THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out faciam." FRIDAY, MARCH 21ST, 1862.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 108, 21 March 1862, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out faciam." FRIDAY, MARCH 21ST, 1862.

Mk. Richmond is not the first ma-n by man}' hundreds who retires from public life with the sure consolation that the future will vindicate the line of conduct it lias been his object to pursue. Not that he needs much vindication ; his political foes have been compelled to admit his ability and uprightness, and his friends who have often sheltered themselves behind, or derived confidence from his fearless out-spokenness, his enlarged intelligence, and acute intellect, have no other feeling but one of unmingled regret at the retirement that leaves so large a gap in the ranks of New Zealand public life. It is only to be expected that those who, in his days of power, annoyed and obstructed him with the out-pourings of minds that in their shallowness and weakness were too feeble to appreciate his own, should view with complacency the retirement of one whom defeat only ennobled and reverse dignified. Men equal to himself might be dumb, or express regret at losing a " foeman worthy of their steel," but others, who thrive on the strength .of their insignificancy, might be expected.to sound a glorification on the retirement of him by the side of whom their own dwarfed intellect was most shadowed. "We are told, forsooth, that it is for the good of the country Mr. Richmond has retired, —that his splendid abilities w«re only calculated to do the colony, to the interests of which he hasdevoted hi? best talents, injury. We are told that the canters who-adopted that worst form of cant; a supersensitiveness to imaginative wrongs bewailed in "terms of morbid sanctimoniousness, —we nre told that these, in the sympathy they expressed for the natives, gained the confidence of tribes that otherwise would have joined • the insurgents. The peace-at-any-price party in England once made themselves ridiculous by a deputation to Louis Nap»leon, soliciting his peaceful intentions, when in reality he had no intentions but peace. They plajedat a game which simply was not injurious because Louis Napoleon had no" warlike intentions, and knew besides that the cravens did not represent those in whose interests they professed to speak. But the New Zealand peae'e-at-any-price party played with double-edged weapons, and the Almighty only can tell the injury they have inflicted, in retarding what might at once and for ever have settled a quarrel, on which, in the dim future, seas of blood maj' yet be spilled. The Chinese, who thought that the noise of drums and the odour of stinkpots, would subdue the trained blinds of the flower of the English army, were not greater idiots than the spurious philanthrophists who 'pretended to think that signs of weakness would';; subdue a savage race, and who dared to devote all their sympathy to the men against whom the soldiers of their country were inarms. It is a fitting retribution that they should grasp at the shadow of power and find its substance gone—that they should feel themselves the tools to work out a policy of the very object of which they are profoundly ignorant. They buzzed round the men of intellect till they drove them from power. When has genius not had such attendant insects, —when have they ever been known to hold their malignant sting ? In the woods of the North there are insects that prey On the brain of the Elk till his very last sigh;

But Genius, tWv-riv/ils, inoro cruel than they, First feed on'tliy brain, and then leave thee to die.

But Mr. Richmond has had a noble revenge, he has made his farewell in an address which, simply vindicating his own consistency, conveys in terms of a delicately concealed irony, the bitterest sarcasm on his successors. He tells his constituents of Taranaki that the one subject of interest to him in political life is the Native question, and that it is better that that at present be not interfered with by the Colonial Government, and that the present Ministry are eminently suited for the passive policy required. Every line of Mr. Richmond's address enforces the position which from the first he took up. The Colonists are not in a position to contend with the numerically superior force of the natives, therefore to the Imperial Government should be left the dealing with the Native question. Mr. Richmond was not one of those who " desired to fight by proxy and to pay by deputy." England must be at the expense of the war,, therefore let England, or England's representatives decide whether there should be war or peace. " 1 trust," said Mr. Richmond in his reply before the Committee to the charge made by Dr. Featherstone, " that the papers already before the Committee.will satisfy them that the late Ministry, throughout the whole of these transactions, left the initiative to be taken by his Excellency, with whom it properly rested. But I go beyond saying that neither I myself, nor any of my colleagues ever urged the matter with the Governor; I declare that we never even suggested a single step in the proceedings. In proof of this, I here quote from the Ministerial Memorandum, dated May 25, 2860 :—'The "insinuation that the War is one of aggrandisement; that it is undertaken for the sake of acquiring territory is quite untrue. The proceedings which have* led to it were under the immediate superintendence and control of the Governor—His Excellency will confirm the statement, that those proceedings were not, at any stage, urged upon him, or so much as suggested to him by the resposponsibleMinisters.'" But Mr.Richmond and his colleagues could work with Governor Browne, because they understood and sympathised with his policy. "We knew what that policy was," says Mr. Richmond, and the House decided we should second it. ".But, as yet, we do not know what the policy is'tha.t has succeeded it," and whilst Mr. Richmond, true to his opinions, would not oppose it, he clearly states that he could not blindly work in a cause the object of which he did not understand. Mr. Fox and his followers can do this, and, for the present, Mr. Richmond thinks them best where they are ; and the same argument that applies to the Government applies to the House. Armed as Sir George is with,plenary powers, he thinks remonstrance would" be ineffectual, even if desirable. Therefore, says he," I deliberately state that I deem it better, in the present state of the country that he should pursue his course without the accompaniment of a parliamentary opposition in the colony barking at his heels." Mr. Richmond will not go into the House to offer that opposition to native policy which he considers had a most pernicious effect on the native mind in Governor Browne's time. He will let the play be

