SEPARATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5429, 21 August 1878, Page 2

SEPARATION.

TO THE EDITOR Of THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. SlB, —Your article ou separation, in yesterday’s Times, was not written a day too soon so far as the interests of Wellington are concerned. It is no mere suspicion that the supporters o£ Sir George Grey intend to make the itterapt. They talk of it openly. It was mentioned, I am informed, even at the County Conference, and may be heard in discussions in the lobbies of the Houses of Parliament, in the streets, and in hotels. They make no secret about it. A league is already in course of formation, large sums of money subscribed or promised for the purpose of promoting a widesprea 1 agitation, aud its promoters boast that separation will be the great test question of the next general election. I have myself heard these things from their own mouths, aud lot me tell you they speak with no bated breath, but with a‘triumphant air of confidence, as if the victory were already theirs. I said this concerned the interests of Wellington, and so it does. We know very well what the proposal is. It was fully developed in Sir George Grey’s well-known resolutions in the session of IS7G. Two large Provincial Governments are to be created, one in each island ; the seat of Government for the South is to be Christchurch ; for the North, Auckland. The jurisdiction of these Governments will be so large that little or nothing will be left for the General Government to do. A Postmaster-General, and perhaps a Commissioner of Customs, with half a dozen clerks apiece, will constitute the General Government. Once in three years a General Assembly will meet. Wellington will bo allowed to retain the empty anti profitless honor of being the seat of this almost powerless body. This, or something like it, is what was foreshadowed lay the resolutions, for which Sir George (If!)’, Mr. Maoandrew, Mr. Piaher, Mr. Sheehan, and Mr. Stout, all members of the present Ministry, voted. The Honorable Mr, Nahe would probably not dissent from their views. If, when the pear is ripe, Col. Whitmore and Mr. Ballauce should not prove amenable, it is easy to understand that they will he thrown overboard, and thorough Separationists put into their vacant seats on the Ministerial benches.

But, sir, it is in my opinion quite impossible that this plot should exist and the Government not know all about it. The men who have entered upon the work of agitation, and who are talking of it in the confident manner I have mentioned, are among the staunchest and most pronounced supporters of the Government. Is it to bo supposed that their schemes are known to everybody else, and that the Government alone is ignorant of what is going on '{ la Mr. Macandre w’s speech at the Dunedin banquet forgotten, when ho declared his confident belief that u Provincialism would soon be restored, nob periiaps in quite its original; shape V* Did this mean nothing 1 Did it nob mean Sir George .Grey’s resolutions of 1876 ?

.Now, if these things ho so, is it not time that Wellington looked into 7 the matter? Throe at least of the members for the Wellington Provincial District, Messrs. Ballanco, Bryce, and Bunny, are staunch supporters of the present Government. With the loud rumble of the elomeuts which comes from botli North and South, threatening the political existence and material prosperity of Wolliugton, these gentlemen make no sign ! Mr. Ballance at -Marten declared that he believed Sir George Grey to be loyal on the unity of the colony. How long: will ho bo loyal if the groat Separation league at the next election sends him a Parliament ripe for the resolutions of 1876 ? Are these Wellington members who now follow Sir George Grey blindfold going to wait till tho blew is struck? Will their constituents any longer allow dust to be thrown in their eyes by assertions of faith in Sir George Grey’s loyalty ? Wo know very, well what Sir George Grey's tactics are. Ho told us himself ia his speech oa the Electoral Bill, and Mr. Stout repeated the same. Ho will not hurry; but he has set certain aims before him,' and - ho ■ means to carry them out to tho. bitter end. With tho present Parliament, and until tho electoral law is altered, he does not quite see his way. But as he tolls us, the history of New Zealand is going to take a now departure ; or rather, as he puts it, is just going to begin. The man must be a fool who believes that he has laid aside the programme which he framed in 1376, or that it ia not intended to fill an early page in Now Zealand’s new history. Depend upon it, it will bo the very introductory chapter; and lifr. Maoaadrow’ti aftei-diaadr utterance

will he the motto which he will put at the top of the page. Remember that Sir George Grey ha* never repudiated hie old idea. lie ha-* never declared that he d >es not still cherish it as part of Ins new Gospel of Democracy, nor said that he does not mean to carry it out. Mr. Ballance may tell his constituents at Martou that Sir George is loyal; bat i* Mr Billaace knows the depths of Sir George’s mind he is a more shrewd observer than I t tke him to be. Sir George can pretty well keep his mind in; Mr. Macandrew cannot —at least not after dinner. The candor of the latter ought to have undeceived Mr. Balance's simplicity.—l am, &c , M.H.E.