THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD AND MR. GILLIES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1112, 5 September 1871, Page 2

THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD AND MR. GILLIES.

fFROM THE MORNING NEWS, AUGUST 29.] The Herald lets no opportunity slip of abusing the Superintendent. To those who are behind the scenes and knowwhence the inspiration flows which guides its pen, its opposition is valued at what it is worth. But the outside public might probably receive the opin? ions published in its columns as a reflex of public opinion, and to those, or at any rate to as many of as aiv willing to hear both sides of the question, we would say a few words. When the financial scheme of the Colonial Treai surer was produced last session, we are willing to admit that, the hope of unbounded capital flowing into the country caused many people to regard it in a favorable light. Mr Gillies, undazzled by the brilliant prospects, looked matters straight in the face, and conclusively showed that there were twq sicjes to the shield. He pointed out that a transient prosperity would be dearly purchased at the cost of a future, burthen of debt placed upon the shoulders of a people already heavier taxed j than in any known community. His words then uttered have boine the fruit they deserved. Those who w ?s at first loudest in praise of Mr Vogef-j scheme now see that the small clou4 which Mr Gillies prophesied woult come, has indeed arrived and asstinieu dimensions sufficient to overshadow W of our future hopes.

The independent position Mr Gillies ; last session has caused him to meet either open opposition or covert; abuse ever since at the hands of the Herald. As long as the people of this colony permit any monied association to have political influence, so long will honest independent politician who may run counter to its interests, be : vilified and abused by that portion of the press which are its organs and sup-. porters. The Herald, in its issue of Saturday last, takes Mr Gillies to task for his speech in the debate in reply to ; the address. It calls him " reckless," ■! and sneers at his temperament. Mr Gillies can easily afford to pass over the Herald's sneer, and may fairly return the charge of " recklessness." "We venture to assert that that portion of his speech especially bearing upon our relations with the natives will find an echo in the hearts of all our country settlers save, probably a few living in or near the private domain of the Honorable the Defence Minister. " I think," said Mr Gillies, fi a better policy might have been pursued in avenging poor Todd's murder." We ask is there a ;New Zealand settler, with a man's heart, who does not think the same ? Is the game of hide-and-seek played by the Government with Te Kooti among the mountain fastnesses of the East Coast a triumphant evidence of their success in dealing with the natives, and of asserting the supremacy of the European colonist ? The story of the near-sighted sportsman, who had amusement for an entire winter in shooting at one poor jack snipe, and who was filled with sorrow when by accident he happened to kill it, naturally occurs to us. We fancy the Defence Office would be as sorry should Te Kooti be caught by chance as was the near-sighted sportsman at the loss of his jack snipe. The Herald says Mr Gillies's criticisms .on the postal contract broke down altogether. "We fail to see in Mr Gillies's speech, as reported in the Herald, any .criticism at all beyond his own opinion He says: "I think the country from .the north to the south will come to find that we are paying too dearly for that whistle, and that the interests of New Zealand would be far better served by ,a line gmng from San Francisco to Australia by Fiji and some other ports, -with a branch line to New Zealand." We think our fellow-colonists will remember Mr Gillies's words when the £40,000 a year begins to make itself felt. It is written of William Rufua that he refused to wear a pair of hose because one ok his attendants bought them too cheap, and then put on a worse pair at a higher price. We fear this has a strong analogy to the conduct of the Government with regard to its postal contract. We have now endeavored to point out the cause of the unfriendly attitude assumed by the Herald against the Superintendent, and are satisfied to leave to an impartial publie, and to the course of events, the proof of who is right and who wrong.