1870.

It was not merely a word or two in defence of Mr Reynolds that we penned on Saturday. What we wish to point oat is not solely that this man or that man has deserved well of his constituents—that this or that member is unjustly blamed. Members of Parliament must not be always judged of by their personal qualifications —they are the representatives of ideas —of right or wrong policy. There are always questions rising into prominence, on the correct reading of which the wellbeing of society depends : and he who is able to see his way to the solution is the person who should be supported. Unfortunately there are few men who are to be trusted in politics. The idea is too general that political differs from social morality, and that what would be condemned by all right-thinking men as a social sin, is quite allowable as a political move. When, therefore, a politician is met with who considers that man in the aggregate is bound to act upon the same moral principles as man the individual, and, with singleness of purpose, advocates such measures as will secure justice to all, although he may not be always successful, he is worthy our support. “By their works “ ye shall know them,” and by their works they should be judged. It may not be vexy convenient to the Ministry just now to have this question of local expenditure brought before them ; but it is a vexy important one. Had Mr Reynolds been backed by the members of the Middle Island, the principle that the North should bear its own burdens would have been made the condition of supporting the present Ministxy in their financial scheme. There are many persons who are shrewd in business and have large hearts, but who cannot clearly grasp the political relationship of the Provinces. Their philanthropy towards the North Island is unbounded. It is by no meaus uncommon for men to perceive things at a distaxxce, and to overlook that which lies at their feet. They see hamlets or villages in danger, and they would rush to the rescue, no matter whose arms they seize"; and, having conquered, they would stand sentxy over their property, no matter at whose expense they live. The axe they have armed themselves with, or the ploughshare they have converted into a weapon of defence, may be needed by the owners; they may have taken a, pick or a shovel to make the roads in the North, which the owners could have wielded with equal effectin the South; but the danger over, these implements axe still retained. Or leaving metaphor, the money’s worth of all these is taken from the South and given to the North, and what excxxse is made for the xobbexy 1 The Noxth needs it; the Colony is one, and the South must pay. But since this one-ness is merely political, not social nor moral—political—not even politic as at present arranged, it is time the relationship was equitably adjusted. We 4.0 not put much faith in the Northern correspondence of the Daily Times, but sometimes the writers hit on the truth, and we believe the following note of warning contained in a letter from Auckland published by oxxr contemporary to be strictly true, for it corroborates what has been communicated to us privately The colonial land question, by which is meant the allocation of the Middle Island land revenue to the province* there, is growing in interest, and more widely talked of every k day. The grievance does no/s appear to be only the abolition of the North Island Land Fund 'by the Act which enabled the Maoris to sell their land, to whom they liked. It is also said that what is called the compact of 185G and the law based upon it, were carried through the Assembly in the teeth of nearly all the Northern members, and that it was anfcbuse of power on the part of the Middle Island members, which the Northern people are bound to see rectified when they can. The discussion is chiefly confined, as yet, to private circles, but lately strong and lengthy allusions have been made to it in the papers.

Hdsop, in his fables, tells the story of a man who found a viper frozen and stiff with cold, Ho took pity on the poor creature, helpless, and nearly dead; took it to his own # reside, a;id tended it until, through warmth and kindness, it recovered life and strength. Hut what was the return for tiffs kindness without judgment! The man had followed the dictates of his heart instead of his head. He saw a creature in distress, and did not stop to ask himself as to its nature and character ; and so, when it turned round upon him and bit his child, although the black ingratitude roused his indignation, he had but himself to blame. He had been a party to his own wrong. This is something of the position in which the South stands towards the North. Two-thirds of the cost of the war at least has been paid for by the South Island with the very best intentions. The burden lias been borne blindly, under the mistaken there is some sort of equality between the posi-

tion of the two islands: whereas the South is a vast unencumbered territory, and the North has to be acquired either by purchase or by conquest. There is very little land available for settlement in the North, consequently there is no land revenue. We have allowed the North to take our general revenue; to hedge themselves round with defences at our expence; to place themselves in dangerous neighborhoods that we may defend them; to take possession of land, the produce of which costs one thousand times more to the country annually than we get for it; and now they have so far advanced in their greed that a notice of motion to make the land revenue of the South general revenue, is actually before the General Assembly, Who. in the face of such facts, will venture to say that it is not high time the question of relationship between the two islands v T as definitely and equitably settled ? Who so bold as to say that self-defence does not point to insular or financial separation 1