THE STANDARD. SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1873.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 73, 26 July 1873, Page 2

THE STANDARD.

SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1873.

" We shall sell to no man justice or right: We shall deny to no man justice or right: We shall defer to no xnan justice or right.”

The settlers of Poverty Bay are invited to meet in the Court-house on Monday next, to consider the terms of a Petition which it has been decided to send to the House of Representatives, praying for Separation from the Province of Auckland. The Committee appointed at the meeting on Monday evening last, to draw up the Petition, have, we believe, good grounds for somewhat modifying their views on the question of absolute Separation, and purpose submitting for acceptance a Petition which will leave the means of granting relief to the District an open question with the House and the Government, while it will declare the grievances to which we have so long been exposed. That some step must be taken is obvious; the difficulty is to decide on the proper one. There are two courses open: one is the erection of the District into a County ; the other the creating of a Board of Works, assimilating to the “ Timaru and Gladstone” Board. In the County system there are entailed certain admitted obligations and liabilities which we should have to take over, and which the Legislature might think we are not in a position to meet. The nonpossession of a Territorial Estate would be among the objections raised; although, as the Government are well aware, lands are coming into the market slowly and surely; but if we are not in a position to administer them to our own profit, the chances of our eventual disintegration will become less as the Government gets a larger direct vested interest in the district. A Board of Works, with extended jurisdiction, may, perhaps, be more suitable for our present requirements, and with which we may be contented, so long as a full emancipation from provincial tyranny is not lost sight of, and which must only be looked upon as a question of time.

Tn Pakirikiri meeting cannpt be looked upon as a success by the malcontents of the Russell-cum-Matua tribe, and we are glad of it. The proceedings, given in another column, shew how tittle opposition was required to scatter Henare Matua and his arguments to the wind. He who is looked on as astute, powerful, ana eloquent, was beaten, single-handed, by a woman! Practically, the question of repudiation—which, with all his iota for tfee “ tribunals of the country,” is what

it amounts to—is knocked on the head in this district; and, so completely was the speciousnees of his motives laid bare, that he did not tliink it worth while to touch upon the ostensible object of his visit,—namely—that of his election. He goes back a beaten man; with his prestige impaired, and his influence here reduced to nil; and we repeat, we are glad of it. We have never oared to give too much prominence to these dark gentry and their big talk; still less do we now feel inclined to give a more extended notice of the ignominious failure of this deep-concocted scheme, than is necessary to condemn it as a most contemptible exhibition of immorality and greed, on the part of those who are the prime movers in it.

The Compensation Petition has at last been decided on by an unanimity of action and earnestness of purpose which should command the sympathy of the House to whom it is to be presented. This action, taken by the sufferers from native outrages in Poverty Bay, in conjunction with other matters of political moment, now engaging public attention, will serve to shew to the country that the settlers of this beautiful district are waking upto a sense o the wrongs inflicted on them, by o persistent ignoring of their claims to a just compensation. The Petitioners will not be unrepresented in the House ; nor will the subject of their prayer lack warm and influential advocates; therefore in the name of that justice which they haveevcry right to expect, we think they may reasonably look to a fair measure of it being meted out to them.