Telegrasphic Despatches.

Southland Times, Issue 977, 29 June 1868, Page 3

Telegrasphic Despatches.

"WELLixoToy, Friday.— Mr Fox was elected representative for Eangateiki, on : Monday, without opposition. He declared Himself free to support any beneficial policy, and would support Mr Stafford's, if, when enunciated, it was good for the country, but it was difficult, he said, to discern what Stafford's policy was. Mr Stafford had never enunciated any policy yet. Stafford had made numerous speeches, defending past doings, but never committed himself except in vaguest terms to any great principle by which Bis party would stand or fall. Was Mr Stafford a provincialist ? Judging by statements he was an ardent admirer of Prpvincalism. Judging by acts and bad company kept he was bent on its entire destruction. He talked tenderly, even affectionately of Provincial Governments, while supported by then, and then introduced measures in the House which gratified the wildest hopes of Centralists. "With regard to thet New Provinces Act 1858, the point of its mischief was not in the creation of three feeble provinces, but in hanging a halter round the necks of the old provinces, which, thus uncertain as to when they might be led to execution, became paralzed for good, and lost that self-reliant spirit which animated them in early years. Then again, there never had been a more hollow pretence of conferring local self-government than the measures of last session. The whole end and aim of these measures waa to concentrate all local government power and patronage in the hands of one Central Government. I never saw such a feeble parody of self-government as the institutution of "Westland. v Such were feeble suckers, growing ixom the roots of the provincial tree, were incapable of bearing fruit or flower themselves, and yet destroyed the vital energy of the parent stem. The extension of local self-govern-ment must be somethingvery different — it must be genuine, not a sham ; yet these County institutions were part of Mr Stafford's avowed policy, which, while destroying provincial institution did not extend local government. Provincial Governments became weak because they had not an inheritance in their workmere tenants at will were indisposed to drain and till as they would have done if they had had a lease. They had been "brought to tremble before the lash of any outlying minority, and to dread the loss of their very existence at the will of . any minister adroit enough to conceal, or bold enough to avow, his intention to exterminate them. "Was it too late to limit the General Government and thwart its great appetite for aggrandisement ? to reinstate Provincial institutions as fountains from which local self-government must flow? The coming session would show. The Assembly would insist on knowing beforehand whither they were drifting—whether it was to be as last session — to reject by large majorities the principles embodied in a general measure, and then to adopt the same principle by large majorities in particular measures; whether institutions refused at the early period of the session, were at its close to be slyly introduced in detail to every part of the colony ; •whether, in short, Provincial institutions were to be maintained in vigor, or insiduously undermined by pretended friends of local self-government. The policy must be definite, intelligible, and fearless ; not a thing of shreds and patches which the Government would not be bold enough to stand by as their policy, but which it left to chance, to divisions on open questions on which its existence was never staked. He condemned the Public Debts Act, and greatly feared the results of Mr Fitzherbert's tour would prove nothing else than a clever scheme for making a large addition to our already excessive liabilities. He could not foresee what financial questions would arise, but could nevertheless pledge himself to two points. He would not sanction any attempt to add to the already too heavy burdens of the people — it would be better to have no Government at all than get deeper into debt. Neither would he support auch an obnoxious impost as the Income Tax. ■With regard to the Native difficulty, it was only to be met by treating tbe friendly Natives with kindness, and leaving them to themselves. With such as preferred to remain in the sulky seclusion of Kinkship, time would work the cure ; but when guilty of unprovoked aggression, they must be checked by decisive summary punishment. In answer to a question, Mr Fox stated that Mr Stafford • had exhibited a creditable desire to retrench the extravagant expenditure in the ordinary services of the colony; but it , was. rendered useless, by such reckless •waste as that inflicted by the Public Debts «**: v.;;;'. £ -,\ ; .::..; 0 ..j,,/\.-