THE ELECTIONS.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 231, 21 March 1866, Page 3

THE ELECTIONS.

Tbe elections for the New House of Representatives are now nearly completed. It is fair to conclude that the result will be a good working majority, ready and desirous to support Mr. Stafford, and desiring, also, a stability in tbe G-o---vernment of the Colony which has not been obtained for several years past. But Mr. Stafford's hint, in his Nelson speech, of the probability of both an Income Tax and a Stamp Duties being proposed, has excited universal disfavor, rather because the necessity for either is doubted than because of the objectionable nature of an Income Tax as judged of by home experiences. In Auckland and in Otago, there has been a general demand that members should pledge themselves to work and to vote to the utmost with their colleagues on all leading questions ; and in each Province there is a strong feeling that the two set of members should unite for Separation, or for some practical modification of it which shall leave the North Island Provinces to deal with their Natives for the future, and shall give to the Southern Provinces a chance of developement, such as a wise administration of their several revenues would ensure. If pledges are redeemed, the Auckland and Otago members will, next session, be a real power in tbe state. As to the elections themselves, in Auckland there has not been, so far as we have heard, one contest ; and the majority of the members of last session will return to their seats. In Canterbury, there has been a series of battles, strategically fought after long preparations and much argument in tbe newspapers. The contest for the Superintendency has tinged some of the minor ones ; but the great questions have been Separation and the merits or demerits of tbe Weld Ministry. Canterbury, like Otago, had the number of her members increased by the Representation Amendment Act passed last session ; and tbis has combined with the fights for seats to cause a good many new men to appear in each Province. A modified measure of Separation such as we have mentioned, a cordial union of members, and no increase of taxation, have been the chief topics of candidates and their subporters in Otago. There have been contests enough to show general interest, although there have not been preliminary skirmishes as in Canterbury. The hon. James Paterson (a member of the Stafford Government), and Mr. W. H. Reynolds, have been re-elected triumphantly for the city, which now returns two members for itself, instead of there being four for tbe city and suburbs, as formerly. There were six candidates for the two seats ; but Mr. Paterson and Mr. Reynolds each polled considerably more votes than did the other four taken to gether. The numberr will be found stated in the list below, which is, we think, the most compendious way in which the results of the elections, so far as they are known here, can be stated. After the speech of Mr. Stafford, which we noticed last month, there is no election address which has attracted so much notice and comment as that of Dr. Featberston, Superintendent of the Province of Wellington, whose opinion with respect to all Native questions is entitled to the greatest possible respect. At a public meeting in Wellington, Dr. Feathers ton gave a history of the rise and fall of the Weld Ministry, and surprised most people by bis declaration of past hostility to it. He read the resolution on " responsible Government " wliich Mr. Weld proposed in the House of Representatives, soon after taking office ; and be read also tbe substituted resolution, which was adopted by the House. That resolution was prepared, he said, because of the deputation which waited on Mr. Weld. Any one continued Dr. Eeatberston) will see the mighty difference both in the words of the two resolutions I have just read, and also in the policy which tbey enunciate. The first resolution embodied Mr. Weld's own policy; the second embodies the policy which I and Mr. Stafford and others insisted upon as tbe sole, condition of our giving the Weld Ministry our support. Mr, Weld insisted upon tbe immediate withdrawal of all her Majesty's forces ; we protested against any such withdrawal until it was " consistent with the maintenance of Imperial interests, and the safety of the colony." Mr. Weld ftbwdoaed. the policy which was embodied

