The Evening Star. TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER 1, 1874

Evening Star, Issue 3596, 1 September 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER 1, 1874

The prorogation speech of Sir James Ferqusson contains more material for thought than his address on the opening of Parliament. It is worthy attentive perusal on account of its giving to the country the impression on his mind of the probable effect of the doings daring the late session’of Parliament, and as expressing his present impressions of the industrial position of the Colony. Sir James’s connection with us has been so intimate as to afford him an opportunity of forming a sounder estimate of our present and probable future than a tourist author like Anthony Trollope, He is, moreover, a man who, throughout his residence in the Colony, has shown he is not accustomed to bandy empty compliments. What he says, therefore, may be relied upon as the utterance of a straightforward, truth-loving person, and may be the more depended on, because, from his position, he has means of forming correct opinions regarding what he speaks of. His view of the value to the Colony of the proposed State Forests stands first. On this subject there have not been any serious differences of Opinion. It has been universally conceded that some comprehensive measure was needed. There were those who, like our Provincial Secretary, professed to imagine that the Provinces were quite competent to deal with the question \ but as no indication of their ability to manage for the future can be gathered from the past, the Colony appears quite content to allow the General Government to deal with the matter. One effect of this will be the adoption of a system not likely to be departed from to conciliate the rich Mr

CorMr B. Waste Land Boards will not have it in their power to give monopolies into the hands of local favorites, nor to withhold licenses on frivolous pretences, nor to impose arbitrary conditions for the gratification of private pique, nor to raise prices artificially to such an extent as to render importation of timber from abroad necessary to the prosecution of public works. All these iniquities have been done under the rule of the Provinces. We are not sanguine enough to believe that jobbery will end. It has ever existed, no matter what form of government prevails—perhaps mostly under absolutism—but not less certainly in the next form of tyranny : cliquism—an institution peculiar to small communities bound to each other by national, social, or family ties. On this account it is that Provincial administration is so often defective. Through peculiar circumstances, cliquism received an early shaking in Otago. This was partly owing to the gold discoveries, but mainly to the disruption of parties at a prior period. It is just possible that the turn of events that seemed likely to re-unite them, might have led to the resuscitation of cliques; but it would have been in a weakened form, although still sufficiently powerful to have wrought great mischief. Cliquism reached itsculminatiug point in theNorfch Island. The Governor, in his speech at the banquet, eulogises that part of the Colony, and considers it is destined at no distant day to become more prosperous than the Middle Island. Without questioning the value of the prediction, of which we have our doubts, it may fairly be asked why it has not realised its destiny before now ] Settled before the more prosperous districts of this Island, with all the advantages of a lavish expenditure upon it from funds drawn from the rest of the Colony, it has had the fairest opportunity of development; yet, production, trade, and manufactures have not progressed as with us. Nor is it a sufficient answer to say they have been crushed by Maori wars; for then the question crops up, what caused the Maori wars] There is but one true answer : the blue-gum of the North is cliquism under the name of Provincialism. Mr Fitzherbert may be the Wellington blue-gum, careless how or whence he draws sustenance for his Province; he is only a representative man, embodying in his policy that which has been the North Island idiosyncracy. The settlers there have had advantages they have not availed themselves of; they have a Native population whose labor has never been utilised, although, properly directed, it might have become an untold source of wealth; they have fine soil and climate, and a seaboard abounding in harbors of which they have made very little use; they have sought wealth in seeking to acquire Native land by one means or another, not perceiving that it might pay better to pay for Native labor than to acquire property they could not make use of. Not until the Administration they have done so much to thwart took office, did they begin to feel even their lives safe, and in dealing with that party they have acted chai’acteristically. The South Island revenues relieved them from danger, gave value to otherwise worthless properties, set them free to follow industrial pursuits, and the Northern settlers cry “ give us more—give us ot your land revenue.” The peaceful and industrial policy of the party in power, by its administration, gave effect to principles calculated to develop wealth ; and the North seeks now to subvert it for the sake of continuing a system proved to be mischievous. Sir J ames Fkrgusson’s prorogation speech emphatically puts forward one object proposed by tbe abolition of Provincialism in the North—the conservation and localisation of our land fund. Beferring to the abolition resolutions, he said :

The decision arrived at is memorable also fora desire which the Legislature manifests the land fund of the Colony should be applied to suitable purposes, and, as far as possible, be localised. That decision must effectually do away with apprehensions, in any part of the country, that a change in the Provincial system would mean absorption of the land fund in opposition to opinions upon the subject which have been confirmed during a long course •f years.

The only ground of opposition in this Province is thus disposed of. We have contended from the first, that the measure was necessary to secure our land to us ; for it has been evident for years the Northern Provinces were ripe for agitation in favor of its being made national property It now depends upon ourselves. We have the game in our hands, and may throw it away by an opposition move.

