THE ENGLISH PRESS ON NEW ZEALAND

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 726, 14 October 1869, Page 3

THE ENGLISH PRESS ON NEW ZEALAND

The Times, July 28, remarks tliat whatever errors the home Government, either acting by itself or in conjunction, with the colonists, may have committed —and one knows of no great error except that of .spending too much English money—they must be considered as bygones. We have made the best reparation by giving the colonists complete independence of action. They are completely their own masters. Any policy with regard to the Maori which has been unjustly adopted by the mother country, it is in their

power to reverse, As for money, they have the power to come into the market and borrow like other people. As to the suggestion of Lord Carnarvon that a Commissioner should be sent out as Lord Durham was sent to Canada or Sir Henry Storks to Jamaica, undoubtedly the presence of an able and eminent, man, enjoying the confidence of the Home Government and the colonist?, might be advantageous in New Zealand. But it might also give rise to hopes and expectations which would tend to make the government of the Colony still more difficult, and one cannot but think that the proper person to report the state of the Colony to the Queen, or to advise the colonists in the Queen's name, is the Governor for the time being. The Standard, July 28, acknowledges that the New Zealanders have changed their minds as to the Imperial troops. It is felt now that the colonists were too rash in desir-

ing to be lelieved of all military support. They had not calculated upon their own weakness, upon the failure of the late Imperial attempt at subjugation, upon the lasting effects of many years of Imperial misrule.. "What, then, are we to hold the colonists rigidly to their first opinion, even when it is testified by renewed, outbreaks among the Maoris, and by frequent massacres, that it was formed on insufficient grounds? Lord Granville's attempt to show that it. is for the colonists themselves, to choose between a policy which leads to "brigandage" and massacre, and a policy of conciliation, is utterly refuted by- all the facts of the case. That choice, if it was ever with the Colony, has long gone far out of its hands. For the result, whatever it is, it is not the Colony, but the mofchar country which is to blame. The destiny of New Zealand has been shaped entirely by and it is preposterous, at this eleventh hour, when she is overwhelmed with the troubles of our creation, 'to. reproach her for not choosing a policy, of conciliation.

The Pall Mall Gazette, July 28, says :—What is wanted is. a. dictatorship for the Northern Island, or three fourths of it; a Government in which civil and military authority shall be for the time amalgamated* This dictatorship would, of course, be placed in the hands, of an officer appointed by the home Government, taking his orders directly and solely from them, and responsible to them and to them only. On no other condition would it be possible for the mother country to undertake the task of pacifying the Northern Island, and it follows as a matter of course that such a task can, oiilv be undertaken, at the una?

and urgent desire .of the colonists themselves, If the New JZealanders are content with the present state of affairs, which is improbable, or if they are only anxious fo be helped own terms, which is less unlikely, nothing can ]be done. If, on the other hand, shey.are so well assured of their own inability to put down rebellion or —whichever it is most fitly called—in the Northern Island, as to accept aid on this condition, we cannot see that in granting it we should be contravening any recognized principle of Colonial Government. Lord Granville described the

■three lines of policy which have been « successively adopted towards New Zealand. 'First of all, the mother country took upon herself the defence of the Colony and the control of its internal wars. Then she diyested herself of a portion of that control, still furnishing the Colony with troops, but subjecting these troops to a species of double government, composed of the home and colonial authorities. Lastly, upon its own insistence, she vested the entire of its own affairs in the Colony, and left it to enjoy the honors and to bear the burdens of practical independence, The second of these courses was always wrong; the first and the third have each their appropriate place in the life of a colony. Defence and Control are proper to its infancy, before it has gained strength to run alone; power and responsibility follow naturally when it has attained its political majority. Lord Carnarvon holds, and Lord Granville does not contradict him, that our abandonment of native affairs was premature, though it was made all but

obligatory, and however this may be as to New Zealand generally, there is little doubt that it is true as regards the Northern Island. We do not see why, if the colonists feel this, they should not, ask the mother ponntry to relieve them of a burden which they are not yet fitted to bear, nor why, if they can make out their case satisfactorily, their request should not be granted. It is not contended that if the question of abandonment of control and defence were under discussion the present ■would be thought a fit time for leaving the Northern Island to itself; and, if experience has made it clear to all concerned that the step was ill-advised, why should it not be retraced for a time ? The best sort of dictator would be "a real soldier governor, such as our Indian training supplies." What is wanted in the northern island at this moment is a man who is at once resolute and humane, who can put down armed resistance with the strong hand, and at the same time deal wisely with the political elements which have evoked or embittered that resistance. He must have about him something pf the statesman and the diplomatist, as well as of the soldier; and, above all, he must be able to look at natives and native affairs from a point of view a little removed from that of the average Anglo-Saxon. These are precisely the qualities which are to be found in the best t} r pe of Indian officers. If the field pf selection be enlarged so as to embrace rather more of Asia, we could hardly do better than take Colonel Gordon, the commander of that *' ever victorious army " which rendered such signal service in putting (down the Taeping rebellion. He has seen service in the trenches be fore Sebastopol, and in surveying the frontier line between the Asiatic dominions of Turkey and Russia he has made acquaintance with tribes as restless and ungovernable as the Maoris themselves. The difficulty in this case, however, is not so much to find the man for the place, as to preate the place for the man; but ■we are satisfied that the longer the question is looked at the more evident will be the advantages of dealing ■with it in this fashion. The Home News, 13th August, Bays: —A strong «feeling has been pxcited among the various interests ponnected with New Zealand at the jietermination of the Government to jeave the Colony to its own resources !j.n the conflict now raging in the Noithern Island. It 'is felt that shis policy is a mistake, but the Co|pnial interest is not strong enough

