The Evening Star TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3745, 23 February 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1875.

The difficulties experienced by the General Government in opening up the country in the North Island arenot merely the concluding satisfactory bargains with the Maories. Those are merely preliminary, and relate to sale, purchase, and title. The Natives, having learnt the value of land and money, want to obtain as much as they can for it, and the Government to give no more than it is worth. But when the owners have made up their minds to sell it and have agreed among themselves to do so, a meeting, a considerable amount of talk by the Natives and a little soft sawder on the part of the agent or Native Minister, and the transaction is completed. The real difficulties of the Government then begin. Long before Ohinemuri wus bargained for, it was known that negotiations were going on for throwing it ?P® n > ari< l as the opinion, well or ill-founded, has gained ground that it is rich in minerals gold especially there was a feverish inclination to rush the giound, just as a rui-h is made for the best seats in a pit at a theatre when some grand spectacle is expected. Ho uneasily jealous were many of th« minors lost their neighbors should obtain better places than they, that the services of the armed couata-

bulary were obtained in order to guard against a very possible defiance of the Government, We look upon it that the order and observance of the law that marked the conduct of the expectant miners was far more owing to the sound good sense tf th - aiajority cf them than to the repressive pre paratious by the Government. The danger in all such cases is thai there are in the minority some whose selfishness tends to break all bounds, and who are bent upon taking every advantage, fair or unfair. So long as they can be kept within compass there is no danger ; but if they are permitted teen croach in the slightest degree the rest feel bound to act in self-defence, at:d disorder and confusion arc the iuevita- ioonsequeuces. It may be fairly conceded that thus far the Government have satisfactorily managed the affair, although they will have some difficulty in settling the various claims already marked out, .Possibly the process may be shortened, so far as the ‘‘residence claims ” are concerned, by the fact mentioned in the telegrams that the speculators have “no legal status at present,” But this Ohinemuri rush has a bearing upon the question now pending of the abolition of the North Island Provinces. We do not suppose that many cases like that of James Smith's will have taken place; that one has occurred is quite sufficient to demonstrate the effect of dual government there. This Ohinemuri goldfield is opened up at the expense of the General Government—that is, by the Colony through them; the regulations are made by them, the difficulties have to be overcome by them, and yet the Ministry are met with a promise made by the late Superintendent of Auckland to give a large area as a prospecting claim, on certain conditions being fulfilled. It does not matter that his Honor had no legal authority to make such a promise, or that he had no power to fulfil it. It points to the fact that, whenever Ohinemuri was opened up, it was expected to ba under Provincial control, and the territorial revenues to be Provincial revenue. It is another illustration added to thoie given by Mr Vogel, in his speech on Provincial changes, when he said At ally rate, when I find that provisions for the Provinces of this island which were made a month before the session began, appear, soon after the House has met, to be inadequate—and when I think of the constantly recurring anxiety, year after year, in making such arrangements—l am compelled to think that it would be easier if the Colonial Treasurer were recognised as financier for the whole Colony, instead of his being, in fact, financier-general for a number of separate Governments, under circumstances which really amount to this—that the Colonial Government have to perform the unpopular task of asking this House for exceptional assistances, and obtaining them, not from the convictions of honorable members, but because they see no other course open or possible than to follow the lead of the Government in the maiter. For my part, lam simply tired of all this; and I would much rather come at once to a distinct understanding upon the whole question, and know whether the responsibility and the power are to be in the same hands or not.