The Evening Star THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4108, 27 April 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1876.

We had ra thor net think it true, but ill expenence aeems to show that every man has a craze of hw own; and aa legialalor.are but men, it is well if their craves lake right , ernraent “T* A ° TO >»8- He thinka all the reasons given by the Premier in jnstific, theones are sufficient It ?3l tw « OWI sassatt tendent a Province nnv n ° f tbe SuPcrinuhat the General Govern Jt?,"'ST"* 1 * sured for Land 1- uc . 1S 1)0 ue cenpronounced to he justifiable I by“4fetCo th ' nutteea of the House of p;L e , Comdom Tu f ° r the public inteS ß^^^ 8 demned by our Superintendent • ’ Con - S?fi in^ large block ® aro exc’Win Of 6 knd justified, on the ground that if " ° fcago or time since they took 4r ,a * lou S wiwflior biT&oawVwi We wondef, "~ r * toiler ceosoicnce I

pricked him when he left out of sight the fact that his Executive were at the time of his writing trying to force one of the heaviest Jam! sales on record. But, of course, being a Provincial arrangement all the projected sin was covered. But the most serious phase of the craze, albeit the most harmless, is the notion of Otago becoming a separate Colony. How the idea ever entered into the mind of one who has hitherto borne the character of a sagacious statesman is difficult co surmise. It is based mainly upon the large Customs revenue collected in the Province, which it is assumed would continue to be received should it be severed from the rest of New Zealand. Were all the goods imported into Otago consumed in Otago there might be some ground for the arrangement, but this idea is preposterous. The duties on imports are large because the port is one of the safest and best in New Zealand. It therefore becomes an emporium whence imports are distributed throughout the Colony, and thus the money received at F p U8 | ;om - ilouse is gathered from all parts i Elands. But sever the connection Mid let the same spirit of rivalry between New Zealand ports of import prevail that at present exists, and what would be likely to

be the consequence 1 Lyttelton, Wellington, Nelson, and Auckland would far sooner compete with distant Colonies than with one close at hand, and there is nothing whatever to prevent protective duties being imposed for the very purpose of shutting Otago out of the markets of the rest of the Colony. Restricted therefore to supplying alone, where would be our splendid Customs revenue? At present our agriculturists enjoy the benefit of a protective duty tending to secure the northern markets for their produce. Separate them from the rest of the Colony, and they would be subjected at once to its operation against them. It may perhaps be urged that the dual form of government is expensive, and that through a separate government for the Province, the share of the expense of the general Government would be saved. But if this argument be examined, it is a very strong one in favor of one government for the whole Colony, as in that case only a traction of the expense falls to the lot of each province. But saving is evidently not the Superintendent’s notion, for he expresses himself Willing to take a large share of the public debt as the price to be paid for separation. The question is really almost too absurd for serious argument, and his Honor done wisely not to have committed himself further than his first letter Regarded as a reply to -ir Julius Vogel! we consider his second letter very incomplete and evasive. Looked at as indicative of the course to be followed by the Opposition m the coming session of parliament, it must be pronounced So flimsy that the very utterance of such arguments, instead of weaken-IMgN-must l M g N- must give Bfcren g t h to the Ministry. .Nothing can be more unsatisfactory than the reason put forward for the reckless appropriations of last session of the Provincial Council: that the Council “ contemplated being able to float a loan.” In other words, the Council determined upon spending money on speculation, and, like a spendthrift heir, to incur debts on the mere hope of being able to borrow to pay them, although every member knew perfectly well the law was against them, and that the end of Provincial Councils was nigh. We trust this, one of their last acts, has sealed their fate.