Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4479, 28 July 1875, Page 2

Mn. Reader Wood has given notice for today that he will ask Ministers “ whether they have taken steps, by means of an authoritative legal opinion, or opinions, to remove the doubts that exist as to the constitutional powers of the General Assembly of New Zealand to abolish all the provinces, and if so, whether they will at once communicate such opinions to this House, together with any correspondence in connection therewith.” This question is to the point, but it has the appearance of an attempt to force the hand of the Government. However, we see no sufficient reason why the House should be kept in the dark on this point. It is one which materially affects the Government measures, and the more light that can be thrown upon it the better. Ministers can lose nothing by taking the House and the country into their confidence, and therefore whatever motive may have induced Mr. Wood to put the question, it may be as well to give the

fullest information the Government possess. On the other hand, we recognise the propriety of Ministers declining to anticipate the statement which must be made when introducing the Bills embodying their constitutional policy.

A telegram in yesterday’s issue states that it has been resolved to grant agricultural and pastoral leases at Ohinemuri. This resolution has been anxiously looked forward to by the Thames people, inasmuch as very little confidence is felt in Ohinemuri as an auriferous district. The opening had been so long deferred, and the reports spread by prospectors, or those who assumed that title, had been of such an encouraging nature that the goldfields district! in the North, and it may be assumed, the whole colony, were not prepared for the unpromising results which followed the opening of Ohinemuri. Keefs there are in plenty, but the precious ore is wanting in most of them, and even those which are looked upon by experts as likely to prove payable will absorb more capital in their development than the individual miner is in a position to expend. But there is a large extent of good agricultural and pastoral laud in the district, well adapted for settlement, and we have no doubt that the opportunity now afforded by the leasing clause in the agreement under which Ohinemuri was ceded to the Europeans, will be taken advantage of by the Thames people and others who have recently been agitating for land upon which to settle. The effect of this will be to strengthen the Thames and increase its importance, by giving it resources other than the gold-mining industry, besides advancing the opening of the interior to settlement, which will have the concomitant advantage of aiding the important work of civilising the native race. Already the improvement in the habits of Ohinemuri natives is remarkable. At one time they were most faithful adherents to Maori conservatism (which means, let the pakeha go down to the sea and leave to us the laud of our fathers). Their chief, To Hira, was a most implacable enemy of the white man, looking upon him as an unwarrantable intruder, whose customs and habits of living were detrimental to the interests of the Maori; and he parted with Ohinemuri (on good terms for his people, by the way) with exceeding regret. It happened to be raining at the time the great meeting was held between Sir Donald McLean and the Ohinemuri natives, and Te Hira said Heaven was shedding tears over the bargain which was about to be completed. Now, however, the Maoris, ever quick to imitate, are building for themselves houses, fencing their land and cultivating it.

We believe that a deputation of Nelson members waited upon the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer yesterday in reference to their own little Bill for raising the wind. Major Atkinson, so it is authoritatively stated, plainly told the deputation that the means of tho colony were strained to their utmost limit, and that no encouragement could be given to the Nelson borrowing scheme. This does not look hopeful for the somewhat extensive permissions to borrow asked for by Otago.