SEPARATION AGAIN.

Southland Times, Issue 105, 20 November 1868, Page 2

SEPARATION AGAIN.

(Front the ' Nelson Examiner,' Oct. 14) The Kesolutions passed at the public m eeting, held at Christchureh on the 2nd instant, a telegram of which^ppeAred ni dur columns on the following Tuesday, has raised again the question <?f separiting the two Islands of Sew Zealand, fot that is what was intended by the second resolution—" That it is necessary an As* sociation should be formed for theptir* pose of protecting the interests of the' Middle Island agairist injurious" legist tion." It would hare been better Bad the resolution expressed boldly wbiit wit really meant, instead of using language? of an ambiguous nature. Why the pritf* moters of the meeting did not do this we 1 arejiuiable to say, but if their wish was tojpfoak their ultimate designs, the! diflp^Bnt speakers blurted out the whole* truj|if and showed what these design* really were; The object of the ChristchitrcTi meeting being then to make two colonies of New Zealand, we may ask, firafy whether 1 separation is in itself desirable; and secondly,if it be so, and all the provinces of the Middle Island unite in seeking it* whether there is any chance of their wishes being favorably regarded by the Home Government. The diesire for separation so strongly expressed at thd Christchurch meeting, is solely attributable to a disinclination . to contribute to" the suppression of native disturbances in 1 the North Island ; and it is argued/ that could the Middle Island but escape all responsibility of this character, its progress in material wealth and prosperity would be unchequed. Now, the utter selfishness of this doctrine must strike all disinterested people ; the shortsightedness exhibited by its advocates we shall speak of presently. Here are two islands, colonised by the same people; of very moderate, but nearly equal extent* only separated by a narrow Strait Whkfa can be crossed in little more than an hour ; standing a thousand miles distant from all other countries, yet in the great highway of commerce between Australia and Europe, and calculated at some future day to become a powerful nation. But all chance of such greatness—which means wealth and influence, and perhaps even national existence-— are ;v to be sacrificed to the expediency of the present hour, in order that this island may escape contributing to the protection of the lives and property of our brother colonists on the other side of Cook Strait* We are asked to divide What every principle of polity should seek to bind more closely together.; to sacrifice the future welfare of our children to our own wretched and short-sighted selfishness ; to weaken where we should endeavor to foster strength. Once sever the North and Middle Islands of New Zealand, and it is doubtful whether they will erer again be reunited. With different tariffs*. and laws possibly at variance, ' questions would spring up which, if they did not lead eventually to hostilities, would certainly swell the cost of Government in both islands. While we have, examples in the old world and in the new, of small powers voluntarily merging their individual national life to become part of a great nation; and having witnessed lA the United States the vasf sacrifices of life> and property made to maintain the "Union, great and mighty as it was, in all its integrity, people are so mad here, in order to escape a temporary pressure, to run counter to the whole tendency of modern statesmanship, to secure the objects of which no cost has. been considered too great. And what, after all, are these native troubles ? What will be their duration, even taking the gloomiest view of North Island affairs? Every year they will become less and less ; the natives are a doomed race, and another ten years will see their power totally broken, even for guerilla warfare. And it is to escape the troubles this short season may give us that we are asked to ruin the country for all futurity. But can any man seriously believe the people of the two islands can be brought to agree to any terms on which they would be willing to separate? And this preliminary but necessary step attained, that the public creditors of- the colony would consent to see their securities lessened one half, by the revenue of the North Island being asigned to one body, and that of the Middle Island to another. Here are stumbling blocks of so formidabe a character as to be quite incapable of being set aside, and yet they must all be overcome before the British Government would listen to a prayer for separation however numerously supported. What waste then of powers to pass resolutions, hold meetings, spend time and money on what cannot be brought about. What we cannot escape from had better be faced in a manly and determined manner; and if, instead, of seeking to avoid contributing their quota to the necessary expenses the native outrages have caused, the people of Christchurch had come forward to strengthen the Government which has to deal with them, they would have done a far more sensible thing. The Government has its faults, and grave ones, but as no better men are ready to take tbeir place or can command the. support of Parliament, according to every principle of constitutional government, tne Ministry in power should receive the support of the country at a time like the present.