Hawake's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1870.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 826, 27 September 1870, Page 2

Hawake's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1870.

There appears to be a vague feeling at the head-quarters of the Government that the present European war will tend to unsettle the minds of the native race. This effect; may be caused primarily by the disappointment which the natives will feel on finding that the great borrowing scheme of the Government has, for the time at least, lapsed ; and that the heavy expenditure which they expected is not to be made. It was probably the feeling above alluded to that prompted Mr Vogel, in his address to the House on introducing the Bill for a temporary loan, to express himself to the effect that such loan wars necessary to enable the Government to continue the employment of natives on the woik of road making, and the danger which would result from the sudden stoppage of such works. The hon. gentleman is reported to have said—" The Government could not allow the pacification of the Colony to break down through the work of road making in the North Island being stopped," as though the continued quietness of the natives depended in his opinion on their being in constant receipt of payment for road making, and that it would therefore be dangerous to the peace of the Colony that such supplies should cease. The same feeling was still more forcibly expressed by another hon. member, who said the House *• should bear in mind the fact that the announcement of these great works being about to be undertaken had been widely circulated through the ."North Island, and that the natives were on the tiptoe of expectation of being employed on them. If they did not employ them on these works, they might get excited by the news of the European war, and think it a favorable opportunity for again breaking out into open rebellion." These remarks are suggestive enough, and they bear us out in our constantly reiterated opinion that the calm produced in the native mind by Government expenditure is a treacherous one. The view taken \>y the heads of office is that " they will remain quiet as long as we pay them well enough for it," and that ** it is better to feed them than fight them." This policy has been most unblushingly advocated during the past session, so that it has at length become an acknowledged truth that the peace of the Colony depends upon the expenditure of public money upon the native race.