tp make any impression upon a Government which commands a House of Commons majority of 120. The country is thus drifting out of the old principles by which its Colonial empire was built up, and it is drifting out of them upon the lowest ground that an Imperial Administration could take, that of mere economy. As it is practically im possible to reverse this policy, the question arises, what New Zealand itself should do 1 Separation has been talked about, but we are glad to say that this was only mentioned during the excitement of disappointment at the rejection of well-founded claims, and that no person of position is found willing to humiliate the country by recommending an appeal to any foreign power. The alternative idea is that of a confederation of all the Australian colonies for the purposes of common support, common defence, and an unrestricted common trade. There is nothing in the idea of confederation to which this country would object; and it is not improbable that the next generation may see the question assume a distinct and tangible form. At the same time, notwithstanding the apparently easy way in which some of the rulers talk of leaving the Australian colonies to their own resources, the people of England would never submit to see them assailed by any foreign power. Not even Mr Gladstone's Government, strong as it is, would stand a day if it were to refuse to put forth the whole strength of Great Britain, and India also, for the defence of these great possession* if they were menaced with invasion or aggression. This is

a different question altogether to that of the conflict in New Zealand New Zealand, we fear, must make up its mind to overcome that difficulty by its own power, and though the task maybe hard, the experience and the discipline, connected with the necessary efforts will, by encouraging the military virtues, create those feelings of self-reliance that constitute the strength of national character. The policy of the Home Government is a mistaken policy, but it is adopted apparently from honest convictions. Whilst, therefore, we disapprove and condemn it, we cannot attribute it to anything worse than an erroneous judgment. New Zealand has further some right to complain that though the conduct of the Government has been unappreciative in every sense, no reference to its peculiar position appeals in the royal message by which the Parliamentary session was closed a few days ago. This was perhaps only consistent with the policy which ignores an actual rebellion, and despises a revolt supported by a desperate warfare. We do not think the people of England will very long support Lord Granville's nonchalance; but as the Government is at present irresistible in its strength, New Zealand, though it counts many friends, must plainly rely upon itself for a successful issue to the great struggle with which it is unhappily occupied.

Science and Aet.—A striking instance of the immense value a small piece of steel may acquire by the great power of skilled mechanical labor is the balance-spring of a watch. From its extreme fineness and delicacy 4,003 weigh not more than an ounce, and exceed in value £I,OOO. A most interesting little work, describing the rise and progress of watchmaking, has been published by J. W. Benson, 25 Old Bond-st.. and the City Steam Factory, 58 ana 60 Ludgate-hill. The book, which is profusely illustrated, gives a full description of the various kinds of watches and clocks, with their prices. Mr Benson (who holds the appointment to the Prince of Wales) has also published a pamphlet on Ar f istic Gk>ld Jewellery, illustrated with the most beau tiful designs of Bracelets, Brooches, Earrings, Lockets, &c, &c, suitable for Wedding, Birthday, and other presents. These pamphlets are sent post free for two stamps each, and they cannot be too strongly recommended to those contemplating a purchase, especially to residents in the country or abroad, who are thus enabled to select any article they may require, and have it forwarded with perfect safety. 24/6/9 Bbeakfast. —A Successful Experiment. —The Civil Service Grazette has the following interesting remarks :—-" There are very few simple articles pf food which can boast so many valuable and important dietary properties as cocoa. While acting on the nerves as a gentle stimulant, it provides the body with some of the purest elements of nutrition, and at the same time correpts and invigorates the action pf the organs, These Ipeneflcia,!

effects depend in a great measure upon the manner of its preparation, but of late years such close attention has been given to the growth and treatment of cocoa, that there is no difficulty in securing it with every useful quality fully developed. The singular succes which Mr Epps attained by his homoeopathic preparation of cocoa has never been suvpassed by any experimentalist. Far and wide the reputation of Epp&'s Cocoa has spread by the simple i'orce of its own extraordinary merits. Medical men of all shades of opinion have gareed in recommending it as the safest and most beneficial article of diet for persons of weak constitutions. This superiority of a particular mode of preparation over all others is a remarkable proof of the great results to be obtained from little causes. By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a careful application of the fine properties of wellselected cocoa, Mr Eppf has provided our breakfast tables with a delicately flavored beverage which may save us many heavy doctors' bills. It is by the judicious use of such articles of diet that a constitution may be gradually built up until strong enough to resist every tendency to disease. Hundreds of subtle maladies are floating around us ready to attack wherever there is a weak point. We may escape many a fatal shaft by keeping ourselves well fortified with pure blood and a properly nourished frame." 4/3/9