Hawke's Bay Times. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1868. MR FOX AT WANGANUI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 554, 24 February 1868, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1868. MR FOX AT WANGANUI.

Nullius addictus jurare in verba magisiri.

A short time ago we gave an account of the reception awarded to Mr and Mrs Fox by their fellow-residents at Rangitikei on the occasion of their return to the colony. The neighbouring settlement of Wanganui, resolved not to be surpassed by an outlying district, has since celebrated the event by a public dinner, at which Mr Fox has enunciated Ids political .sentiments more at large than he felt to be necessary on the former occasion. After going to some extent over the same

ground as in his Rangitikei speech, and referring to his defence of the New Zealand colonists against their detractors at home, and showing that the British public were ready enough to accept the truth when fairly presented to it, lie gave a rapid sketch of his travels and mentioned the ardent longing ;1: both by himself and wife to return to the land of their adoption, and at length approached the subject of colonial politics. lie said that as during the past three years his information concerning c uch matters had been mainly derived

Irvin newspapers and private letters.it! had necessarily been but partial ami meagre, still there were certain bnmd: principles which he held to be sound,| and whose details only could require aj little niodilication to adapt them to I varying circumstances. He had helped! to obtain the constitution of 1852 fori the colony, and he still adhered to its! general principles. He approved of a General Government and provincial institutions, as he believed them emi-l neatly suited to the geographical nature of the Colony, divided as it is into separate islands, and by its ex tensivesea-boardsand mountain ranges, which prevented it being governed so well from one point as under the present system. Its great fault appeared to be that an over riding power was placed iu the Central Government, which enabled it to ride rough-shod over the Provincial Governments. He had always been a Provincialisl, and believed the salvation of the Colony depended on the right working of Provincial Institutions. Still, new circumstances had arisen, population had increased in certain districts through the discovery of gold ; and some Provinces were in difficulties, and seemed ready to abandon their political privi r-1 leges and submit to (inovpbi mr>

these institutions might need some modification, but should not be swept away. There were men who are fighting against Provincial institutions; he would warn the public against such ; they were those w ho had always opposed Representative institutions in any snape, and if they succeeded were ready to band over the Colony, bound hand and foot, to the Colonial office. Oil the Native question he said at the tici£ of the Waitara war ho belonged

to trie peace-at-uny-pric© party, ami believed that Governor Brmvne had made a mistake. He took office under that Government hoping to re-open that question and submit it to arbitra tKin. Hut tli£ Slitivtis oiiors of that kind, and resolved to tiy their strength against us. It thea became evident that they must be taught obe dience. Tiie great point is to deal vviiu them as with oilier British subjects, and if he had again to deal with their government that principle should be the rule of his conduct. Oa the Financial question he said the fact was, and it could not be gainsaid, the Colony owed seven millions of pounds sterling, and has it to pay, principal and interest. The lest thing that could happen the Colony would be for its credit to become so bad as to render it impossible for it to borrow another shilling. He and his Government had been charged with being the cause of great part of that debt; but when they took office they found the Colony was involved in an expensive war, and the Colonial Parliament authorised that loan of .£3,000,000, of which his Go vernment spent less than half—the greater portion having been spent by their successors. However, the Native war was enough to swamp a much larger Colony. He had studied the Constitution of America, which country had just concluded the mightiest civil war that has ever taken place, and is now prosperous and increasing. There are faults in our Government and our rulers, and there would always be faulty superintendents and fanlty road boards, but a central Government would be found to be worse still. He hoped to live and die a good democrat, doing all he could for the advancement and prosperity of the people. IB then thanked them, and assured them that he would do all iu his power Br their welfare.