The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1878.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 118, 18 May 1878, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1878.

At a meeting of the members of the Royal Colonial Institute, held in London on the 19th of March last, Sir Julius Yogel read a lengthy and very interesting paper on " New Zealand and the South Sea Islands, and their relation to the Empire." There was a yery large attendance, comprising about 800 ladies and gentlemen, many of them distinguished Australian aud New Zealand coloui»t3 now on a visit to England, and several English and foreign statesmen of high repute. The chair was taken by His Grace the Duke of Manchester, the President of the Societj. The papre is far too long for us to republish it in its entirety, but we will give a few oxtracts which will convince those who read ibeni that in Sir Julius Yogel this coloDy has an able and powerful advocate. Commencing by saying that he is an ardent believer in Federation, Sir Julius proceeds to give a " few facts about JS T ew Zealand and the South Sea Islands.". To those connected with this colony our extracts will be con-fibea. He first shows how to reach New Zealand, and enlarges upon the various routes by which this object may be accomplished, and then proceeds to give some information regarding: the physical geography of the country, beginning with the North Island, which naturally leads to a reference to tha Maoris, in tha course of which he pays * well merited tribute to the memory of the late Sir Donald M'Lean. His remarks upon the principal features which mark the difference between civilised aud uncivilised races are worth quoting: — " The Maori," he says, "is a noble specimen of man ; there is little doubt that he comeß from the fine race that people the Island of Sumatra. No one ever understood more thoroughly thau Sir Donald M'Lean what was needed to bring tbe Maori to civilisation. Useful labor was the great object for the Maori which he always kept in view. In the love of, and capacity for, work lie the boundary Hues between civilised and uncivilised races. The one has aspirations utterly unknown to the other. The process of civilisation may be described as that of teaching to uncivilised man that his life has greater objects than those of mere existence; that he has not merely to liva himself, but to aid by his life the lives of others; that there is a to-morrow as well as to-day; that the path of improvement is of practically illimitable extent; that nothing worth having can be reckoned on without true, hard, and conscientious Work; and, above all, that the great Creator of the Universe has so fashioned man that, whilst his improvement is due to his exertions, those exertions are themselves a source of happiness, and no existence is so miserable as that which is devoid of occupation. The humblest member of a civilised race looks forward to the possibility of improving his position. The unwritten condition of civilised existence is a continuous and innumerable series of grades, and no civilised being is so high that he has not an ambition to fulfil. The uncivilised man, on the other hand, has a craving for rest. The dormant nobility >of his character finds an ennobling channel in an occasional lust of conquest; his idea of labor is to obtain by fotce or stratagem that which doeg not belong to him. In his mode of warfare he often shows that, given to him the knowledge by which he may worthily use his powers, there are within him the makings of a great human being." In strong terms Sir Julius condemns the action of the Home Government in withdrawing the whole of the troops from New Zealand at a time when there was reason to fear a general uprising of the Maoris, which, had it occurred, must have led to a frightful disaster. Of this he speaks in the following manner: — " In 1869 the British Government decided to remove every soldier from New Zealand. To make the desertion thoroughly complete, the warlike stores, even I believe the flags, were sold or handed over. So complete a renunciation seems peculiarly marvellous now, compared, as one cannot help comparing it, with the active aid which a different _party ia power are at present lending to another

colony. I have heard that the desertion of New Zealand has been boastfully justified by the result. It would be well for those who dare indulge in the boast to he silent whilst men still live who know the intensity of the danger to which the mercenary conduct of the Government of Great Britain subjected the colonists. To file chivalry of the Maoris themselves, indeed, is largely due the fact that frightful disaster did not follow the Mother-country's desertion of her young offspring. Had Titokowaru aud Te Kooti, who were in arms on the opposite coasts of the North Island, united, and the king joined them, immense losses would have followed. It has always seemed to me that the Maoris themselves, in scorn of the desertion, felt more friendly to the colonists in consequence." Whether or not Sir Julius is correct in this latter assumption we do not pre.tend to sayj but there can be no possible doubt that to the forbearance of the Maoris, whether exercised in a spirit of fear or of good-feel-iug towards the colonists, it is owing that serious calamities, such as it would have taken years to gee over, did not occur at that tiriie. A rapid sketch of the cotony from the Bay of Islands to the Bluft" is followed by a reference to the great political change that was effected in the abolition of Provincial institutions. As Sir Julius was the