Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus in jurare verba magistri. THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1870.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 778, 14 April 1870, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus in jurare verba magistri. THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1870.

Our contemporary 1 eeently published an article deploring the change which has taken place in the views of the Southern press, consequent on the heavy expenditure for native and defence purposes since the accession of the present Government, and its inadequate results. We did not at first intend to notice the article in question—disfigured as it is by personal feeling—but silence might be misconstrued: therefore, passing over the said personalities, we join issue on the merits of the case. Of course the Governmental failure is viewed from the South in a purely financial point of view. It is the expenditure wasted in the North Island which is a sore point with them, coupled with the forgetfulness by the Cabinet of the promises made by them during the last session of the Assembly. Mr Fox promised—as did likewise Mr Bell, Mr Yogel, and Mr Gisborne—that if there was the least probability of the £150,000 being exceeded, the Assembly should be called together. With this pledge the supporters of the Government from the South con siderecl themselves secure from suffering by any extravagance of the Ministry. It was a foolish promise to make, and it is one that has not been. kept. The Government is now

severely, and we think justly, censured on these two points by almost the whole Southern press. Early last month the Otago Daily Times published an approximate estimate of file actual expenditure in February, supplied by a Napier correspondent. This estimate —as shown by our contemporary—produced a very strong feeling in the South. The Wellington Independent, wioh every advantage that could be derived irom ready access to official records, answered and followed the estimate item by item. It succeeded in cut ting down a total of 3,700 to 3,100 men; but this was on the 15th of March, a full month after that given in the Otago paper. The admission of the Independent, carrying, as it did, an authoritative aspect, alarmed the South more than did the larger estimate, which professed to be only of an approximate character, and might have been exaggerated, and the press of the various Southern provinces has since adopted a very ominous tone.

Mi* Fox, however, lias much to thank the Southern press for in its outer v for financial retrenchment. He has been wise enough to take the pretty broad hint it gave, and the reductions of March were as obvious as the previous extravagance was notorious. The result has also been so far satisfactory. Thif was the natural consequence of relinquishing to fewer hands the control of the defence operations. Some may think it a pity that the hands chosen should be those of Maori chiefs ; but even that is better than the confusion and dissension caused by the conflicting authority of so many ministers, officers, chiefs, agents, and resident magistrates. We have always held that we should for the time put aside all fanciful hobbies of organisation and police, and address ourselves vigorously to the- pursuit and capture of the rebel leader. We have always said that he was but a bugbear, and far less formidable than he was by some believed to be. We pressed upon the Government to put him down by a vigorous effort of our

European forces, while he was in the open country, and not likely to escape after defeat, We were treated as " traitors " then for finding fault, but results have now proved that we were right. Te Kooti has --ince been followed by .Ropata with every wish to close \viih him, and the result is rhat, though in a much more difficult country, and supported by the Uriwera tribe, his whole strength —if we may believe Government telegrams —has crumbled away before 370 men. How clear, therefore, it must now be that, before he had gained so much prestige by successfully eluding us at Taupo and Patatere, —when his force was weaker and his camp in open ground eight months ago,— a like number of Europeans could have ended his murderous eareer. This is the fault we find with the Government. The South considers itself trapped into allowing an expenditure totally beyond its intention, and that Mr Eox has broken faith by not calling the Assembly together. The Independent's admissions make it quite clear that the £150,000 is spent. We, in the North, know, as a matter of fact., that whatever is spent, a very large sum is still due ; and the inference is fair that if the Government had not exceeded its means it would not leave its men in such large arrears. The indignation of the South is natural, but it is hard for us in the North to be at once the victims of the dilatory proceedings of the Government, which ruin our prosperity and draw away capital, and also to be suspected by the South of! keeping up this war for our own benefit. In this journal we have done our best to urge the adoption of mote decided, and, therefore, speedier measures, and thus to prevent that very natural suspicion and reproach. If it proves that the prisoners now taken are not those lately captured by Te Kooti himself, we trust that the late news preludes a better state of things. If so, much that rankles now will be forgiven; still, unless Ropata proves successful in the end, we fear the South will not be hereafter disposed to place reliance on Ministerial promises of economy in the defence department^

Bank Holidays.—To-morrow and Monday next, 15th and 18th inst., being Good Friday and Easter Monday, will be observed as Bank holidays. Township of Gisborne, Poverty Bay.—The sale of Town and Suburban Sections in the new Township of Gisborne, Poverty Bay, took place yesterday, at the Crown Lands Office, Napier,—Mr W. Routledge officiat ing as auctioneer. The Town Sections, with the exception of those on the outskirts of the township, sold at a very considerable advance on the upset price, at rates which must have been highly satisfactory to the Government. The inferior ones, howover, were mostly passed, the upset price not having been bid. Ninetyfive town sections in all were dis posed of. The sale of suburban allotments was not so successful, only four being sold. The total amount realised by the auction was £1,682 10/-, which was afterwards swelled by private sales at the upset price, to nearly £I,BOO.