The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5452, 17 September 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1878.

The banquet given to his Worship the Mayor on Saturday by tiro City Councillors was at onco a social success, and a graceful acknowledgement of services rendered, made by those who have the best means of kuosving tho value of such services. Mr. Dkansweld has deserved well of tho city, and tho fact that the citizens by their jeprosontatives admit his merit should induce him frankly to accept the honor offered to him of another term of office unopposed. Although we can understand the extent of tho sacrifice of valuable time thus sought to be imposed upon him, wo hope to hear in a few days that Mr. Duansweld will be able to comply with what we believe to bo the general desire of the burgesses of tho city as well as of their representatives; Civic feasts are becoming an institution, and we are not amongst the churlish ones Mho grudge to those who dovoto timo

and labor without fee or reward to the public service the enjoyment of an occasional festivity, oven at ; the general charge, if need be. The late occasion will be memorable perhaps as s inaugurating here the time-honored practice of the old country of allowing Ministers the opportunity of exhibiting what we may venture to call without disrespect political fireworks for the entertainment and instruction of the lieges. Mr. Sheehan is the choice 'spirit of the Cabinet—the beat diner-out andposb-prandial orator of the whole team ; he is, wo are afraid, capable of taking what is vulgarly called “a sight” at the “countless millions” of the future, of contemning Mr. Ballance’s friend “Cooley,” and Mr. Stout’s friends Mill and Spencer, and the rest, and of trusting to his native talent and to that infinite capacity of “cheek” which he modestlyreckons amongst his natural gifts, to enable him to make his way with men and get their votes for his party. That is the business which he has now in hand, and if the Ministry can be saved he will accomplish that difficult task We will pass over the" patronising notice of “Job “ Dransfield,” and the condescending expression of friendship arid regard for Wellington and its interests as the capital of New Zealand, to notice two important points in Mr. Sheehan’s after-dinner speech which have just now a special interest; we refer to the subjects of Separation and of the Hutt- Waikauae railway. “You have been frightened “lately,” he said, “by the Separation “ scare, but it was just as harmless as “ the earthquake of this morning. “ No matter what yon may hear, or what “ people may say, or what may appear to “ he our mind, depend npon'it we shall “do nothing unfriendly towards Wel- “ lington, or forfeit the esteem and re- “ spect of the man whom we now honor “as the guest of the evening.” To a certain extent this is reassuring. As a rule, that which appears to be the mind of the Government, as exhibited in their speech and public promises, is exactly that which takes no practical shape ; but even we would not go so far as Mr. Sheehan, with better knowledge, has gone, and say that there could be no exception to the generality of such a rule. It might be, Tve still think, that Separation was that exception, and that the words of Ministers, unmistakeably illustrated and backed as they were by actions, and by the declarations of their friends in that regard, had and still have a very fixed and definite purpose which, for the present, has been frustrated by its exposure. The other point which we "desire to notice is that about the Hutt-Waikanae railway. A Southern contemporary, reading the Public Works Statement, said it appeared that that railway was to be made with “ifs,” —there were so many contingencies which might render its progress impossible. It would be made “if” the native lands along the line could be bought; “if” a practicable line can be found; “if” the Assembly voted the money; and “if” Auckland and the “ Thames can be connected with Welling- “ ton.” This was Mr. Macandrew’s cautious view of the possibilities. Mr. Sheehan, inspired “by Mr. Barton’s oratory, threw aside all reserve and showed how near the Hutt-Waikanae railway really lies to the Ministerial heart. “I may say,” said the Native Minister, “that I have summoned “ the native officers of the district to bo “ here on the 18th of the present month “ —to be hero with mo to arrange for the “ purchase of the whole of that country “ from the natives.. I have also to state “ that the Survey Department has been “ called on to bring out their reserves, so “ that the work of purchase and survey “ will go on together, because we mean “ business.” Loud apd prolonged cheers are reported to have followed this gratifying announcement. To-morrow, then, the whole force of the Government, including the reserves, will be sent against the Maoris, to get a surrender of their land! Mr. Barton is a persuasive speaker ; the champagne was no doubt unexceptionable and abundant ; and the airs played by the band generally exhilarating ; but with all these extenuating circumstances wo are forced to observe that such a declaration about a matter of business was very imprudent, to say the least of it. Our native friends, as Ministers have learned of late, can drive occasionally a very hard bargain : and when an announcement is publicly made that the Government eagerly desire to buy certain blocks of land, and have called out all their forces ban ct arriere han for the purpose of making the purchase, there will bo much coyness on the part of the proprietors, and the cost of their favors will necessarily be considerably enhanced. We cannot, of course, force the natives to sell their land unless they choose to do so, and knowing now that we are eager to buy, we may be met by the demand of an impossible price. It was natural that Mr. Sheehan should have desired to give pleasure to. his entertainers, and to get the credit of a demonstration; but the impediment of the “if” may not be removed thereby. That little speech may cost the country many thousands of pounds.