prime mover iv this " complete revolution," as he calls it» what he now has to say with reference to the manner in which it was carried out will be read yitti interest ;— " The time came," he, says, " when a variety of considerations led to its being thought desirable to abolish the separata forms of Provincial government,- and this change was finally carried into operation little more than twelve months since. It was not effected without a great deal of opposition. When the memory of the bitterness and fierceness of the struggle is somewhat toned down, it will, I think, be recognised that there was something peculiarly creditable to the people of New Zealaud iv the manner in which the contest was carried on. A larger and more complete revolution of the kind could not be conceired ; yet it was effected without anything in the nature of a disturbance from beginning to end. It was, iv fact, argued out, and the will of the majority was accepted. It would have been unfortunate if such a change had been made without that consideration, which alone could spring from active opposition. Who is there can fail to sympathise with those who, not recognising the necessity for the change, tenaciously cluug to the institutions" under which the colony had conspicuously flourished ? On the other hand, who can fail to respect th» determination which, founded on conviction, peacefully brought about the result ? lam not now expressing an opinion on the merits of the subject ; my wish is to bring before you a people that can by constitutional means only deal with the largest matters affecting its own destiny." A few well arranged statistics are then given to show the producing power of the colony, which must have astonished those who then heard them for the first time. They would not, for instance, have been prepared to learu that the gold export of New Zealand up to the end of 1876 was of the value of £32,117,000, or that the wool which had left our shores up to the same date was worth £27,718,000. He further showed that iron, coal, and timber abounded, and that the agricultural industry, although it was the means of exporting a vast quantity of grain every year, was yet in its infancy. Having shown the value of the lands of New Zealand for agricultural and pastoral purposes (especially the former) Sir Julius in the following terms briefly sketched the public works policy and what gave rise to it. "You will not be surprised to learn that to make such land accessible has first and last been the primary public object of the colonists. The construction of ordinary roads was naturally the first means adopted for opening up communication. It early dawned upon the people that metalled roads costing a great deal for annual repair, and affording only slow transit, were de&ient in economy as compared with light aud cheaply coiistructed railways. It was not, however, until 1870 that any comprehensive ,'aud large scheme &r the construction of railways was adopted. At that time the colonists were compelled to seriously examine their position. The mother country had withdrawn all her troops and left the colonists, owning but a mere fringe of settlement round the North Island, to keep in check the natives, with whom over a series of vcara there bafl been more or less constant j&hting. It became evident that the most oriinary precaution tor the safety of the colonists d^uauded a largo increase of white population," tka opening of roa&s into tlie int&rior of the North Ithoi, and the means to employ tke natives on paftceful instead of warlike pursuits. Equally, tho growing value of the agricultural anQ pastoral pursuits of the people of the South Islaafl mado it evident tfiafc light railways woulu" prove of the greatest beuefit to than. And so what is aaown as the Immigration anfl Public Works policy grow into life. It was resolved to borrow mo»ey to mafce roads in the North Island, to make railway* in both islauQs, and to introduce immigrants. It was argued that so long as with the increase of the land opened to settlement there was a concurrent increase of population to occupy and work it, there could not be a mistake. No doubt it was a bold policy; it was a policy virtually forced on the colony by the abandonment by the mother country of the duties it had contracted by the treaty of Waitaugi. * * * All doubtfl as to the soundness of the policy are at rest. Already it has bean found necessary to make th« railways fifty per cent more substantial than was at first contemplated. The value of private properly in the country baa much more than doubled. The value of the public estate Has equally advanced. * * * Befbre the present yeftr expires 1,000 miles of railway will be opened iv the colony, auS this has nearly all be^i constructed sine* 1870. There have been besides 2,300 miles of road maae, chiety through native districts; nearly 90,000 immigrants have ljeen introduced; 8,260 miles Have been added to the telegraph lines, and native lands to the value of about threequarters of a million have been purchased. It scarcely need be said that the policy which led to theso results was fiercely canvassed, and by many bitterly opposed. But if there were opponents there were also friends. The opposition of the one was more than counterpoised by the enthusiasm of the other. There were men whose life-long dream it had been to see such a policy worked out, and they aided it with might and main. The bitterest opponents have lived to recognise the value of the work." There are a few more extracts we purpose making from this paper, but they must be deferred until another day.