THE SUPERINTENDENT OF AUCKLAND AND THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2652, 17 August 1871, Page 2

THE SUPERINTENDENT OF AUCKLAND AND THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT

(From the Auckland Herald, Aug. 4.) What does Mr Gillies and those who write for him expect the General Government to do ? That it will thrust its money on us atd our Province, whether we will or no ? Poes he expect that without enquiry made, or plans matured, or evidence in readiness to satisfy the Assembly of the wisdom and necessity of such works as might be asked for, we should nevertheless find all our wants and wishes anticipated, and attended to as a matter of course. Certainly Mr Gillies expects nothing of the kind. No such result is looked for, we are perfectly well aware. On the contrary, if such a thing could be conceived possible, so that the General Government, after our deliberate disregard of its invitation in many respects to avail ourselves of the scheme for public works, should still insist on our becoming recipients of its “mri distinguishing regards,” nothing, probably,* would bo more disappointing to those who now whine so hypocritically over “ Auckland being left out in the cold.” It may be that the injury of the province is not the primary consideration with these parties. A e charitable enough to believe it is not. But clearly, the injury of the province, in their calculations, is a' very light matter indeed —quite a secondary consideration to the gratification of his Honour’s pique against the existing Administration. We have heard it stated that there are ulterior designs on the part of two or three individuals against the Government. That Auckland is to supply the head, or the tail, of a party to overthrow the Ministry, and that a new order of things is to be forthwith inaugurated. Such rumors are too ridiculous to call for any remark from us. We have nothing to say against the right of Mr Gillies, or anyone else, setting up in opposition to the powers that be in a legitimate way. But let him do this at his own chargee. We protest against the Province being' sacrificed for such a purpose. The in virtue of his position, is hound tp consujjf the wants and wishes of the Province he go. verns, and not his own private predilections in a matter of this kind. Here is where Mr Gillies made so fatal a blunder. He forgets that the people of Auckland have no particular interest in his personal squabbles with members of the Ministry. And even if their goodnature led them to consent to gratify him with a shot at Mr Vogel, or a broomhandling of the Native and Defence Minister, whose depaitmeut he has so often threatened to “ sweep” with the besom of destruction, the costliness of the style after which he

proposes these li tie amusements is really beyond the means of the Province at the present time. The goldfields are being neglected. the country interest is being sacrificed* Local industries are nut encouraged, and public works, even to the Waikato railway, are virtually left to take care of themselves. .Now these are matters which the people of this Province are anxious to see properly attended to, even though they might have the misfortune of being nuriuml under the auspices of the Fox-Vogel Ministry. We cannot afford (it may surprise Mr Gillies that we should say so, but it is a fact) -we c.mnot afford to sacrifice such interests, even to spite the noses of the best or worst Ministry that ever existed in .New Zealand. We only wish the Superintendent had thought of this before, tie might have saved himself the mortification of having forfeited so soon the confidence of a large proportion of bis former supporters, who, if their belief in him was never at any time very profound, at least had brought themselves to hope the best, and trust to Providence for the remainder. In their case neither faith nor hope has been well rewarded. The Province, in all its interest, is conscious of a grievous disappointment. We very much fear that it has now begun to ta te the bitterness of the cup Sared for it. The consequences of the set already perpetrated, it may be difficult, just now, to estimate correctly ; but if matters are permitted to run on much longer, without a total reversal of both the spirit aud letter of the extraordinary policy pursued by Mr Gillies, and the Government with which he is associated, it is patent to every one that the results to the Province cannot fail to be disastrous in the highest degree.