The steamer Albion is expected to leave Hokitika at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the 2nd mat. Telegrams for the Australian Colonies or i.urope via Java Cable, will be received tr i . ®i Telegraph Office for transmission to Hokitika, up till nine o’clock a.m, on that day.

At a meeting of the shareholders of the National Insurance Company, held this afternoon, the resolutions proposed to bo biought before the meeting were confirmed. We see by the time table published for the month of September, that the hour for the departure of the last train from Dunedin to Green Island has been altered from $.5 p.m. to 5.20 p.m.

Mr Henry Barnes, who has for the past eleven years been assistant bailiff and messenger to the Resident Magistrate's Court, has been appointed head bailiff and crier to the District Court. Mr Barnes always gave great satisfaction while occupying the inferior position Mr John Gibb has been appointed assistant bailiff.

About one-half (twenty) of the single girls ex Otago and Corona were engaged at the Immigration Barracks, Cavcrsham, today, at from L 25 to L 35 per year. Domestic servants were principally impaired for. The

girls are of a most suitable and respectable class. The families from both ships will be brought to town to-morrow, as probably will be the single men. A number of the immigrants will be sent to the country.

It is believed that a man named Charles Burgess was drowned in the harbor last evening. He was seen by one John Wilks at about a quarter to five last evening, about 150 yards ahead of him near the Anderson’s Bay bridge. Wilks looked round, and on again looking before him could not see Burgess, but saw the hat and coat worn by him at the edge of the water, information w<»s given to the police, and a search instituted, but without success. No trace of the mau or the body had been found up to the time of oar going to press.

An accident happened yesterday afternoon to Captain Hutchison's racing mare •'pritsail, purchased from Mr Redwood after the last annual meeting. From what we can hear she was being led home after exercise, and when near the toll-bar on the Anderson’s Bay road a train was coming along the Green Island line. This stanl .d the mare, and she broke loose from the person in charge, and got on the line, and part of the train catching her on the shoulder she was thrown into a ditch. Here she plunged about a good deal, but was eventually got out. We have not been able to ascertain if the injuries are serious.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Mornington Mutual Improvement Society was held in the district hall last evening, when one of the most enjoyable evenings ever spent by the Society was passed. The gentleman who was to have continued the subject of “ Primeval Man ” not putting in an appearance, those present had to turn their attention to ligatar and leas'instructive subjects for amusement. One member was particularly happy in relating his experiences of travelling on Otago roads in the early days, with incidents in connection with the “ Devil's Backbone,” “ Gentle Annie,” and “ Roaring Meg.” Should this programme be coutinuad at the next meeting, a crowded house and a genuine evening’s amusement can be the only result.

The adjourned meeting of tho Harbor Board was held to-Gay. Several applications for the position of engineer t© the Board wereree.ived. Aniutimalionfromtheundcr--ecretary, stating that Mr Mercer had been appointed a member of the Board, was received. The committee appointed to select a secretary for the Board reported that, after examination, they had selected seven names, and that they left the final selection to the Board. Mr Reeves proposed that “the Board should go into committee to consider the subcommittee's report, andalso the applications for the secretaryship.” Mr M‘Uermid moved as an amendment that the matter lie held over. This was afterwards withdrawn, and the original motion carried. After considerable discussion, the, appointment was further deferred till next meeting of the Board, on Tuesday, the 15th inst.

The annual meeting of the D. G. Lodge was held last night at the Masonic Hall : the R. W. D. G. M., Brother John Hyde Harris, in the chair. Brother Julius Hyman was elected treasurer, and the officers elected for the ensuing year were as follows : —Brother George Greenfield, SvW. ; E. W. ’Ren, J. W. ; Rev. T. L. Stanley, chaplain ; H. Eldridge, reuistr.tr ; Sydney James, secretary; W. Asher, S.D. ; D. Boss, superintendeut of* works ;A. U, Burton, director of cermonies ; L. Court, swordbearer ; A. H. Marsdeu, organist j I). K. Rhodes, pursuivant ; and Robert Greenfield. J. F. Peake, John Mackley, and S. N. Muirj stewards. The following were elected members of the Board of General Purposes : B others Stout, Nathan, Moyers, Hayman, Eldridge, Burton, and Asher. The R. W. D. G. M. nominated Brother Stout, president of the Board for the year. The Board of Benevolent Furpo : es was elected as follows ; —Brotheis Wilson, Stout, Asher, and Eldridge. It was intimated that theinstal lalion of Brother Hisldp, as P. 6. M. for New Zealand, 'and officers, would take place on Wednesday next.

The ‘ Evangelist ’ for September appears to be a very harmless production, which, by the way, is saying much for a professedly religious journal. There are some very fairly written articles in it, for the most part free from that narrow spirit which tends so much to detract from the influence of ecclesiastical literature. The leading essays are on “ Cremation,” “ Imaginative writing,” “Emigration,” and “Fashionable Expenditure by Christians.” Dr. Copland’s letter from Eeyrout will be read with interest by many.