Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1864.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 206, 23 December 1864, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1864.

The financial position of the colony, even accepting Mr. Fitzherbert’s lucid statement thereof as true, is appalling. The heavy sum of ,£2,000,000 is gone; and gone to nobod} knows where, except it be in Auckland, for as far as we of Hawke’s Bay are concerned, that money might as well have been pitched into the sea. If the Government had something real and substantial to show for the money, the burden it entails would be more easy to bear—if, for instance, the Maori war had been satisfactorily settled, or a good line of road made through the Island, or some other great national benefit had been purchased with that £2,000,000 —then those unfortunates who now have to pay their share towards the liquidation of that debt might have the refreshing reflection of having something to show for their money, and find some consolation for their rifled pockets. But, unfortunately, it is not so. The Maori war is further from settlement than ever, and as for any public works of a useful nature being attempted, the wildest flight of Governmental frenzy never wandered that far.

The money has been spent in pandering to party influence and in support of party fights and in class legislation ; in useless offices; in a £I,OOO here and £SOO there; in driblets of hundreds and thousands- to this man, and that party, and the other place until it has all gone—gone—gone !:

We have an instance of this at home here in Hawke’s Bay. Whatever of the ripples of that great wave of cash which inundated our larger neighbor Auckland have spread to us.

have vanished in bolstering up 'the popularity of his Honor the Superintendent, or for the support of the influence of the, for the time being, existing Government in Auckland. We have spent a good many thousands here on semi-military parading, on Civil Commissioners, Resident Magistrates, on anything and everything that is perfectly useless. Before M’Lean came here as Superintendent we got on pretty well, having still over and above our share of good things; but no sooner does that gentleman ascend the throne, than the most prodigal and lavish expenditure marks his career. Where formerly work was well done for ,£IOO, now it can only be done for £2OO, and so onOur esteemed and highly respectable contemporary over the way is kind enough to assure an admiring and grateful public that it is his intention shortly to give them a double dose of his opinions upon the state of affairs ; stating that he does so in consequence of the increasing prosperity of the Province, as if the extended files of a journal which has been handsomely subsidized by a corrupt and unscrupulous government—a Government which has as much respect for the public'money as for the dirt in the street —is any indication of the prosperity of this Province or of this Island; but rather a lamentable indication of the success which attends'unlimited toadyism of the journal, and unprincipled conduct of the Government.

These things will have their day, but as sure as the light shines' on them, so surely will they presently come to grief. A young country like New Zealand, done up, we may say, already, and hampered and smothered in debt, is a pitiable sight, but it is doubly so when it is remembered that we have nothing to show for our money but a few bloated Government journals and a great swarm of hungry officials. Upon the whole, then, Mr. Fitzherbert’s financial statement is not cheering, and whether we confine ourselves to it, or whether we seek to find the cause of our difficulties nearer home than in Auckland, we can see at a glance that until a more rigid system of economy throughout the public departments in the Island is studied and carried out, we may go on borrowing and borrowing or trying to borrow until the next deluge, with like results.