in tbe first resolution, and adopted that which was contained in the second. Mr. "Weld and his colleagues advocated the immediate withdrawal of the whole of ber Majesty's forces on these three grounds : Eirst, that Britishtroops were not able to cope with tbe Maori, and were not fit for New Zealand warfare ; second, that tbe Colony could not afford to pay tbe price demanded for tbem by the Imperial G-overnment ; and, third, that as long as we maintained the British soldiers in this country, we never could have the entire management of native affairs. I am ready to admit that an army of ten thousand men had not done much good for New Zealand : that those ten thousand men under General Cameron had, instead of affording assistance to subdue tbe rebellion, rather been a hinderance to its being overcome. But is the blame for this to attach to the British soldier ? Is the British army degenerated ? I consider the Imperial troops to be the finest troops in the world ! Look at what has been done by any of the regiments now in New Zealand, and then tell that those regiments are unable, to cope with the Maori, and are unequal to New Zealand warfare. Tbe signal success of G-eneral Chute between Wanganui Jand Taranaki, with a flying column of some four or five hundred men, gives tbe lie at once and for ever to my aspersion on the English troops ; and shows that Imperial troops, if properly handled, are equal to any emergency, and instead of being unequal to tbe natives, those natives are terrified at them, and dare not make a stand against them. The second argument for the removal of tbe troops, was that tbe colony could not afford to pay at tbe rate of £-0 a man. But who ever dreamt of the colony paying for them at the rate ? The Weld Ministry has itself repeatedly acknowledged that the war has resulted, not from the colonists themselves, but from tbe action of Her Majesty's representative at that time in this country, who had the entire control of native affairs, and whose operations had been repeatedly sanctioned by tbe Imperial G-overnment, who have more than once admitted that they are in a great measure responsible for the New Zealand war. I have never acknowledged that the colony is liable for this charge. Nay, I say that tbe colony has a fair charge upon the Home Government for those two millions which it has uselessly wasted upon this war. I bebeve, however preposterous that assertion may seem, it will ultimately be recognised at home, and tbe public opinion in England will make the Home G-overnment pay it. All tbe governors we have had, and nearly all the colonists, have pointed out to that Government how tbis wretched rebellion might have been crushed out long ago. I speak advisedly, and I say that, had General Cameron carried out Sir George Grey's instructions, and led his men into the field, or allowed bis officers to do so, tbe war would have long since been closed, and such punishment inflicted that the rebels would have hesitated for a long time before they would have ventured to have risen again. The third plea urged' for tbe immediate withdrawal of tbe troops, was, that as long as we maintained a single British soldier in this country, we could not expect to have the entire control of the native affairs. I confess that I was astonished, when tbis plea was put forward by Mr. Weld and some of bis colleagues. In 1856, Mr. Sewell brought down resolutions to the House embodying conditions upon which G/bvernor G-ore Browne would grant responsible Government, and one of those conditions was the retention in bis own bands of all control of native affairs. I then urged the House not to accept responsible Government on such conditions, unless tbe entire administration of native affairs was also banded over to it. Ie 1862, 1 urged the House to accept tbe offer then made by the Duke of Newcastle, and G-overnor Sir George Grey, to give it the whole powers of a responsible Ministry; but Mr. Weld and his supporters moved amendments to tbe resolutions, and ultimately succeeded in ousting Mr. Eox's Ministry on that very question. I think, therefore, we have some right to question Mr. Weld's plea for removing the troops. I would ask my honorable and esteemed friend at the head of the G-overnment if Sir G-eorge Grey does not exercise a great control in native affairs ; whether if the English soldiers were withdrawn to-mor-row, it would be possible to prevent Her Majesty's representative exercising, a great control, not only over native, but over all ordinary matters. Nothing can prevent ber Majesty's representative in the colony from exercising a great control, both in ordinary and in native matters. At the very time the Weld Government was urging the immediate withdrawal of the Imperial troops, tbey 'were praying that Government for a grant to help them to pay colonial forces. But, if the Imperial Government were entitled to interfere because they paid for their own forces, they would be equally entitled to interfere if they paid for the colonial forces. So far from objecting to tbe removal of the troops, I would strongly advise it, if it were done gradually, and not with too oreat haste. I know nothing more calculated to induce the natives to persist in their rebellion, or more likely to lead to a recurrence of those wretched troubles that are now pessing away, than any sudden recalling of the Imperial troops. It is neither safe nor prudent for the G-overnment of this Colony solely to rely upon tbe Colonial troops ; and, however trustworthy our native allies have proved themselves, their management depends so entirely on personal influence, that it would be utterly unsafe to place too much reliance upon tbem. Even in a monetary point of view, the withdrawal of the troops would be folly ; for to maintain a body of fifteen hundred Colonial forces would cost the Colony far more than ten thousand British troops, even if you had to pay for them at the rate of £40 a man.- — Subsequently, Dr. Eeatherston declared, -with reference to Mr, Weld, '" I totally disagree

with the ordinal features of his policy, in 6 many other respects ;" and he added that he was * r an utter __x)vincialiet," being more and more convinced that the unity of the Colony could only be secured by " the enlargement of the Provincial powers, and placing at the disposal of the Provincial Governments the largest possible amount of the public revenues." The Hon. James Paterson, in his speech at the Dunedin nomination, said, "It is well known that the colony is now in a very precarious state with regard to its finances. We have incurred very large... responsibilities on account of the war that has been carried on in the Northern Island. Those expenses must be met; and if the ordinary revenue will not enable them to be met, they must be met otherwise, or they must be repudiated. I am certain that no elector of the Province will hesitate, if it is found necessary to raise additional funds by taxation, to bear his share of it, in order that present responsibilities may be met. The only think the G-overnment can do is to study economy in every department— to reduce expenditure to the lowest point consistent v with the efficiency of the service. With regard to the great question of Separav tion, which is so much talked about, the only way in which I see that it canbe done is by giving to the different Provinces of the Northern Island the control of the war within their bounds — allowing them to conduct it in their own way at their own expense, without burdening the other parts of the Colony, which are not exposed to the same difficulties. We have borne a large share of the war expenses hitherto. We have derived no benefit whatever from all we have paid ; and that state of things must now come to an'end. We have made ourselves responsible for the debts so far ; but a line must now be drawn, the different provinces interested must manage the war, and the expense must be met out of the confiscated lands taken from the natives. There has been a great deal said, also, about Provincial Governments, and some people think it would be proper to do away with those G-overn-ments. I am not prepared to go that length. I_ would propose to give the Provinces more extended powers, but to reduce their number. I would attach the small Provinces to the large ones, thus saving expenses of G-overn-ment. Supposing that we had South- _ land re-united to Otago, and Marlborough to Nelson, we should then have three large, substantial, and good Provinces in the Middle Island ; and we should have but three G-overnments instead of five. In the Northern Island, by atttaching Taranaki to Wellington, and extending; the boundaries of Hawke's Bay by including a portion of Auckland, we should there also have three great Provinces, corresponding with those in this Island. The Provinces could then be governed at less expense, and be entrusted with far greater powers, -inasmuch as men who " could take a larger grasp and have greater influence, would be glad to take part in mnanging tbem to the satisfaction of the : whole Colony."