FISH AND FOOLISHNESS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1345, 21 August 1883, Page 4

FISH AND FOOLISHNESS.

(From a Wellington Correspondent.) The writer of the above, which appears as the leading matter in the “Post," of the 11th instant, waxes very funny and jocose, nevertheless it is on a subject of very deep sinking if it does not require desperately profound thinking, and a deal of meaning hidden beneath the coruscation of this seeming compound of frivolity and biliousness, and like the gold that everyone is in quest of, requires a deal of pertinacium, penetration, angling and refining to bring the true motives profitably to the surface ; at the same time it is lamentable that such frivolity is allowed to take up the time of the House, and engage the servant or mirth* ful attention of our Legislators to the retardation of absolute and beneficial legislation for this re-dorado of the South. Develope the latent resources of the colony by all means, except by some empty headed motions of “ breach of privilege/ 1 nor foist them on to the public by the malpractices of rugging the market, and Boating a lot of bogus companies, shares, and scrip, as happened on the first opening of the Thames goldfields, whereby thousands were filched and an equal number, in flesh and blcod, bone and muscle, suffered most severely, both mentally and physically, and in pocket, whilst a lot of initiated Northern ahaqsers and money-lenders, without much effort, came out glowing, happy, and prosperous, after questionable dabbling and deep sink* ing, and the uninitiated Wellingtonians, and others, had their prospects blighted, their fingers scorched, and pockets emptied, and wholly burnt out by the calls and intimidations, and threats of the official assignee. Mining speculation under such circumstances is a most risky and unsatisfictory undertaking at the best experto circle. Therefore, let those who are in a position to spend their surplus cash, only try the experiment at the outset before the struggling toilers risk their “ little all ” and then so much poverty and misery will not exist. Intemperance is not the only crying evil, and if the Hon. Colonial Treasurer is really sincere in ameliorating the unhappy condition of the people. Let him devise some scheme, and enact some law, whereby mining scrip, land and Bank shares, questionable proceedings may be fustrated, and “fleeced” and impoverished investors no longer exist in one midst, and the necessity of National Insurance become annihilated. In media res concerning the “ Land Law Amendment Bill,” Sir George Grey said “ a Bill of 8 or 10 clauses, would be sufficient for all purposes, and would be infinitely preferable to the measure before the House. There was another point the Native Minister had not touched upon. Where Native lands had been sold there existed great reserves which placed in trust, and were held by certain chiefs. The reserves were thought-to have been, and even said to have been inalienable, but a law had been passed by which the Governor could take off the restrictions against the sale of those reserves. Could it be beleived that before those restrictions were removed the reserves in some instances were already sold by the Native trustees, who kept the purchase money themselves ; and this left their fellowcountrymen poor at all times. That point had not been touched upon by the Native Minister. He asked was it right that politi cal influence should have the effect of depriving the Native race of their reserves, and securing these reserves into the hands of some wealthy families. The Premier was virtually the Governor, and he it was who removed the restrictions he had spoken of. He would inform the House that during two years past, 21,079 acres of these lands were sold, and 13.221 acres passed into the family of the Hon. the Premier ’’. Why was not this land thrown open to every person in the Colony whether Native or European ? Why were not these selections gazetted for sale ? He intended to bring in a Bill to amend these sales, and thus to make a step towards abolishing these great land monopolies. After reading the above extract, watching the course of events, and herding the tones of the discussions that nightly take place in Parliament, any sufficiently intelligent person will discover that our colonial forum has been turned into a vast speculative bourse for the purpose of fathering the ends of a nest of gigantic schemers, instead of being the arena for enacting good wholesome laws for the good governance, guidance, and existance of the people ! ’ Suum Cuique.