The Globe. TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1876.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 607, 30 May 1876, Page 2

The Globe. TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1876.

Sib Julius Vogel again replies to Mr Macandrew—aDd a more complete answer to Mr Macandrew's complaint as to the serious consequences likely to accrue from the stoppage of the Otago Land Sales, could scarcely be written. What Sir Julius says is simplicity itself, he states that the objection has been to the manner of the proposed sale as "UsiDg a power delegated " by the G-overnor it was contrived to " give certain persons an exclusive " privilege to purchase to which the " Government objected, and seeing " that your Honor and your Executive " were acting under a delegated autho- " rity, the Government has clearly the " right to object." We think so too, and it would have been exceedingly reprehensible on the part of the General Government, had it have stood tamely by, and let a contrivance to give certain persons a privilege of purchase be carried out; but as we have stated before, the honor of stopping the sale in the manner proposed belongs exclusively to the Otago Waste Lands Board. Sir Julius Vogel goes on to say that if Mr Macandrew will ODly give proper notice, that the Government will have no objection to the land being sold, and that the Government is at a loss to understand why the land has been given back to the runholders, instead of their being compensated and the land properly sold. What can be fairer on the part of the General Government, than this. The whole question as regards this attempt to dispose of the Otago lands is one of legality and the Government deems it right to see that the sales are conducted in accordance with the law. The Premier's observations with reference to the isolation of the Province of Otago from the rest of the colony will have the effect of satisfying the most bigoted Abolitionist that the General Government means to treat New Zealand as a whole, and not to submit to its dismemberment on any account whatever. Sir Julius says:— " To make a miniature Victoria and " New South Wales out of Otago and " Canterbury, with a border duty " question on the Waitaki, would be "as injudicious as impossible. The " notion of a separate colony for one " island is now equally chimerical, and " let me say, excepting Otago, would " be wholly distasteful to the rest of "the Middle Island." And again—ulf Otago has made wonderful " progress so has the rest of New " Zealand, and the people of Otago " have just as much reason to be proud " of the advancement of the whole " colony as of their particular position "in it. I am of opinion that there i: exists in Otago, together with a " desire to manage locally local affairs, " a much larger colonial pride and spirit " than your Honor appears to recognise." We look upon these words of the Premier's as conveying the convictions of the whole of the thinking portion of our population, and we are glad to find Sir Julius bearing testimony that Otago is not alone in her advancement, and also that there is more colonial pride and spirit in Otago than is imagined by his Honour the Superintendent. It would indeed be preposterous that Otago should become a colony of itself with border duties, and a different tariff to the rest of the colony ; in fact we look upon the result of so imaginative a separation, as leading to the loss on the part of Otago, of that portion of the business of the colony which has been secured to her by the industry and enterprise of her citizens. There is no doubt that such a change would in some measure tend to the gratification of personal ambition, and to the successful completion of many of those purchases of land under " exclusive privileges," which would add money to the purses of others. We do not fear, however, that any proposition such as this or of a like nature will ever find support from the bulk of the people of New Zealand. It is, to our thinking, a pity that Sir Julius Vogel, whose administrative capacity is so well established, should have occasion to reply to so many longwinded effusions from the Superintendents of Otago and Auckland. No one has the slightest reason to suppose that were these two provinces to have their own way for no matter how short a time, but that they would be in the position of the Kilkenny cats. They have nothing whatever in common excepting it be that they are blessed with the most querelous of dispositions in the persons of their Superintendents. We do not credit for one moment that there are many outside of these two gentlemen who wish to see so unseemly a striving for the impossible continued,