The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5311, 3 April 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3 , 1878.

OußAustralian neighbors have commented pretty freely upon the refusal of the Now Zealand authorities to avail themselves of the services of Sir William Jbrvois to report upon the best method of defending the principal harbors of the colony. There are some of our Australian contemporaries who- have a fair knowledge of the motives of the gentleman who is now at the head of affairs in this colony; but we notice by our exchanges that several journals, through Lie action of the' Ministry, have drawn erroneous conclusions as to the commercial importance of the chief ports of this colony—in other words, that there are no shipping ports of sufficient wealtli and importance to warrant any considerable outlay for defensive purposes. It will doubtless, after the action of Sir George Grey, astonish- the people of- Australia to hear that there are four ports in this colony whose aggregate foreign commerce alone amounts to over eleven millions sterling. The, following figures represent the imports and exports from the four principal shipping places during 1877 :—Auckland, £1,870,056 ; Wellington, £2,343,032 ; Lyttelton, £3,145,507 ; Dunedin, £3,845,178. , .Five-sixths of the outward and inward trade of'the colony is confined to the places named. The Sydney Morning Herald, in commenting on the action of Sir George Grey, remarks that it would be but of the question to try and defend effectively every coast township in New Zealand that is open to attack. No one here ever thought of such a proceeding. What is desired is that those towns of sufficient ■ wealth and importance to attract the visit of an enemy, should be placed in a position to resist attack. It was never contemplated for a moment that the colony should undertake a defence of the whole coast line; but in the case of England being involved in war it would be absolutely necessary that someharbors should be rendered safe for shipping. As it is, there is not a place in the colony which would afford refuge for a merchantman from an enemy’s cruiser. We are entirely unprotected, and the Premier has sent it forth to the world that we intend to remain so. The trade of the colony is not scattered over innumerable ports, as is evidently the impression in Australia. The commerce of Wellington, for instance, exceeds that of the whole of Tasmania, though this city, in the value of its exports and imports, ranks after Dunedin and Lyttelton. It will thus be seen that the magnitude of the interests at stake are quite large enough to Justify Parliament in undertaking an expenditure for the defences of the principal harbors. If the commerce of the chief ports was seriously interfered with, the industries of the colonies would be paralysed. The Ministers of the other colonies have a clearer idea of their duties than the Grey Ministry, and a glance at the New South Wales and Victorian papers will show that the question of. harbor defences is one of deep and earnest consideration in those colonies. Our neighbors do not rely upon her Majesty’s ships of war being able to keep these waters clear ’of hostile warships. And further, they do not see that the English taxpayers should be called upon to bear the entire charge of defending the colonies. It should be borne in mind that we do not contribute a single shilling to the support of the Imperial fleet and army, and it appears to us somewhat mean and cowardly to shirk all responsibility in the matter of our own defence. We are decidedly better able to bear the burden than the people of England, and ive regret exceedingly the niggardly spirit displayed by the Government of this colony. .It is to bo hoped that other communities will not regard the action of Sir George Grey as an interpretation of the ideas of either the people or the Parliament of Now Zealand on this important subject. It is perfectly well known that the Premier, in refusing to accept the services of Sir William Jbrvois, did so without the knowledge of Parliament, though it was in session at the time. We take the following from the Sydney Morning Herald, which devotes a leader to the strange conduct of Sir George Grey:—

We learn from England that the Colonial Office has suggested a committee of military and naval officers to consider the best method of defending the colonial ports; and we learn from Now Zealand that Sir George Grey, an ex-Goverrior and now the Premier of that colony, in a popular speecli delivered at Wellington, warned his audience against the machinations of a party in England whose policy was to tax the colonies for defensive purposes. If wo were suspicious, we might put the two things together and Icok upon the proposed committee as part of the conspiracy. As a matter of fact, however, the time has gone by when tire mother country could force any of these selfgoverning colonies into any line of expenditure against its will. The concession of self-government lias been altogether too complete to render it possible for any English party to impose any such burden on colonial revenues, even if British statesmen should ho in favor of such a course. The policy' of having any defence or not against foreign aggression is one which each colony is quite at liberty to determine for itself. If, under the guidance of Sic George Grey, the New Zealand Parliament decides that it will not spend a single penny in forts or rides or gunboats, there is no outside power that will compel it to a different conclusion. It may perhaps be policy there to take such a course, and to run the risk rather than pay the insurance. The wealth and population of that colony is very much distributed ; it has a very long coast line, a great many shipping places, and no one metropolis ; whereas in the colonits on the mainland the great wealth of the country is centred. It would be out of the question to try and defend effectively every coast township that is open to attack, and It may perhaps be a wise course for New Zealand to play the Quaker. That is a matter for the colonists themselves to settle ; and if they choose a policy of non-defenco, as in the long run' the cheapest, they do it on a calculation of chances, of which they themselves must be the judges.

It is almost unnecessary to stato that the wishes of the people of Now Zealand were not thought worthy of consideration in the matter. This colony is at present under the autocratic rule of a man with very jaundiced views; and who, under no circumstances, would lose an opportunity of snubbing the Home authorities. Sir George Grey has a big grievance, which overshadows every sense of;public duty. On every possible occasion he displays a bitter animus against the Colonial Office, and his action in regard to the proposed visit of Sir William Jervois was nothing more, nor less than a piece of petty spite. The Marquis of Normanby interested himself, to procure r the advice,,of Sir William Jbkvois, who has recently been appointed Governor of South Australia, and this no doubt considerably influenced the Premier. Ho hates Governors with the; intensity pf a renegade. ; Here die had the opportunity of snubbing two, and the Homo. Government .to, bpqt, and he fully availed hiinself bf it‘. But the whole affair will appear a reflection on the good sense, patriotism, and generosity

of the-people of New Zealand.". We will give another extract from the Herald, as reflecting Now- South Wales' opinion on Sir GEorGe Grey’s remarks, about an Imperial conspiracy ;

We cannot forget, however, that Sir George Grey refused, and somewhat bhurUshly, : the services of a Government steamer to bring Sir William Jervois to a tour of inspection’. His refusal to co-operate with tire work of that oliicer must probably be read in the light of iris more recent avowal, and he will bo understood as taking credit to himself for having protected Now Zealand against the Imperial conspiracy to tax it for warlike purposes. So far, however, as the Australian colonics are concerned, the only wickedness the mother, country was guilty of in of Sir William Jorvois’a mission was to comply with the colonial request. That gentleman was not sent here ..in any way surreptitiously, or with any covert indention, but he came on the request of the two leading Governments. We might just as rationally see a conspiracy to tax ns for water-supply in consequence of the arrival of ,'Mr. Clark, the hydraulic engineer, or to tax us for harbor works, because Sir John Coode has arrived to report on the Yarra improvements at Melbourne.

It may be as well to state that no intelligent body of men in New Zealand believes in an Imperial conspiracy, and that the majority of colonists are of the belief that the defence of their interests should not entirely come out of Imperial revenues. The people of Great Britain are in all conscience taxed enough, without having to pay for the protection of a wealthy community, who arc well able to bear the burden of their own defence. For the people of New Zealand to shirk what is plainly their duty in this matter would show a want of loyalty, manliness, and self-respect.