The Hawke's Bay Times. Published every Monday and Thursday. THURSDAY, 2nd AUGUST, 1866. SEPARATION.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 399, 2 August 1866, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times. Published every Monday and Thursday.

THURSDAY, 2nd AUGUST, 1866. SEPARATION.

“NDILIOS ADDICTCS JUKAHJS IN VEEEA ItAGISTKI.”

Our next advices from the Seat of Government will bring us the important debate on the motion of Mr Whitaker, the Superintendent of Auckland, and the decision arrived at by the House on this important question. It will also show us the action taken by Colonel Haultain, who is at one and the same time a member of the Auckland phalanx, and an integral part of Mr Stafford’s Government. He seems to hold a mo*t anamolous position, for on the one hand he is pledged from the hustings and in the press to his constituency to move heaven and earth if necessary, in conjunction with the other members of the phalanx, to obtain separation; and on the other is a member of a Ministry that—to use its own words as addressed to the Home Government in relation to the Auckland petition “do not concur in the prayer of the petition, and believe that a compliance with it would be most injurious to the welfare of the Colony, and would not only materially retard its advancement in the future, but also take away from its ability to provide for its existing burdens.” As a member of that Ministry which sees so much evil in the Separation scheme, we may reasonably enquire bow Colonel Haultain can fulfil his pledge to the Auckland public ? and we are almost as anxious for the report of the important debate as the public of Auckland can be. Not that for one moment we have any fear of the result, as we believe that with the exception of a small body of the extreme Southern members, the House will be almost unanimous ’ in rejecting the resolutions of Mr Whitaker.

In deference to the avowed opinions of the Governor of New Zealand, Sir Geo. Grey,— Mr Cardwell, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, has promised that her Majesty’s Government will favorably consider any scheme proposed by the Auckland party, recommended by his Excellency, approved of by the legislature, and concurred in by the Ministry, for—not the separation of Auckland from the rest of the Colony—but for such temporary alterations in the internal Government of that province as may be necessary in the circumstances of the case. Such a scheme the Ministry cannot hope to develope, and being satisfied with things as they are at present, do not intend to try to do it, but are ready to give it the greatest consideration if it can be done by anyone else, and believing, as they do, that Mr Whitaker is the most able to concoct such a scheme, leaves the matter in his hands. The task, however, seems to us to be simply an impossibility, for, no scheme that would satisfy the demands of Auckland, —that is, no scheme of Separation,—could stand any chance of falling within the conditions given; and we are led to understand that nothing short of such a scheme would satisfy the Auckland party. What the Ministry, the House, and the Home Government would be willing to give would not satisfy them ; aud that which it seems alone they are willing to accept, these several parties are not likely, to be willing to grant.

Again, the separation that would satisfy Auckland—the erection of that Province into an independent colony, or branch of tho colony, is not the kind of thing contemplated or desired, by the southern separationists. That which they would aim at, is the separation of the two islands. They would rid themselves of the native difficulty, and their end could not be accomplished unless they separated, at the same time, from the other three provinces of the Northern island, Wellington, Taranaki, and Hawke’s Bay. And surely these provinces have a right to be consulted pn a question of so much import-

ance, involving, as it does, the constitution of the Colony. They have, each of them, already uttered their voices, and met the proposition with their most unqualified disapproval, and it is certain that any schema for the separation of Auckland only from the rest of the Colony, will not be favored by the extreme southern party. jWe, therefore, ergard it as an extremely doubtful question, whether Auckland will be able to gain from the General Assembly, even so much of what she is seeking as, to use the words of Mr. Stafford, is contained within the four corners of Mr. Cardwell’s despatch.

Of intimate connection with the separation of Auckland from the rest of the Colony is the partial dismemberment of that province, prayed for by a section of the inhabitants on the East Coast, feared by Auckland, and almost threatened. But we do not expect to see any changes of that character brought about, notwithstanding the support it might be expected to receive from our two members in the Assembly, and even though one of those two may be regarded by Ministers as an oracle in Native matters. Had it been the intention of Ministers, as we for some time believed it might be, to effect or initiate important changes in the constitution, and to re-moddle the provincial system, then indeed a re-adjustment of provincial boundaries might have been desirable, and such dismemberment effected j but as the Government seem desirous of avoiding all measures of any magnitude, and confining their energies to the most common place matters, we need not look for any measure of such an important character at their hands.