The Evening Star Thursday, September 15, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2296, 15 September 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star Thursday, September 15, 1870.

The most eventful session ever held in New Zealand has just been brought to a close. Prior to the meeting of Parliament, few were prepared for the turn which events have taken. Native affairs had for years occupied the chief place in the minds of Colonial politicians, and during the recess the public mind had been busily speculating upon the cost of the war, and amusing itself With debating upon its character. Those who favored the policy of Mr Stafford maintained that the Fox policy was but a continuation of that aggressive warfare initiated by the former Administration. The supporters of the present Ministiy, on the other hand, accepted the Government definition of their war being merely defensive. Public expectation looked forward to a stormy session—the “ outs " were supposed to be nearly as strong numerically as the “ ins," and there were not a few who believed the Opposition would prove so strong that there would be a change of Ministry or a general election. Scarcely anyone dreamt that by one of the most daring moves that ever was conceived at such a crisis, a complete breaking up of party would be effected; and the Ministry would be enabled to go to the country with a hustings cry so popular as to ensure the election of a new Parliament pledged to support their measures. But such has been the result. Contrary to the assertions of the organs of the Opposition, the Treasurer’s financial statement shewed

a wav expenditure very little in excess of his estimate, and the conciliatory spirit shewn towards the Maoris, and reciprocated hy them, leads to a wellfounded hope of future amicable relations with them. Had there been nothing more than this to commend the policy of the present Ministry to the country, it would have been sufficient to ensure support. The country —that is, perhaps principally the Middle Island—was weary of war. To the North there were compensating circumstances so long as the Imperial troops had to do the fighting. There wer? Commissariat contracts, and plenty of snug berths for brothers, cousins, and cousins’ cousins. Earl Granville put a stop to that by withdrawing the troops, and since that decided step was taken, war’s alarms are less loudly sounded. But plans have been enunciated that toak all classes by surprise. No one at the meeting of Parliament dreamt of such a progressive policy. Men, when first the Treasurer sketched out his scheme, were fairly taken by surprise. Some doubted ; some sneered; some looked upon the thing as an enormous joke : but ultimately all either acquiesced in the feasibility of his plans, or were so convinced of their desirability, as to withdraw all opposition to them. Occasionally we do hear of dissentients. They are commonly men from the agricultural districts, who imagine that a railway can do no good to a country unless its traffic return shews so much per cent, on the outlay. But there are not many even of the agricultural class whose vision is so circumscribed as not to have some glimmering notion of good to be realised by improved modes of communication. Whether the disturbed state of affairs in Europe will retard or forward the execution of these measures, remains to be seen. At present we have no sound data on which to base an opinion. But other important measures have been passed that ought not to be overlooked. His Excellency the Governor, in his short commentary upon the doings of the session, touches very lightly upon one of the most important measures for good that has ever been adopted—- “ the use of the ballot ” at elections. Undeniably we owe the carrying of this measure to the perseverance of one of our City members, Mr W. H. Reynolds. Session after session he pressed this upon the House until he accomplished his design, and now this security to electoral independence has become law. Another measure bearing intimately upon Colonial prosperity has been adopted—“ Torkens’s “ system of land transfer.” Introduced at first into South Australia, it was there met with most determined opposition. The legal profession, including the Chief Justice, were against it, and a similar opposition to its operation was experienced in Victoria. Whether it is destined to encounter like obstructiveness in New Zealand, is hard to gay. We are, on the whole, a Conservative people ; very difficult to move, and not very likely hastily to admit the advisability of transferring real property to purchasers with equal facility, and at little expense, as if it were personal. So far as Otago is concerned, it has reason to contemplate the results of the session with pleasure. The Bill authorising re-union with Southland is passed ; in all probability the Clutha Railway will be formed, and Port Chalmers to-day congratulates his Honor the Superintendent on his successful effort to have it made the terminus of the San Francisco postal service. Mr Macandrew, Messrs Birch and Reynolds, and we believe in the main the other members of the Province, have exerted themselves for the common weal, and with trifling exception tho Otago members have learnt the lesson that union is strength.