Spirit of the Press.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 311, 2 October 1865, Page 1

Spirit of the Press.

NEW ZEALAND AFFAIRS.

[From the Sydney Morning Herald, September 9.] It seems all but determined that five regiments are to be withdrawn from New ZeaThe Home Government has ordered their recall, unless the Governor, with whom a discretionary veto is left, arrests the execution of the order. But the Cabinet now in power does not recommend any such interference. On the contrary, it disclaims all responsibility for the maintenance of these troops, and gives it plainly to be understood that if they remain, they remain for Imperial and not for Colonial reasons. It is pretty clear, therefore, under these conditions, that the soldiers will be removed to the extent spoken of. The Home Government has been clamorous for suaie time for their departure, and the present Colonial Government will not plead fur delay. The war, if it continues, must necessarily enter on a new phase. Great military movements must cease with the withdrawal of a large portion of the troops. Aggressive operations, if undertaken at all, will have to be effected by smaller bodies, and less pains must be taken to hold conquered territory, because there will not be the men to spare for the purpose. Among those who do not affect to regret the departure of the troops, there are two parties. Some rejoice, because they think the more defenceless the Colonists are left, the more jeady they will be to make peace ; otners, because they think that the war will be more vigorously conducted when it is more exclusively under Colonial direction. The army has to some extent disappointed expectation. Ten thousand British soldiers have failed to conquer less than their number of Maoris, and a large number of troops are being withdrawn, leaving unaccomplished the work for which they came. The bare statement of this fact, without explanation, would seem to be a reflection on the courage or capacity of the army. But the facts when understood rebut any such disparaging insinuation. The British soldier has exhibited all the good qualities for which he is famous. But he has had to operate on a field ill-fated for the display of military tactics, and the operations in which he has been engaged have been more or less shorn of of their efficacy by divided counsels amongst those who controlled their movements. The officers, too, in many cases, have not been hearty in the prosecution of the war. They have looked upon it as simply the game of greedy colonists, and as giving them all the risk and little of the glory of regular war. Tor these reasons, there is a party in the colony that is quite willing to take a farewell of all the troops not required to garrison the towns, which is yet confident of a satisfactory solution of the conflict. But this is on the assumption that Colonial policy is paramount within the Colony. This feeling is the off-spring of that self reliance which°colonial life is apt to engender. The friendly natives are certainly actincr as if they intended to compensate for the absence of the military. The recent engagement, in which a hundred and thirty reliels were killed and thirty taken prisoners, show what they can do, and such assistance is not to be despised. At the commencement of the war the formation of a Maori contingent would have been deprecated if not despised, but the policy of securing their assistance is now more readily recognised The military settlers, too, are reported to have gallantly attacked a pa and taken it, killing thirty-five and taking twenty-eight prisoners. Events of this character show that the Colony has inherent elements of defence, and will help to convince the natives that the diminution of the regular army does not mean impunity, condonation, or an acknowledgement of defeat.

The Roman plan of appointing a dictator in time of war would not in some respects have been a bad one for New Zealand, at least if the right dictator could have been found. The attempt to work local responsible Government, contemporaneously with the prosecution of a war conducted under Imperial auspices, has necessarily lead to divided counsels. There is an intrinsic incongruity ia such a state of things that must have de-

veloped its consequences even if the Governor and the General had not made matters worse by personal quarrels.

The Home Government tired of the illsuccess which has attended governing at a distance, and yet half afraid to trust the colonists with the uncontrolled management of native affairs, is endeavoring to withdraw as much as possible from the possibility of the war while retaining a vote upon any proposed native policy. This partial removal of restraint will tend to develop more fully the capacity of the colonists for local self-go-vernment, and in that proportion may bring out in stronger relief the internal dissensions that exist among them. If the mother country ceases to contend with them, they will none the less conteud with one another. There are differences bred of past personal quarrels, differences arising out of an honest contrariety of opinion as to the way in which the Maoris should be dealt with, and differences growing out of local interests. The removal of the capital from Auckland to Wellington has greatly tended to complicate matters, and however desirable a step in itself, was so far an unfortunate one to take in the midst of the war.

The development of responsible government had in some respects more difficuties to contend with in New Zealand than in the other colonies, because the basis of party conflict has little or no relation to the broad antagonism of /democratic and conservative policy which id intelligible everywhere, hut is wrapped by a hundred considerations of municipal interests which are unintelligible to those who have no knowledge of local affairs. There are plenty of clever men in New Zealand, and men capable of the duties of government, but they seem to have more than the average propensity to quarrel with one another and to find more than the average difficulty in acting heartily together. The Provincial system which has been allowed to grow beyond mere municipal limits, has helped to develop this antagonism. Every province has a quarrel with every other province, and every province is distracted with intestine factions. The great multiplication too of offices, local and general, multiplies the elements of opposition. Every capable man either is or has been, or expects to he, in some office. The number of actors who are now critics, who expect to be actors, are very large. The governing .plass is out of all proportion to the governed. The competition for power is very keen, and the difficulty of remaining long in power is very great. Add to this, that the financial difficulties are really very pressing, and that onerous taxation is unavoidable, and it must be admitted that in New Zealand responsible government is on its trial.

Yet we look for a successful issue out of present troubles. With all its faults, of which foreigners are ready enough to remind us, the English race has common sense and a self-governing capacity ; and this has been prominently displayed in the history of colonisation. The Colony has great resources, and it must be governed somehow. The more difficulties accumulate, the more the necessity will be felt of sinking small interests for the public good.