The Southland Times. MONDAY, MARCH 5, 1866.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 224, 5 March 1866, Page 2

The Southland Times. MONDAY, MARCH 5, 1866.

Complaints of the times, the Government, and the people, are as old as literature itself, and doubtlessly were abundantly poured out before the use of the pen or printing press were thought of by man. Since that period, journalists and philanthrophists have been continually discovering that the times were out of joint — that the Government was weak, blind, and corrupt, and the people thoughtless, inactive, and unreliable. It is very probable that these complaints are to an extent well founded, but it is uddeniable that frequently the complainings are exaggerated and unjust. But it is true there is a studied duplicity which has become characteristic of the time. The labored endeavor not to show your "cards" which now distinguishes public men, tends to evoke suspicion, create class dissention, and render expediency a dangerous science. Hence, we find in the colonies class is pitted against class, party against party, and a bitterness of feeling created which is seriously detrimental to the public interest. The impartial thinker sees that both sides are combating a phantom of the most gossomer character, while the tactian is sucking egg. A statesman — a man who, when a question of great moment is involved will with out-spoken frankness, give expression to his matured conclusions — comes before his constituents with a manly statement of his views, ever gain the respect, esteem, and confidence of those whose trust he seeks to possess, and the admiration of those who may differ in opinion. But the politician who with oily evasiveness, aims at pleasing all parties and yet commit himself to nothing, must sooner or later come to be looked upon as — although clever — an unreliable and erratic star, a Janus, presenting one face to-day and another to-morrow. At a time of great political import, all who desire to participate in. public work should hav,e clear and denned views before they sees the suffrage of those t\ hose interests they imply a desire to advance. The present is a most crtical period. The Middle Island provinces have been fleeced to support a Northern war until they have been reduced to a deplorable state, still they find that their interests are being sacrificed to satisfy the grasping instincts of the North. So strong is the power of Auckland that even the Stapeoed Ministry have yielded up to the Provincial Government the Colonies claim to over a . million acres of confiscated land, advancedthem a hundred thousand pounds of Colonial debentures, and contracted to obtain for them one hundred and fifty thousand more. How long is this bleeding of the South to in vigor and fatten the North to continue ? Is the question of Separation one of importance or not ? Do the people of this Province feel no interest in the future, or is it that with a " hope deferred " dispondency they have ceased to care for politics ?" These are questions which should be carefully pondered and deliberately answered. The increased representation which has been given to Southland, will be an evil rather than a good unless good men and true are found to represent it in the General Assembly. Already one member has been elected, the " pivot" of whose creed i 3 "no Separation." Three other gentlemen have offered themselves as candidates for the vacancies still existing — Messrs J. M'Cltjre, T. He ale, and Dillon Bell. These gentlemen may all be good candidates, they may possess many qualities required in a representative, but we have no evidence that they have the one thing needful, — clear views upon the great question of Separation. One thing is certain, Mr. M'Cltibe is a decided Anti-Separationist; and therefore we are decided opponents of his candature ; Mr. Heale is in favor of Separation of some sort, but as to what that sort is, judging from his address, he is remarkably foggy ; while Mr. Dillon Bell either has no opinions or has resolved to keep them to himself until he is safely landed in the House, and finds out which way the wind blows. "We do not say these are not • the best men obtainable, but, we do say that it is neither politic or just to the Province for the people to rest content with the vague " hold.-me-to-nothing " plausibility which is all that can be extracted from the addresses published. Not a word is said by either aa to a fresh arrangement with regard to the Southland Loan, and the Qompletiioft q£' Ifoilwys, %.% hmA Aet»Qr

other questions in which every class of the community is interested. Mr. M'Clttbe aught not to be elected- — anti-Separation views should ensure his defeat. Of Messrs Heale and Bell we have, at present, little to say. They may have some claim upon the people of Southland, — they may have done it it some good service in time past — but they have not done sufficient to justify their concluding that they can gain an election without stating their views or laying down a single political principle. Yet this would appear to be their notions. It is not right that from a morbid " do-nothingness," (to use a Carleyism), the people should rest content with the vague promises in their epistles. The elections are near at hand. Again we ask the people of Southland, if it is their ambition to perpetuate a system of government which has proved disasr trous in its working in this and other Southern Provinces. If they are not, steps shouldbe taken to obtain frouicandidates more definite opinions on the leading questions of the day than have yet been elicited.