The Evening Star SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2564, 6 May 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1871.

One good sign of the times is that there is a disposition on the part of the General Government to work in harmony with the Provinces. For several years this has been a thing unheard of. Four years ago there was an evident disposition on the part of the Colonial Executive to crush Provincial institutions. Mr. Stafford was in office, and his whole domestic policy was a persistent effort to destroy provincialism. In the course of the four years of the Council’s existence, some curious transformations took place. Many who were zealous centralists at its commencement, became professedly rabid provincialists before its close. It was not that they had attained more knowledge or became more attached to existing forms of government. Throughout the whole of their political career their conduct was marked by a narrow selfishness that led them to change their politics as seemed for the moment likely to realise what they thought most to their own interests. In the first instance, they were ready to rush into insurrection because of the action of the Stafford ministry respecting the gold fields, Mr. Vogel then was their leader, and they followed him blindly, and shared his triumph. To read the brave speeches of some who opposed Mr. Stafford one would hardly have expected that in a year or two afterwards some of them would be soliciting his aid against the very man whose action they had supported. But so it was. Clutha has some remarkable men in it. They are remarkable for selfishness; remarkable for narrowmindedness; remarkable for changeableness \ remarkable for shortsightedness. Dissatisfied with the doings of the Provincial Council in selling land in accordance with the law, they sought a remedy at the hands of Mr. Stafford, the very man whom some of them formerly decried. He listened to their complaint, and instituted a most searching inquiry, which suggested a remedy. But that remedy roused in them ten times deeper indignation than before. It was not, however, vented upon the author of the imagined evil, but upon his successors, who had initiated a complete change of policy. Provincialism, of which the Clutha men once complained, became their watch-word and Mr. Beid, who had supported Mr. Stafford and opposed provincialism, became their general. From that time things went wrong. Faction was in the majority, and during the last twenty months of the Council’s existence, the whole and sole object sought was to thwart the General Government in

their efforts to do good. The interests of the Province were secondary to the triumph of their party. No matter what the General Government proposed, it was misrepresented. The most plain and beneficial industrial plans were condemned as proposed for sinister objects, and every obstacle was placed in the way of their being adopted. Luckily power had been placed in the hands of those who knew how and when to use it. Undeterred by the senseless howl of those who, blind to even their own advantage, opposed the construction of the Clutha Kail way, steps were taken to put it in progress; and now that its formation has become assured, our Clutha population—ready to benefit by anyone able to confer it, no matter what his political creed—ask that they may have part of the immediate advantage derivable from the local expenditure. We do not blame them for this. It may not perhaps be exactly in accordance with the way in which we should proceed were the undertaking our own for our own private benefit. But they do not look at the matter in that light, and ask that several miles at the Clutha end may be proceeded with at once. What we mainly desire to point out is the fact that they have not known who wore their friends. From Mr Stafford they expected great things. They asked “ bread of him, and he gave “them a stone’’--they asked what they thought would do them good, and he gave them Commissioners who did not agree with them in the justice of what was asked. The Fox Ministry inheriting Mr Stafford’s acts, so far as the land question of the Province is concerned, had to bear the whole of the contumely of the disappointed settlers. Not a good word have those Clutha men had for the Fox Ministry for some time past. During the late elections their fever rose to the highest pitch. It is really wonderful that they settled down so quietly, and still more admirable that they could gulp down their opposition to the Public Works Act, and ask that some of the money should be expended immediately at their end of the line. At any rate, they have succeeded in obtaining from those whom they have pronounced their enemies, consideration which was never accorded to them by their friends. It will be curious to see whether or not they will have the good manners to acknowledge they have been mistaken. In the face of the pirouetting of some of the members, prophecy would be dangerous. It is plain that the present Executive are not men who will allow party feeling to interfere when the action taken by the General Government accords with the interests of the Province. They have the secret of working harmoniously with that Government; and what no amount of opposition could have secured, this willingness to cooperate has resulted in what we said months ago would take place—practically the Clutha line as well as other public works will bo made in accordance with the desires of the Provincial Government. The lifetime of Provincialisml seems likely to be prolonged, but it depends upon whether our new Council will be ruled by reason or faction, If by reason, much good may be effected ; but if our time is to be wasted in Fiction, many converts will be made to the opinion that the usefulness of Provincialism is past.