played out. Give the Fox ministry tether enough and they will be sure to —well we won't say what. At any rate, let them play the subservient to the inscrutable man who employs them, lie docs not wish them to know his policy, nnd they do not know it. They may pledge him to this, that, or the other, and, as in the ense with the Wellington visit, probably Sir George will scarcely deem it necessary to explain the broken pledge. Mr. Fox is clever at the work entrusted to him. Like the natives of a certain part,of Africa, he thrives upon clay, for which read dirt. He is great with the Maories; with all his ability Mr. Richmond would not have equalled . Mr. Fox in the following scene that occurred at the Upper Wnikato vitle Southern Cross : —

Scene. —The Council Chamber. No king, but chiefs collected at one end. To them enters the ■i' Colonial Secretary, with a clerical staff and a native escort. Up rises a chief and htirrnngues with vehemence.

The Prime Minister, in haste— (to clerical linguist)—" What is he talking abo.nl, what is he talking about?" Clerical Linguist."—" He is only impudent—he says that before commencing' business you rapt confess thnt tlie Pakehas were wrong in commencing war."

Colonial Secretary— (sotto voce io clerical). —" So we were; so we were; 1 always said so." Intelligent Native, (in tlie rear of the Minister, who understands the English language, and has overheard the confidential communication.) —"There he confesses it?"

And so tlie scene closes, with a tremendous sensation, and the Responsible somewhat confused and dumb-founded.

With a native policy that brings forth such results, the man who has spent the best years of his life, and devoted the stores of an intellect more than ordinarily rich to the conscientious unravelling of native involvements ; who has sacrificed health; who has" forgotten private advancement, in the pure discharge of the one object he has marked out for himself, may well think that the time has come when it is creditable to retive from public life—when the " post of honor" is a private station."

The Provincial authorites, alive to the possibility that with the large influx of population from Victoria, a considerable amount of the criminal element might find its way to Otago, decided at the very commencement of the gold fields to appoint an efficient police force. They were fortunate in securing the services of a gentleman who has shown himself worthy of the trust reposed in him, and who has marshalled together a force well officered and well-appointed, and in every respect a credit to the Province. Afiner body of nien could scarcely be got together, and in this one experiment at least Otago has reason to be perfectly satisfied. But unfortunately the Province is blessed with a superior government, that has contracted the fashionable vice of Kleptomania. . Whatever the general Government sees that offers the slightest inducement to cupidity it immediately endeavours to obtain. A little while ago it endeavored to lay violent hands on the mail service of the Province, and now it has set itself to the task | of robbing it of its Police force. j 1 In plain words, the Attorney-General has just prepared an act to be introduced at the next session of the House, taking the whole Police Force of the colony out of the hands of the Provincial Governments, and vesting it in the General Government, in the department of the Colonial Secretary. There is no preamble to the bill, otherwise we might have anticipated to see " Whereas it has been found that the Provincial Government of Otago has succeeded in modeling an efficient police force, now thereibre this act is introduced to transfer it to the General Government." The Act itself contains nothing worthy of particular remark. The heads of the force are to be subject to the political head for the time being of the government, if a Constable be dismissed, the sanction of tlie Colonial Secretary must be sought before appointing one in his stead. The provisions for charging the Provinces with their share of the expense, are, as -might be expected, sufficiently ampj,e. Otago, if it have not the control of its police f-rce, will still have the satisfaction of paying for it—the General Government will not rob it of that.

