THE PAST AND PRESENT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 16, 13 May 1871, Page 8

THE PAST AND PRESENT.

Nothing shows better the difference of the policy of the present, from that of all previous Ministries in New Zealand, than a glance at the leading articles of our public journals. It is interesting and instructive to note how many questions, formerly the stock subjects for leaders, have been consigned “ to the tomb of all the Capulets, and what a number of new subjects occupy their place. The long-vexed question of provincialism, which was an unfailing source, when other subjects became exhausted, from which the journalistic pabulum was supplied, is only referred to now by one or two journals m Wellington province. These, it is true, like the springs in the Taupo country, send forth intermittent babblings about the “evils of provincialism;” but they wake no echo in the region of journalism. Their occasional “ activity is perhaps noted as a sort of journalistic curiosity but the subject is felt to be of so little general interest that their fierce attacks are. generally treated severely with silence! Vote by ballot has passed from the region of the debateable into that of established fact. The colonial question Commissioners Featherslon and Bell have “ spoiled” for ever. The necessity of simplifying titles to property, and reducing the costs of its transfer, always a good subject as a stand by, Mr Fox by his land transfer bill has cruelly taken away from the editorial repertoire. Mr Vogel (of whom better things might have been expected from his connection with the Press) has by his capitation system taken away a very good subject —the robbery of the provinces by the General Government, and the . monstrous disproportion of the three-eighths and five-eighths that formed theii respective shares. Nor is the influence of the Native Minister less apparent. His policy of action as compared with the the no - action- until - it-is-too-late-policy of his predecessors, has spoiled many a “ pretty quarrel” which a little (mis) management might have developed into a good exciting war, a subject for editorial eloquence, and a text on which to hang many beautiful theories of dealing with the natives. It is true that certain journalists who consider their remoteness and their necessary ignorance of the subject no serious drawbacks, still labor to show that if their correspondents letters are correct, Mr M*Lean must know very little, if, indeed, anything at all, on the native question ; but even this subject is more frequently relegated to the correspondence column. “A voice from the North” perhaps calls forth “ another voice,” but the public, it is to be feared, seldom read letters about places so far away with the uncouth Maori names, which these writers so much affect. Bristling with capitals, no editor who expects to be read can consider them in any other but a literal sense “ capital subjects. It is but fair to note on the other hand, that the present Ministry have furnished many subjects for editorial comment altogether new. It is absolutely refreshing to discuss the many interesting and important questions connected w*ith railways, construction, and gauges ; immigration, public works, water supply, to goldfields, development of the resources of the colony, the New Zealand University, the San Francisco service, sub-marine electric telegrahic communication, the road making by natives in the North Island, the extension of the telegraph, Government annuities and insurance, Norwegian immigrants, the credit of the colony, and such like subjects which their vigorous colonising policy has invested with a significance and vividness of interest never known before. Colonial loans, instead of “ floating in the head” to use the expression of one of their predecessors, are now floating in the London money market. Large and comprehensive plans for colonising the whole country, which we are assured by ministers out of office had been in their minds for years, they judged proper, by the language they employed with regard to them, carefully to conceal from the parliament and the press. No record is to be found of this policy in the Blue Books, not one allusion to it can be found in the columns either of ministerial or anti-ministerial journals. The colony seems to have passed all at once

from words to works ; and of this change, as we stated in the outset, the colonial press is a faithful reflex. What a vast amount of information, what interesting discussions, have filled the journals of the colony during the last two years about the growth and preparation and export of flax, sericulture, Thomson’s road steamers, Fairlies’ engines, the battle of the guages, and other subjects intimately connected with the-work of colonization. The past seems now nothing but a fearful void — or rather a dreadful chaos —in which there was no order, no light, and no progress. We seem to have been fighting with abstractions. We have been discussing forms of government instead of governing. Our Parliaments, as Mr Bunny justly remarked, appear to us now to have been only debating societies. Our Ministeis seem to have acted only as heads of departments, residing in Wellington, discharging laborious duties, and reading and writing long despatches. They seem to have strangled themselves with red tape. Their political opinions they learned from books, winch the exCommissioner of Customs assured us lately in Wellington his successor has never read! What had not the sanction of precedent seemed to them a dangerous novelty. They believed in no more active course than the “ course of time.” No wonder, then, that Mr Richmond said in the House, “ When first these plans became known to me, I looked upon them as in the nature of a revolution.” And very tersely did the Colonial Treasurer remark in reply, “ The whole case for our measures may be summed up in a few words. Do we or do we not believe in the resources of New Zealand? If not, it is not vvise that we should spend money in trying to develop the country. But if we do believe in the resources of New Zealand, why should we not march with the time, and try to do rapidly that which would otherwise take a very long time to effect ? Why should we not do for the country in ten years that which, if the work be not specially and energetically undertaken, will probably not be done in less than 100 years ? The Government believe that there are in this country vast and valuable forests, great and varied mineral wealth, teeming fisheries, pastoral lands, and enormous agricultural capabilities. Why should we not say to the over-burdened population of the old country, Here is a land rich in all natural resources. We are willing to develop it to the largest extent, if you will come and make it your home? Tnat, sir, is the policy of the present Government.”