THE GOVERNMENT AND THE ULTRA-PROVINCIALISTS.

Evening Star, Issue 2964, 19 August 1872, Page 3

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE ULTRA-PROVINCIALISTS.

The Auckland Herald, an Opposition paper, thus comments on the demands of the Superintendents and their tail: The struggle between Provincialism and Centralism is now about to be brought to an fa me ; and in the caucus of Provincialists, reported to have been held in the Provincial Government buildings, we recognise the marshalling together of a strong Opposition. To this Cave of Adullam will flock the leaders of Provincial Governments, with their several followings, whose very existence depends upon the bartering up of Provincial institutions at any risk, and at any cost to the colonists ; and with them will bo found the camp-fol-lowers, who —as the jackal hangs on the lion’s trail—hope to come in for some share of the plunder. Nor will the gathering be eonfined to these alone. If it were, it might effect little real result. It may, and probably will, raise the party of opposition into one of active obstrnctivcness to the real business of the session, and by the banding together of dangerous and disaffected adherents under the leadership of a Fitzherbert or a Macandrow, retard the beneficial working of tbejpolicy of colonisation, to turn back on which is a step that can only be attended with disaster. Whatever may have been our opinon of the action and administration of the present Ministry, the last thing that we should desire would to be to see it pass from office with the object of giving place to a Cabinet depending for its existence on the support of the extreme Provincialist party as represented by thejviews enunciated by Mr Sheehan in his speech in reply to the Governor’s address, and yet such must be the case if the present opposition movement prove a successful one. We can imagine nothing more prejudicial to the interests of the Colony than the success at the present moment of the Provincial party- We have pointed out on former occasions the motives which actuate those whose political existence utterly depends upon factitious assistance being afforded to the prolongraent of Provincial Institutions—assistance which can only be made at a fearful loss and ruin to the Colony—and we trust that the Ministry will made a bold stand against any such aggressive movement as that now contemplated. In such stand they will have, they may be assured, the sympathy of the country, and if beaten within the House, will be fairly entitled to a dissolution. The Ministry, we learn, have taken a bold stand against the demands of the Provinoialist party. It was scarcely likely that they would do otherwise. Their position is not impregnable, but if beaten they will march out with the honors of wan A masterly retreat is sometimes more honorable and advantageous than a barren victory, and the Ministry defeated by the Provincialist party within the House will have at its beck the support of the colonist;), foy no Provincial party, wprth the name, exists in any Province of New Zealand, and the very raising of the Provincial standard will swell and consolidate the ranks of the party opposing It, whatever may be the objections against them in other respects.