The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 1876.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XL, Issue 191, 3 August 1876, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 1876.

Mr. "Whitaker can scarcely feel flattered by the cavalier treatment accorded to bis resolutions by the House. Their object, which was in fact to create a complete revolution in a matter so grave as that ot dealing with the waste lands of the colony was of such manifest importance that it is difficult to understand how, if they were brought forward in earnest, and regarded by the House as such, members could refrain from expressing their opinions upon the serious question they involved. When there was a fictitious fuss raised over the sale of an impenetrable swamp, member after member rose and deluged the pages of Hansard witb their oratorical efforts, ; some of them being readable and ini teresting, others weak and washy to a degree, but on a question such as that raised by Mr Whitaker ifc was only thought necessary that there should be one speech on either side. We cennofc conceive that the matter was really regarded as one of such insignificance as to justify the representatives of the colony in allowing ifc to go to a division in silence, and therefore can come to bufc one conclusion, namely, that the whole thing was " a plant," a pre-arrauged easy method of enabling the Government to gefc over one of their difficulties. For this session at least the question of openly making the land fund a portion of the consolidated revenue is set afc rest, and cannot be revived. We use the word '•openly" advisedly, as it is perfectly clear to all who have perused the Financial Statement, that the same end as that aimed at by Mr Whitaker is to be eventually achieved, although in a more gradual and roundabout manner. In other words, the land fund is to be absorbed by the Colonial Government, although the process of absorption will be slower, and, on the surface, not so patent to the ordinary observer. It is not, however, to be supposed that, because Mr Whitaker has been so easily snuffed out, Sir George Grey with his separation resolutions is to be as easily got rid off. He has a strong party around him ou this particular point, although we have reason to believe that ifc is not nearly strong enough to win the day. There will be a long debate, a great many hard things will bo said on either side, and every available argument for and against will be adduced, bufc, unless a great and improbable change should come over the majority of the members, the division list wiii show that there is an invincible dislike to the separation of the two islands in any shape whatever, and a determination to preserve the unity of the colony. Our Nelson members, as well as those of Marlborough and Westland, must, if they are true to the interests of their constituents, vote to a man against fche proposed scheme, which, being interpreted, simply means one province for each island. This being the case, how would wbafc are now known as the smaller provinces fare ? Canterbury aud Otago, eager for their own advancement afc any cost, would care very little what became of the rest of the island. And there would be no check whatever upon their rapacity on the one side, and their indifierence to the interests of the districts outside their own boundaries on the other. Ia the General Assembly, when abolition comes into force, the less influential provinces may look to the number of impartial members from other parts of the colony to protect them against manifest injustice, but if we are to be legislated for by a Council or a Board or a Parliament, call ifc what you may, in which the various districts of the Middle Island alone are represented, why all we can say is — God help those who reside outside the boundaries of i Otago and Canterbury. The Evening Post of Monday last appears to have received some iuformafcion regarding the platform on which Sir George Grey and those who are with him propose fco take their stand, and speaks with apparent authority on the probable result of the division. Ifc says : — " We leam that the Aucklaud and Otago members have come to a definite agreement as to the terms of the Separation programme. The proposal is this ; — There is only to be fiuancial Separation, The colony as a whole is to remain liable for existing debts, bufc there is fco be an arraugemenfc by which the Middle Island accepts a liability for £650,000 of the annual charge for interest and sinking fund, while the North Island is responsible for £190,000. Each island under this arrangement would become responsible for the whole of its own provincial indebtedness. The Auckland Province, ifc is understood, would receive some special concossion |n the shape of being allowed a specific share of the Customs revenue raised within its boundaries. * * * # -j- ne Auckland and Otago members will vote fop these resolutions, but fche great majority of the Canterbury repreßentatives will go against them, and it is practically [certain that they will not bo earned."

The opera selected for to-uighfc is " La Fille de Madame Angot," which has attracted crowded audiences for several successive nights in all parts of the colony which have been visited by the Simonsen Company. It is brimful of humor, and the music is said to be really charming, thus offering two atl tractions which should prove irresistible . At a meeting of the Football Club, held last night, the following team was selected to represent the club in the j forthcoming match to be played at Wellington on Tuesday next :— T. and G. Nicholson, "Warnocb, H. Hodgson, G. Wells, Hole, Bletealfe, Galbraitb, Boulton, Tennent, Watts, Grully, and Sharp. It is hoped that one or two more may be able to join the team, who will play a game in the Botanical I Gardens on Saturday afternoon against | all comers. The following is the Hansard report j of what Sir Julius Vogel said with reI gard to the payment to Superintendents of two years salary : — " When the | question of abolition was discussed the ! year before last the Government felt that, before giving effect to a measure of the kind, it would be necessary to mnke provision for compensation to the Superintendents"; but it was considered j undesirable, while the debate was going on last year, to bring on a discussion J upon the point. The Government, ! however, had not lost sight of the fact that the Superintendents ought to be compensated for losing offices which must be considered as something more than merely political; and now that the public had expressed a decided opinion that abolition should not be longer delayed, they had determined to give effect to their former .intentions. The proposal, therefore, was that the Super- [ intendents should receive two years' salary out of the revenue of their respective provinces. Ifc was deemed better not to make ifc a colonial charge, and ifc would no doubfc be more gratifying to the Superintendents themselves to receive ifc from tbe provinces with which they had so long been associated. There could be little doubfc that there was scarcely a province in the colony that would not be glad to make provision of the kind."' [Sir Julius did not express himself with hia usual felicity on this occasion. He should bave said that there could be little doubfc how such a proposition would be received in almost every province in the colony. This would have been more ambiguous certainly, but ifc is sometimes politic to leave what you say open to a double meaning.]