THE PRAISE OF CHAOS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1078, 26 July 1871, Page 2

THE PRAISE OF CHAOS.

[NELSON examiner.] The Laureate has been as active as ever in the columns of the Wellington Independent, but it is not every day that an inspiration such as that of " the universal hot water cure " falls to the lot of any poet. Lately, our friend's activity has been forced ; he has had no racy theme, and has had to vary, and re-vary, and vary again the old song of Mr M'Lean's great successes in native affairs, which he says have even removed the dissatisfaction of the Examiner. Ii grieves us to disabuse his mind of these happy fancies. Native difficulties should be as little as possible matters of party fight, and it is a chief crime of Mr Fox and his friends that they have, from first to last, beep destitute of the patriotism to act on this view, but have made native questions a prominent battle cry, and extracted capital for other ends out of Southern sensitiveness on expenditure in such matters. We will not imitate them, but it is too much to have our abstinence imputed to satisfaction in the costly failures of Mr M'Lean, or the folly and inconsistency of the administration which he shares with Mr Fox. We must once for all remind the Laureate that whilst he has made the brass resound for the restorer of peace and good will in the north, Mr M'Lean returns from his second series of electrobiological operations, after pouring out money like water, yet leaving Waikato and the Thames in worse temper than he found them ; Kooti not caught; Titokowaru not caught; Todd's murderers not surrendered; Te Hira insulted; Rewi, sullen because the Ministry had courage neither to restore nor refuse the confiscated lands; the king divided against Rewi, but not in favor of Mr M'Lean. The Native Minister has not expanded by one square mile the area of progress. As Mr Stafford left this., SO it stands. Tawhiao, Rewi, Te Hira, will have none of the Government roads, mails, or telegraphs. Auckland continues isolated ; mailmen via the Thames and Waikato both peremptorily sent joaclf; nor have the Government ventured to erect the telegraph across even the conquered territory of Taranaki ? This brilliant condition of things has been brought about "quite regardless of expense." Almost every native in the Bay of Plenty has been, in one shape or another, on pay. Expedition after expedition (peace expeditions of course) has been despatched by Mr Ormond, his base of operations being the Spit, Napier. The friendly native is more and more demoralised, and made more and more hungry, to bring about this stale-mate. Even a stale-mate, we willingly admit, would be something if effected at a reasonable price. Time is a great thing in our native affairs. But the reckless expenditure must cease, and that before long. No mode of making up the accounts can shield it, and tjie

general wreck of our finance must abolish it. Mr Fox and Mr M'Lean will, however, be in positions more fitted to their genius when the day of economy and calculation comes. Again, the constabulary number many good men, but the force haa not been trained in the way to render it as effective, and therefore as eeonomical, as it must be made. It has been in quar? ters the whole of its existence, and never mobilized in that full sense which is indispensable. Peace in Waikato hangs, no doubt, on its presence, and on the presence of the post at Taupo, but Colonel Haultain and Mr Stafford—not Messrs. M'Lean and Fox—were the planners of these things. In the triumphal chant of the 21st of June, the name of Mr Richmond figures conspicuously, and we venture, unauthorised, $o thank; the Laureate on his behalf. It is an obvious compliment t,a one in «b----scure retirement to make him nevertheless a bug-bear, and a subject of attach. The quotations are wrong, but no matter. Mr Richmond has the honor of being still under the eye of the Government buglerin Wellington. We can only hope he is not so foolish as to wish to succeed M,v M'Lean and Mr Fox, who together make the duplex Native Minister of the day, m that period of confusion t) which their extravagance, cowardice, and inconsistency are leading the colony.