The Evening Star SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2400, 10 December 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1870.

We scarcely know a move difficult tusk than that of convincing men of error, who on mere hearsay or on very superficial grounds adopt certain conclusions. Yet if this Province is to be saved from the charge of felo-de-se, that task must be accomplished. From the action of the Provincial Council, and from The readiness with which the advice of mere political agitators is followed, there is reason to believe that a very large section of the people is bent upon refusing that which will bo for their own benefit. We should like to save thorn from this. Nor need they imagine for one moment we have any other motive than their own advantage. We have no interest apart from the people. We depend upon them, and our desire is to, work for them and with them when they take the right course for themselves; but on that very account we shall never shrink from warning them if they are likely to bo led wrong.. At the meeting on Thursday night, the chief agitators and noise-makers were some up-country members of the Provincial Council, some men who have distorted views of ; liberty, a'few men who might be considered the prototypes of the pot-house politician in “ Caste,” and one or two political buffoons. Truly goodly loaders under whose banners to fight! Men of Dunedin ! this is a true summing up of those who led the row :—how do } r ou like your companions ? Is it right that such a rabble should be allowed to override that courtesy which ought to mark our proceedings, when information is offered by a Cabinet Minister 1 We may not like what ha. says ; we may disapprove of the course proposed by the Government : but the folly of these men was, that they would not make themselves acquainted with what it is, nor allow others to hear it explained. As we, like our readers, are shut out from the knowledge that might have been gained, wo must ask them to quietly think over what our view of our actual position is. We are linked to the North Island—we will not say we are partners ; for hitherto they have reaped a largo share of the profits we have made, Wc hold that it is only right and just, that henceforth the North Island should bear the burden of its own defence and its own improvements. But that is a question now altogether apart from what wc have to consider. It was joined with it by our representative, Mr Reynolds, who wished to make Financial Separation a condition of the passing of the measures of last session. The Assembly refused to attach the condition, and passed the measures without it. Henceforth, therefore, that question must stand on its own merits. A respected friend, who holds strong opinions, which wo believe arc Avidely circulated, condemns the action of the Government, on the ground that an appeal should have been made to the people before passingmeasures of such importance as the Railway and Immigration Acts, and imagines there is no instance on record of any other course being taken. We cannot be continually refuting errors.Wc presume he has not regularly read the Evening Star: as a short time back we took the pains to quote plenty of instances in Parliamentary history, and shewed that the practice of Representative Governments is only to appeal to the people where the representatives in Parliament are nearly equally divided in opinion, or where there arc strong expressions of adverse feeling in the constituencies. Now neither of those contingencies occurred Only seven members, wc believe, opposed; the passing of the Acts, and the vast majority of the constituencies petitioned in favor of them. This then expressed the . opinion of the people. There was no necessity for an election to find that out. Now as those are facts which cannot be gainsaid, our position is this : Certain Acts have passed the General Assembly which we have no power to repeal. Whether we like them or not, they are so much to the advantage of our own and every other Province, that supposing wo wore to strive our utmost to repeal them, we should be outvoted, especially as action lias been taken under them ; and therefore, on the principle of making the best of what cannot bo avoided or undone, our best plan is

to get as much advantage to ourselves as we can. We do not believe that the provisions of the “ Railways Act, “ 1870,” are really known. Wc know it has been industriously circulated * that it is not intended to construct railways in the Middle Island, and many people believe it—thanks to the folly of our Provincial Council. But the First Schedule of the Act provides expressly for Middle Island x’adsvays ; the fifth clause of the Act provides lor I the construction of the Clutlia Railway at a cost not exceeding .£o,UOO per mile ; the eighth clause provides for the construction of the Waitaki Bridge, at the joint cost of Canterbury and Otago ; and in the Third Schedule are placed the lines for the survey ol which instructions arc given to engineers resident in Otago—the one being Irom Invercargill to the Mataura, and the other from Mocraki to the Waitaki. Now, supposing the scheme to tail—a very unlikely thing, by the way—it we can get these works done wc shall be great gainers ; while, on that supposition,'no other Province ot the North or South Island gains anything. It is the first chance wc have had ot any advancement. We have work ollered us for years to come : it wc will not accept the offer, wc shall be allowed to stand out in the cold. Wo do not forget the sufferings of last winter, and wc do not want to see them repeated. We have said nothing of Water Supply to tho Goldfields ; but that also should be added. Now which are the best—work, railways, and riches 1 or idleness, stagnation, and poverty 1