Poverty Bay Standard. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY. THURSDAY AND SATURDAY MORNINGS. TUESDAY, MAY 23, 1882.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1077, 23 May 1882, Page 2

Poverty Bay Standard. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY. THURSDAY AND SATURDAY MORNINGS. TUESDAY, MAY 23, 1882.

Ills Excellency the Governor opened the Parliament of this Colony on Friday, May the 19th, with a most earnest and portentous speech. The recent attempt on Her Majesty the Queen’s life of course meets with first attention, and His Excellency, in common with all Her Majesty’s loyal subjects, expresses gratification in the fact that the attempt was futile. The Governor then refers to the increase of franchise, a matter which demands a great deal more attention than we as individuals have hitherto given to it. We Europeans are singularly neglectful of the advantages the franchise offers to us, and His Excellency, in very plain and concise terms, asks us to give more consideration to these vitally important matters of enfranchisement than we have done heretofore. The Governor then congratulates Colonists ou their financial position. His Excellency then proceeds to review the past proposals, as submitted to Parliament, fur the furtherance of .settlement ; and afterwards takes in hand the most delicate and difficult subject that has presented itself to any gentleman occupying his position —the West Coast Native affairs. And here we have a clear in sight into His Excellency's recognizance of the illegality of the arrest of Te Whiti and Tohv. Had the most eminent lawyers of the day been asked for their opinion it could not have been given in plainer terms than those emanating from Sir Arthur Gordon. A more distinct disclaimer of any share in the whole transaction could not have been written. Sir Arthub Gordon is right. The action of the late Government in the Parihaka matter was undoubtedly well meant and useful to the Colony, but it was illegal from beginning to end. That I we shall have to give back the confis- ' rated land is not the least of the troubles entailed upon us by this ille- ' gality. We have done worse than committed a crime ; we have rendered : ourselves ridiculous. Without an at- j tempt to execute a writ we have taken it for granted that such writ could not | be served, or, if served, would meet

with contempt. The why or wherefore of this arrogation of opinion has yet to be discovered. Te Whiti as far as we call see is an old maniac, whose talk should never have affected, and never really did affect, the Government of New Zealand. New Plymouth men derived an infinite advantage in more ways than one. They had daily lessons from a madman, and took all the money they could get from the Armed Constabulary. With Mr Bryce at one I end, and Major Atkinson at the other, the rope was hauled thoroughly taut. But the penalty I the penalty I I Luckily we have the same gentlemen in the Ministry now who involved us in the melee ; doubtless they will be able to pull us out of the hole they have shoved us into. The Piper—the inevitable and necessary Piper—will have to be paid, and it is perfectly possible that we shan’t like handing him his cheque. But we had far better pay one Piper than two, and accept our position with a good grace. That Piper is always an obstruction, but it is far better to soft soap him than to hit him in the eye. The Bill which is to render the trial of Tonu and Te Whiti unnecessary, is the cheque that pays the Piper—but whether the Piper will accept that cheque or not, remains to be seen. Doubtless the acumen of the Premier, aided by the accurate knowledge of Maori habits possessed and evidenced by Mr Bryce, will afford a solution of this (to our stupid mind) difficult problem. Anyhow, Sir Arthur Gordon seems to have arrived at a distinct conclusion, and and we are thorougly with him in that conclusion. We can apologise for being robbers, but. no apology can clear us from donkeyism. Silliness and stupidity are stains which require more soap, soda, and elbow grease than all the crime in the colony would take to efface. Here we think we have given a fair digest of the Governor’s speech. Taken as a whole it is well worthy of attention containing, as it does, more below the surface than on it. His Excellency is not sparing in his sarcasms; and we must acknowledge that they are deserved. Our own dilatoriness, vacillation, and feebleness has evoked this rebuke in His Excellency’s opening speech.