The Act is not likely to pass the House of Representatives, so that no fear need be entertained of its passing into law. We only direct attention to it on the principle that " a straw may show which way the wind blows," and that it adds another to the numerous uxi amples of tlie way in which the General Go vernment is inclined to hamper the administration of Provincial laws. Even if the whole were under one sole government it would be impossible to have an efficient police foree. In England, the metropolis and each county has its own police force, and in New Zealand it is absolutely necessary that each province should have a similar sub-division. We confess we are not sorry to see these evidences of an aggressive spirit on thepartof the General Government, for every fresh example will go further towards rousing the Southern Provinces to a sense of the injustice to which they are subjected in their enforced union with the North. Two great objects are secured at one blow, by little and little the road to them is piled up., We hail with satisfaction every fresh addition to the pathway which leads to the separation, that inevitably must come, but the date of the coining of which is the only question in doubt.

It is well known to every one, with what blind infatuation sheep will follow one more rash or one more venturesome than the rest of the flock: be it to rush- through a hedge-gap into a more tempting pasture, or, suicidieally to leap down a precipice, or into a torrent. Man, collectively, is occasionally not more sagacious;—panics, sudden and unfounded have seized the, best organised and most courageous armies, and the simple cry of " fire! " uttered by a mischievous boy iv a crowded building, has caused the death of hundreds of victims. In past times the great South Sea bubble, and the no less celebrated Mississippi scheme, brought ruin and desolation on whole communities; nor was the Railway mania of our own time much less disastrous in its effects. Of the various classes of society, there are none so persistently liable to these sudden paroxysms, as Gold Diggers; upon whom the lesson enforced by so many bitter experiences of past disasters, seems to be entirely thrown away. If a miner enter a store for the purpose of dealing, he will not purchase an inferior iron pick, shovel, or axe, simply because the wily dealer asserts they are steel, no, he will regulate his purchases by the knowledge his experience may have given him of the respective merits of the articles he requires, and this principle will enter into all the ordinary matters of his life; but let the magic cry of "Gold ! " he heard, let the sound come ever so faintly upou his enraptured ears, away fly prudence, foresight, and all the' sound common sens.c which he would in anything else exercise acutely enpugh, and off he rushes pell iriell, and thousands are found to join in the infatuated race. Nor are there wanting those to fan and feed the flame of excitement ; there are many to whom the miner's loss is their gain. Men cannot travel from one part of the world to another without ships, and it is equally certain that they cannot thus travel without cost —they must be fed and clothed wherever they may be, and under whatever circumstances they may have been brought. We cannot better apply the force of these remarks than to the present excitement respecting the so-called Coromandel Gold Fields, an excitement not less foolish mid groundless than it will be disastrous in its effects, if the miners will allow themselves to give way to any Wind impulse. It may be urged, and no doubt there may be found many who do this argue, that it is our interest, as identified with the Province of Otago, to endeavor'to burke or garble facts which, might

be the means of •withdrawing any considerable portion of our population ; but it is fur more r.ur interest, no less than our duty as public journalists, to see that our constituents should not be deceived by false representations or nnfounded statements ; and to endeavor to prevent, if possible, the bitter disappointment and disaster tliat would be entailed by too credulous belief. Did there exist the least substantial data to warrant the present rush, or were the development of a remunerative Gold Field at Coromandel actually a fact, we should be among the first to rejoice that afresh field had been found for the exercise of that energy and perseverance which has wrought so much for the prosperity of Otago, and we would he cordial in congratulating the sister province upon such a valuable acquisition to her wealth. But we have nohcsitatioriin stating that at the present time these conditions do not exist, and we earnestly warn those who may be meditating proceeding to Coromandel, to exercise a little common sense before indulging in this serious game of "follow my leader." It will be seen in our advertising columns that the Provincial Government of Auckland is offering a reward of £2,000 for the discover!/ of a payable goldfield, that shall give remunerative employment to 500 men. It must be obvious to every person .that were the existence of such a field actually known, there could be no necestity for such a discover)'..as the Auckland authorities are striving to stimulate. It is quite true that gold has been found in the Coromandel district, and its existence has been known for years to all the old residents in that locality; but, had it been accessible in any payable quantity, it is hardly likely that it would have been neglected by the Auckland settlers, very niany of whom have had experience on the goklfields in California and Victoria. At the present time, little or no excitement on the subject exists in Auckland itself, a city quite contiguous to the supposed goldfields, the arrival of so many miners from Otago having alone awakened any interest in the matter ; and, from the comparative apathy manifested by the inhabitants themselves, they evidently think that, in respect to the "Coromandel goldfields," distance has lent no little "^enchantment to the view."

Some six weeks ago we drew attention to the great want of some institution for the relief of the aged, the infirm, and the destitute, and we urged upon the benevolent the necessity of some prompt'fiction being taken in the matter. It is with peculiar' satisfaction, therefore, that we notice that an effort is now about to be made by a few gentlemen 'in town to start a Benevolent Asylum, which, beside affording a refuge for the aged and infirm without distinction of creed- or race, shajl also provide for the reception of destitute orphans. The promoters of this philanthropic scheme purpose setting about their self-imposed labor of love very shortly, and we are pleased to note that they are thoroughly practical in their ideas. Instead of endeavoring to initiate some grand institution, which would take years to complete, they purpose, in the first instance, to erect a simple and inexpensive building, which can be completed before the winter, and they intend applying_to the Government for a site in the Town Belt. It is estimated that a building j such as is proposed to be erected in the first insfance, could be built for less than ,£4OO, and it is confidently anticipated that no difficulty will be found in raising this comparatively trifling sum by public subscription among the wealthy community of Dunedin.

At five o'clock last evening a woman was observed in a state of inebriety, creating a disturbance in front of the Commercial Hotel, Highstreet. Three poor little children were with her, crying most pitifully. The conduct of the female was so violent that it was found necessary to procure a hand-barrow—or truck, ■or whatever it is called—to convey her to the police station in Princes-street, We were informed that she wd struck a man a very violent blow over his head with a stone, but he declined to charge her with that offence.

About half-past three o'clock yesterday afternoon an accident oceuired opposite to tins office. A little boy, named Charles Vints, in the employ of Harnett & Co., printers, was carrying a parcel of.printed bill heads when a party mounted upon a white horse cantered up, and knocked the lad down. When raised from the mud Ms clothes were besmeared witli dirt, and there was found to be a slight abrasion of the skin, on the riglit side of the head, a little above ths ear. The police conducted the boy to the Station —a few doors lower.d^wn— when the person whose horse rode over the little fellow gave his name as William Bruce, of Park House, Dunedin. The boy cried very much, and indignantly refused a halfcrown and shilling piece, which Sir. Bruce offered him, to pay for the damaged paper.

We are indebted to the courtesy of the Captnin of the " Isabella," for Hobavt Town papers to the 7th instant.

A soldier of the 40th Reg£ was recently killed near Maugatawhiei, where the military are at present constructing the road to the Waikato. It appears that the deceased, together with his comrades, was busily employed ielling a tree, which notwithstanding their having used the greatest precaution, suddenly gave way, thereby crushing the deceased, and embedding the other poor fellows in the eirrth. Assistance was promptly rendered, and the deceased, together with the wounded men, were immediately removed to the hospital, where the latter remains in a very precarious state, '

We understand that the steamer " Ruby," has during last week, landed at Port Chalmers, from different vessels, no less than 13,561 sheep of which 1400 were from the "Anna Kimball1' 24G8 from the " Queen of India;" 3849 from the '' Hope;" 2733 from the " Peeress;" 3411 from the " Arabia."

A dinner was given at Walsh's Camp Hotel Junction, in commemoration of St. Patriclc's Day. Mr Maloney occupied the chair, and the attendance was very large, over fyur hundred persons being present. There was a German band in attendance, and the company were enlivened by the very excellent playing of Sir R Alicrn on the violin. The fun was kept up till an early hour in the morning, with, of course, the usual scrimages. Order was on the whole well maintained, and it says much for the moderation of the sons of Erin that there were none of those scenes which occasionally disgrace such times of festivity.

At the Princess Theatre last night the programme was the same as on the previous evening. The singing of Miss Harriet Gordon was very much admired, and in her rendering of " Lo ! hear the gentle lark,'' she showed remarkable power of vocalization. The song was encored, and she substituted the ballad " Annie Laurie," which she sang exceedingly well, but she rather marred the simple melody .of this charming little ditty, by too great a display of jioriture. The other part of the performance was gone through ci-editably by the company.

The " Omeo," with the English mail, is now overdue, and may be hourly looked for.

The ordinary meeting of the Port Chalmers' Town Board was held on Wednesday evening, ■when-Mr. Wright was appointed valuator of property within the bounds of the township, as a preliminary to the imposing of any necessary assessment, and instructions were given for the collection of information as to the modeof valuation elsewhere adopted, so that all parties might be fairly and equally assessed. Several accounts presented to the Board were passed, and instructions given to the Clerk for their payment. '

The Anniversary Regatta, to come off on the Taicri Hivcr on Monday, 24th March, promises to be a brilliant affair. , The first iace will rtait at ten o'clock in the forenoon, and is open to sail- * ing'boats under five tons. The second ruco starts' at 11, for whaleboats pulling five or six oars. The third nice starts afc noon, for boats pulling p:'.; r sculls. The fourth race starts at 1 p.m., fur ojeu cargo boats. The fifth race stints at 2 p.m., for all boats pulling four oars. The sixth race starts at 3 p.m., for Maori canoes, manned by JMuorcsThe seventh, the last, and geneially'in all tu[Uutic diversions of a corresponding character, thu nn>*} amusing race of the day, will be the Duck Hun Is gig and dingy prize.

The list of persons liable to serve on Juries within the Province of Otago for the years 18^ -2. and 1863, includes 929 names. All objections :o the list will be heard by the Kesident Magistrate during any Court/ until the 27th current. The names fill thirty half-sheets of foolscap paper, and* are exhibited on the door of the Court House ibr. public inspection.

The lioll of Electors who are entitled to vote at the electio 1 of members of the House of .Representatives, for the City of Dunedin, for the 3 ear from the 30th September, 1861, to Ist October--1862, numbers 420 names, according to the following alphabetical list: —A, 16 ; B, 45 ; C, 28; D, 25 ; E, 1 ; 1", 25 : G, 16 ; H, 39 ; I, 2 ; J, 13 ; X, 8 ; L, 17 ; M, 68 ; N, 4; P, 14 ; B, £0 ; S, 37 ; T, 14; V, 2; V, 24; ond V, 2. ''jUioll of electors who are entitled to vote at the elect iou of a Superintendent for the Province of OtagOj and who are also entitled to vbte at the election of members of the Provincial Council, ibr the respective districts of the said Province,' for the year from 30th September, 1861, to Ist October, 1862, numbers 1280 names, thus : —Dunedin, 420 ; Port Chalmers District, 54 ; Eastern District, 130 ; Western district, 123 ; Central District, 194; Tokomairird? "139 ; Clutha, 98 • and the Northern District, 122. This is a statement of the rolls as last made up, but it is to be presumed that before the end of the month there will he large additions to both. : ■ ■ >

A short time ago we took occasion to notice t! c fact of the Maori Society having apparently died a natural death. Since that period, it has evinced no signs of returning vitality. Meanwhile, the affairs which the Society undertook to manuge arc absolutely neglected ; the native teacher i^ gone away, no successor is appointed to fill hi iS place, the property of the defunct Society is goingl to decay, and the cattle are wandering unattended) to say nothing of the minor consideration of the natives receiving no instruction, religious or secular, in return for the land and cattle p1 ebented by them to the Society. It is just possible, that although the Members of the Maori Society arc indifferent, there may be some influential persons inDunedin who take an interest in Maori allaire, and if such there be, we would suggest to them the advisability of taking advantage of the present visit of Mr. Dillon Bell, the Minister for native affairs, to get a new and more efficient arrangement made. As the matter stands at present, it is a disgrace to the community.

~\Ve observe that the Garrick Club propose that their first performance shall be for the benefit of the Dunedin Hospital. Perhaps the Members c f the Garrick Club are not aware that the Hospit; 1 is a Government Institution, not in any way d<pendant upon voluntary contributions—indci'd ye are not aware that there is tiny committee or ofiiccr authorised to receive donations on its behalf. Under these circumstances it might, perhaps, be advisable for the Garrick Club to reconsider their decision, and to make their first appearance for'the benefit of the proposed Benevolent Asylum, an institution which is intended to be entirely dt - pendant upon public charity, and which in point of utility can only be regarded as second to tl.c • Hospital.

The following extract relative to Coromando i is irom the Government organ the New'Zeali'n-'----tier. :The statement that the hind held* by the natives is supposed " without any reliable authority"' to be rich in gold, contrasts somewhat strangely with the declared " unceasing cndeEvours" to acquire this land, mentioned in the document emanating from the Colonial Secretary's office:—Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 4th March, 1862.—Sir, —I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's letter, Kb., 2", dated the 28th ultimo, enclosing a copy of an address presented to you by the Provincial Council urging the desirability of immediately opening to private enterprise the auriferous District on the East bank of the Gulfl of the Thames. In reply I have to state that the General Government are fully sensible to the importance of :acquiring the land referred to, or if that be not possible, of having a definite agreement on the subject of prospecting The most -.unceasing endeavours have for a long time been made to attain those ends, and His Excellency the Governor is at this very time engaged in personal negotiation ■with the Native owners of the land, in the hope of effecting some satisfactory arrangement.—l have, &c, Hhnky Sewell, for the Col. Sec— His Honor the Superintendent of Auckland.— New Zcalandcr, March Bth.