THE STATE OF THE COLONY.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 49, 9 December 1867, Page 303

THE STATE OF THE COLONY.

'(To the Editor' ot ttiaj&aily Southern Cross.) " diE,— It is -now 'fourteen. years .since ; the-; existing Oonstittitib.iilcatne, into, operation inNewZeisdarid!! , ; TTnderit we were promised allthe benefitkthat follow good go- [ vernment. Our leading, public' men, of" both ourpolifcical parties, have had their . trial; the. defects .defects of the Constitution have been open to alteration, and have been altered, if not amended; responsible government (so called) was at. first the great desideratum, bo it was grafted on .to the stock, and has grown and spread -wonderfully; every session, many alterations and (so-called) Amendments were.made; every year officials in- ’ creased; almost, eyery year our burdens increased, our ablest public men.mean* while at every change assuring us that.it . was for our benefit. The result of our term of apprenticeship, twice served, is a i cry of oppression, of neglect, of misgovemment, from “Murimotu to Murihiku,’*' ; from Mbngonui, to Awarua.” Quiet,, easy-going Nelson even is tainted With the same complaint as purse-proud Canter- ! 1 bury. Pugnaeious Otago echoes the ery of almost prostrate Auckland. Southland, fettered with debt, is scarcely less fast than ' Taranaki; chained in- a corner, dying for. 1 lack of elbow-room. Inefficiency and ex- ; travagance are the leading characteristics .’ of . our Government., Whence!, shall we fetch the reniedy ? ' Will a,change from Stafford to Featherston be of avail ?- Decidedly not. A “search-.' ’ ing, logical inquiry ” (vide Sir D. Muuro). ‘ may be the means of discovering why, on 1 the same a “ maximum, of ex--1 pense and, a minimum of benefit” ia. ‘ derived ; but -to discover is not necessarily ’to cure. Suppose it was proved that it is ! owing to the fact that too many, of our 1 public men and “.professing patriots” had. ’ always been too keenly alive to their own 5 interests,; and secured tliat, at the cost of* the public .welfare! Would this know- > ledge reduce the emoluments fixed, by Act; • ofGeneral Assembly, enjoyed by patriotic * members or ex,*member» of that body.

Generally, if a man of avowedly limi-. ted means seeks the suffrages of his fellows, his intentions are doubted, and frequently' he will be openly charged with seeking 1 his own advantage, rather than that of the public ; nor is it unreasonable to be suspicious in such • cases ; ■ blit it is a public misfortune when so many of our leading' public meuj.men in a high position, prove to be tainted with the same complaint,, seekers of place and honors rather than of the.welfare of the t eolony.—Yours, &e., Setkleb. -- November. 2.6, '£ B67. ' • .-jsaWi- v ‘ 1 ' - s ~ , - "...