POLITICAL AMENETIES.

Evening Star, Issue 4088, 3 April 1876, Page 4

POLITICAL AMENETIES.

Anything more amusing t in the way of official: correspondence, than that ; which recently passed between ? the Premier, Sir George Grey we have - seldqmi seen before'. 1 The ‘N, Z. Times’ published It' in'fnll' bh‘ the 25th ult. ; but the Wellington evemhg journals gave a ; ,fair; summarv .of the leading points, and from them we make a few extracts. It is : qver “ the rights of Auckland” that Sir Gesrge lashes himself into a : state of fury. For these-rights be declares he will.“ set temptation aside, 1 and stand •up resolutely -Bind then he'goes bn to-say :-r- • f ■

TheTx-easury provides nothing; it has no right to take anything away. It has no power to grant anything. A stoppage, in the: setose jbu use itriheahk to take awsy. I ought not to allow the funds of the people of this Province to he unlawfully taken from them in one direction, in order that in another direction they should be made of a peou-, niary Ijouaty, if’Jhey seek it atf suppliants . those. Who have n6 right to take away or to give public moneys. . It is this misiake asito the legal powers and rights of yonr Government as regards public fupds.and lands which .has emailed muph misfortune oh ns. ’ • ; • •if

ho the .kmdly, advicb aboiit' gbihg to. layr;;he grandiloquently says;:—

I cannot agree In your view in favor of a secret settlement of public rights in a Minister’s room by two_gentlemen. The rights of the people of this Pr<mn6a have,.ih.: nly belief, been'assailed with ahigh hond.;;lts population are intelligeuti let the question lie openly settled before them; as it were in theft very presence, Ehey ought o know what the rights are, through whose fault they may be deprived of them, what are the constitutional means by which they may be maintained, and what are the principles upon which they-are to be abrogated or confined. When a people, who holieve.they axe sufunder great wroogs, quietly appeal-'io the pemrts of law to attempt to have their rights maintained, then action is not rightly described by saying they .are wasting money-in law expenses.

Then Sir George Gtey write!another long rigmarole about Tairua, Ohinemuri, and Piako,._and the rights of Auckland generally;; and concludes by a glowing ettlogy of the; benefits . likely to result to Auckland from abolition lawfully and constitutionally carried out. He next charges the Government with corrupt dealings with members of the Legislature, and winds up by declaring his intention of fighting; for his rights to the last.-; In’ this despatch,_ Sir George hits very: hard ini deed; but’Sir- Julius practically declines a contest bn ; the collateral issues raised. In reply, he remarks : It is evident' the case has got so rMxed up in your mind with a variety of circumstances over which your Honor has been for months brooding, that no decision could possibly meet your manifold requirements. 'Further discussion is therefore useless. I am" surprised, however, t- at your Honor fails to perceive the absurdity of the'’scolding .you administered to the Legislature, my colleagues, and myself. I have not; time to enter into a political discussion with yonr Honor; besides that, such a discussion, mixed with ordinary, bus ness ‘ would a had precedent. Ik will gratify your. Honor to ; leom' that the requirement s of the Province of Au6kland I 'are receiving anxiopp considenu tiou from the Government; and, no doubt, in three or four months,, when Ahplioion place, many can Jes for discontent will he remo /ed.

Next, finding that the money he asks for is nbt to be got, Sir George again assails Sir Julias Oh the geheraJ issue. Referring to a statement made by^he'Premier—" that the. Government had the requirements of the Province of Auckland under anxious consideration ” —Sir George observes

I thank yon for now admitting that the people and the Legislature provide the funds for’ the public service. I can assure you thait, left to ourselves, with our* own revenues and the power of expending them; we should be a rich and that you are mistaken in thinking, we should be in want even uow‘if we had our own, ns was distinctly promised. - Pray give ns that, leave uS alone, and cease to .trouble yourself with such anxious consideration for ns."'

Sir George. Grey’s idea of justice to. Auckland is well summed up by the Premier, who, ih his next communication,* gays : I am glad to aoknowledge thatyour Honor’s last telegram is more respectful to the Legislature and ths- Government than those that preceded it; and therefore I think more fitting. ♦ * ♦ xam delighted to knowyour Honor at length recognises the benefit of abolition. I presume we may no w anticipate aid from you in taking over the Provinces. -Touching Auckland having.its revenue, it seems to me it is in your Honor’s mind that Auckland should have the money collected within its limits, without paying anything for the cost of the services which: yield the revenue, or contributing towards the interest on Colonial debt. This would no doubt be profitable to Auckland; but the other Provinces would proportionately suffer. Wbac your Honor desires does to a great extent take place. That is to say,' that, taking, into consideration the special aids out of revenue given .to Auckland, the balance raised within is not anything like a fair proportion of the cost of the services and of the public debt, your Honor’s complaint is that the Province does aot get all and pay nothing. The latter part of the telegram I am unable to comprehend in connection with the correspondence. Possibly the telegraphist has failed to make clear that it is a quota-, tion from some work on political economy. To this Sir George replies that he will give no, aid in carrying out abolition in an unconstitutional way, and he goes on to say:—

I a “V *k e ejected head of a population of more than 70,000 souls, and I am charged by an Act of Parliament, conjointly, with my Council and, within - certain limits, to provide for the peace,- ' order, and good government! of-’ this Province, and in all respects to,, protect'ifei interests. . Tins' I will; to the best of rojr abiUty do, at all., times and under all circttmstanees. The Act of .Parliament t to which I allude makes mention of - the Governor, the SuperiS I? 11 Sfieater,. the General Assembly, the Provincial' Council —to all of whom I owe a defined allegiance—which I shall always oberefer within the limits of the law: but such an officer os yourself is not mentioned as having any lawful right to' interfere in our affairs: and I nmther owe nor will I render all ul egianco to your ?■ c f- wbeu it isused adversely to our interests, or ■IP of ' the _ law, or of any agreement which r??I have neither asked nor ’ songht for friendship or the contrary. ‘ In reply 1 to this rhodomontade the Pre,poiei;says ~ . , ,V K ywp,Honor, recalled toimind theEoyallnto Gpvernors, yon would. live no dilfi. pulty'irrnimeratabuiDg the bers of the l -Executive, bear to A ; . ~ Tke eortespqndence: closes witb Sfri George Gi*ey 1 legfll .efuestion: - with it.liegan, and ‘ Post’, that it is' evident from the cwjpspondence that t jie fe far. more f tnan a match, GebfgC J on.ffyhty pqmt. _ This’ paper phrmise of sbprs brfiflsmfe and wanfl •vrorkHraoii. flnd;tl# knight of &£ face 6n thefloorof Fa*-: