AUCKLAND NEWS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 3, 18 July 1861, Page 5 (Supplement)

AUCKLAND NEWS.

(From the Southern Cross, July 12.)

Great events are constantly repeating themselves.l Comets and ministerial crisises recur at stated intervals, and after a cycle of five years the scenes of 1856 arc being acted over again in our Colonial Parliament.

It was a great year was 1856. “ Hope told a flattering tale” that a new era had commenced for New Zealand. The official barriers wliich had so long surrounded the seats of power arid excluded the colonists from their sacred precincts, had been at last broken down, and Responsible' Ministry was formally inaugurated. Rut then began the struggle, which had been long foreseen amongst sagacious politicians. The common foe haring been got rid of, North and South found themselves face to face, or rather the Wellington men, ambitious of power, found that others held the reins, which they coveted. Their destiny was immediately fixed. They constituted themselves an opposition and looked round for allies, and they were not long without finding them. Ry judicious appeals to the provincial sympathies of members, they succeeded in enlisting many of the Auckland men on their side, and on a division the Sewell Ministry was defeated by a majority of one. Then arose the difficult question how to form a fresh one, and anybody who has taken any interest in (he crisis of .Tidy, 1861, can easily imagine that of 1856. Making allowance for some of our men having grown wiser, and some having grown not wiser, it was much the same tale. There was the same uncertainty as to what was to be done with the victory gained. There was much running about and much manoeuvring. The mover of the amendment declining to attempt to form a Ministry, the member for Wellington unable to do so, till at last the good Minister, "whom everybody supposed to be defunct, jumped up again at the ministerial benches, exclaiming a la Grimaldi “ here we arc again.” We believe that this little portion of the pantomime will be omitted this year, and a Ministry will bo concocted at once, somewhat in the style of the Fox-Hall one, which at last succeeded in getting into office in 1856, and and ’in holding it for a few days till the arrival af the Zingnri stonmer when they had to iriake refom for the one which, with a few slight changes has been in power since. '''' Auckland was saved in 1856. Had a Pox Ministry been then able to establish itself in power, wo should have soon found ourselves sacrificed to southern greed. Our present Superintendent then voted in a dillbrent spirit from that in which he voted on Friday last. He had the common sense then to sec that there was an antagonistic feeling in 'Wellington against Auckland, that the able representing that Province were only making catspaws of Auckland members, Whilst they themselves ■were the destined recipients of the chesnuts.

But alas ! what a change in a man’s mind docs not a change in Ids circumstances often create. The Superintendent of IS6I, proud of the illegalities committed during his tenure of provincial office, is no longer the guardian of Constitutional rights like the Mr. Williamson of 185 G. lie is ready to band himself with another superintendent who has even surpassed him in arbitrary conduct, thinking probably that when in power they may mutually absolve each other. They have both been informed that the General Government is determined not to be regarded as a “semblance of power, a spectral Government,” and a fellow feeling—a consciousness that they have both been deservedly snubbed—makes them wondrous kind. Old grievances are forgotten, “ the six colonics of New Zealand” arc forgotten, no longer is Auckland “delusive and Algerine,” but Messrs. Fox and Williamson fall into each other’s arms sobbing as only two long lost brothers can sob, whilst Dr. Fcatherston stands by and like Mr Vincent Crummies imparls his paternal blessing. The scene is touching in the extreme. All around arc grouped the corps dramatique. The member for Onehunga, in tnc n-irn r.nr? 1,1-mndeT* rm his line.” tha

11V Wi ilio VJV, ''mumv. WJ* -»**»•• -*i- > **vr member for (lie Bay dreaming fondly that the gold,cn age haa returned since he and the Superintendent have been able to vote on the same side, fho TppVvSCntutiTC: of the rellned constituency ot Baniell 'thinking of the brilliant support which ho has giv■ch the opposition, but pensively remembering too

that all is not gold-uiat“glßt-ers“: the lion,'•representative of that maiden' district, Newtown, silently thoughtful, loquacious no longer, Graham indignant, Henderson caustic, and all around the Wellington men trying to look solemn, but • cracking their sides with subdued laughter ns they think of the gullibility, of those who dwell along the, Waite- ' mate., . ,

Who would imagine that in 1856 the Netn Zealander wrote as .below. ; ■ Mutatis tmtandi, it'inighi.' have/been,written yesterday : : . “ Sp ydth the Gentleman with whonrithemajority ol the representatives of Auckland have combined to turn out the. Sewell ministry. Once plaice them in power, and* In a position to buy over the support ol the iliddle. Island who alone can support a Fox ministry in office, and we shall see how quickly the Progress party : of the North will bo‘kicked aside 4. and then, when too late, we shall perceive- that it : is' the “Progress” section ot 0111* own TopvosoiTtatiYcs'wlio liiiTO t-uriicci out a ministry disposed to. govern thb Colbnv in ia conciliatory spirit, and to: recognize'the just claims and position of this province, for one that-Will treat the North with injustice and; contempt/’ • For our part we are not so much alarmed at a : Fox ministry how as we should have been five years a gP- .Auckland, wo believe can hold its own, even though deserted by ; its leading' men, arid' handed over to Cook’s Strait’s representatives. We love the latter gentlemen, but we love the interests-' of Auckland better, and are quite resigned to the possible contingency of having to apply for separation a mensa et ihoro —a division of treasuries <Se.,—or even for a. divorce a, vinculo - should one become ncccssaiy. Auckland has'her whole fortune depending on the cards : we! should 'be l inclined to make short work of those who are playing on velvet whilst ruin is staring us in the face. '

We are in a position to state that in consequence of a confidential communication received by the Governor, last week, Mr. Commissioner Mc.Lean left town for the Mata-mata district on Monday morn ing. He was accompanied by Sir. G. I). llay. The object of the, mission was, if possible, t 6 see William Thompson, and several of tho' Ngatihau natives at present with him. , • ■

Our erudite eotemporary, the Net o ' Zealander, dwells, to a great, extent,! on a change supposed to have taken place in the minds of the West Coast natives in. consequence of the vote of Friday last: At least tjie article deferred to would lead ’One to believe that the Mokau natives-e-to ■ whom : only this passage‘pan ’hailed the result of the. vote ; of want .ofcohfklence; ■of Friday last, as a favorable omen. .In whatedor light the natives there may choose- ; to regard our parliamentary squabbles, we can only say that their views-on the; subject have hot yet ■ reached: -Us; ‘our : telegraphic’ commnication with MokaU l being' as yet incom--plete. . v. ■ . r> ■

The first reliable intimation of the - personnel of: the coining ministry, will; we believe, bo given to-; day. Since writing our remarks on the vote of Friday, we find that Auckland members will have, nothing to do with the formation of a new one. It is to be regretted that they did not come to the same conclusion before handing us over to a Southern clique. It is said that Messrs Feafherstou, Fox, and Mantell ai’o to fill respectively the offices of Colonial Secretary, Attorney-General,- and Native Minister. Warming pans arc likewise supposed to he in demand for the benefit of southern men. not yet arrived. It has been generally reported that Mr. Whyte of Canterbury was to be Postmaster General, but it is, wo behove, certain that’- that gentleman will not join the ministry. ■' '■

No doubt exists as to the intentions of Government in reference to the friendly natives iff the North. The overtures.of assistance proferted' by the Ngapuhi tribe against Waikato, should an appeal to arms beoome necessary,' have been acecped and our old allies of back years are : tp • have an' opportunity offered them ; ofe f agairi>qirdvirig their' loyalty. The vfe think, jyise; in' thus proving to the world that in : their belief the quarrel to be fought out is not one of racehgaihst' race, but of loyal subjects against rebels.' We have repudiated over and Over again the idea fostered both in England and in the colony, that'Pa- 1 keha and Maori arc in aposition of antagonism to each other. The Ngapuhis, the flower of tlic New Zealand people, will, we have no doubt, when occasion offers, mnnistakeably prove how correct wo have been in the opinions which we have expressed on this subject. The New- Zealander to.the South lia&heen eoaxcd ; and'flattered, and managed into rcbellioni r the New Zealander to,' dbo North has had to do with honest men, though' with dishonest Governments-—but he has learned to distinguish between the two, " Ho respects the race to which bis friends, missionary and lay, belong ; and for their sake he forgets many an act of injustice done to liim in the name of Her'Majesty’s Government, for he knows that the Queen was no party to them. ■ ' 1 ’ ■ ' When wc remember the charges brought against northern missionaries, high in position and character, years ago, it - must bo gratifying to those gentlemen to find that now, in the hour of need, the only loyal subjects amongst the native , race, upon whom wc arc able to depend, are those who owe civilization and Christianity to their teaching; The natives of the old historical settlement of New Zealand, the place where the British flag was first hoisted, and where devoted men long before that had worked in the good cause, are the men fo throw in their lot with vis when the struggle once begins. —Southern Cross, June TSw '