The Southland Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1869.

Southland Times, Issue 1092, 18 January 1869, Page 2

The Southland Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1869.

Mr Francis Dillon Bell, our member in the Assembly for the district of Mataura, in a letter read at a public meeting of " The New Eiver Eetrencluneut Association" — whoever that interesting body may be — has expressed himself with unusual vigor in condemnatory terms of the conduct of Mr Stafford's Government and that if our other members in the Assembly. As it is within the bounds of possibility that even so eminent a politician as Mr Bell, one possessing such remarkable intelligence, discernment, and consistency, may condescend to visit his constituency on the eve of a general election, for the purpose of warning them against returning " the other members from Southland," — wolves in sheep's clothing — wbose inferior intelligence has induced them to consider the interests of the colony and Province, support Mr Stafford's Government rather than indulge their private piques, at the expense of their constituents, we may as well devote some of our spare space to tbe annalization of this singular epistle. It must be gratifying to " The New River Retrenchment Association" to be informed that Mr Bell had made " a great effort" to be present at tbe meeting, and its disappoinment must have been great at his absence. We can only hope that "the great effort" has not utterly exhausted the great statesman, and that his health will be preserved, his services retained, to the lasting benefit, not merely of Southland, but our much loved and disinterested sister, Otago. Mr Bell is decided — for once in his life — on the impolicy of allowing Mr Stafford to hold the reins of Government. His objections are based of course on large, broad grounds. He speaks with trembling earnestness of the fearful extravagance of the present Ministry iv the ordinary discharge of the functions of Government, and protests against the conduct of tbe Maori war. Mr Bell's opiuion ought to have weight. He has been a Minister, and is what is termed a " Maori Doctor." Those acquainted with the annals of New Zealand politics will remember a short, but brilliant epoch during which Mr Francis Dillon Bell enjoyed that much coveted possession — a seat in the Cabinet. It was 3liort, owing to the obtuseness of tbe General Assembly in appreciating the great and statesmanlike qualities of Mr Bell, and declining to take him at his own modest standard, particularly in the management of a Maori war. Brilliant, so far at least as allowing the various provinces to obtain the sanction of the General Government to large Loan Bills for the construction of railways and public works. When the history of New Zealand is written, the historian will have to relate, doubtless, with gaping wonder, how this great " Maori Doctor"

left the Native difficulty in an infinitelyworse condition than he found it, and delightedly detail the achievements of his financial acumen. As regards the first, those best acquainted with the political history of the colony have come to the conclusion that it owes Mr Bell a large debt of gratitude, viewing taxation in the light of a moral boon, as it calls forth — in our instance — strains to the utmost, the energies of mankind to meet it. Some go further, and say the debt we owe him, as a colony, is so great that it is questionable whether we shall be be able to liquidate it. The grounds of our gratitude are based on the fact that tbis brilliant genius, when in office, as Native Minister, advised the then Governor, Sir | George Grey, to waive the just claim oi the colony to the Waitara block, and thereby convinced the Maori mind of our weakness and incapacity. This led to the massacre of the officers, which led to the Taranaki war, which led to the Waikato campaign, then to the three million loan, then to the present war, and where it will lead, it is difficult to conjecture. It is worse than " the House that Jack built." There was an end to that, but we confess we do not see the end to Mr Bell's brilliant vagaries. It is the old story of entrusting a child with a box of matches to play with near a gunpowder manufactory. "We are not inclined to blame so much the child as those who placed him in a position to do mischief. We ought not to expect sound judgment in infantine brains. But what we do object to is that Mr Bell, after having done all the mischief, should try to impede the action of the present Government in remedying his blunders. [We think he ought to be satisfied with having burdened New Zealand with its present liabilities, and allow others and more able bands to extricate us from it. Perhaps he considers that as Nero fiddled while Rome burned, he has a classic right to issue two classical philippics. We are aware that there are certain minds who being, " Pleased with a rattle, Tickled with a toy" cannot turn their attention to graver subjects, and while we are loth to disturb the harmless amusement of our fellow-creatures — particularly when to deprive them of folly means utter extinguishment — yet we must remind Mr Bell of his moral obligations to his fellows. "We are not in a position at present to contract another three million loan, even to please our brilliant representatiye. While admonishing him, however of his mundane responsibilities, it is only just to acknowledge that considerable allowance ought to be made for him, — we desire to be just. Probably Mr Bell considers that it is his special prerogative to initiate and mismanage Maori disturbances. He . may consider, and not unnaturally, that such are within bis particular province. Each unit in the vast community of mankind has his speciality, and Mr Bell's appears to be to founder the New Zealand political bark ; but he can hardly object to other statesmen, of greater mental calibre, protesting against the indulgence of his hobby, protecting the public from his doubtless honestly meant, but mischievious intentions. Mr Francis Dillon Bell has undoubted genius — brilliant; we fear, en*atic. He is one of those human comets, permitted to flash on mankind, possibly as a warning. In the physical world, while our reason indicates that the meteor is fraught with danger, we cannot but admire its brilliancy. To use the stereotyped phrase, it is nice. Tbe quesis, is it nice to be crushed ? We are presently of opinion that the helm of state is in better hands than Messrs Bell and Co. can supply, even out of their inexhaustable repertory of speech. We will not, however, be "hard" upon him. It is possible we may again have occasion to devote a small measure of space to call him into notoriety, but tbe concluding paragraph of his letter, as read at the Wallacetown meeting, gives us hope that we shall not be compelled to administer further reproof. In it Mr F. D. Bell states he is deteiniined to " make a clean breast of it, and ask for a decisive verdict." We congratulate Mr Bell on his determination. Alexander wept because he could not conquer a new world ; he wanted a fresh sensation. If Mr Bell makes " a clean breast of it," he will obtain what " Alexander the Great," according to our miserable mundane understandings, wept for. Mr Bell will be happy. He has stated in his ever memorable philippic that if his constituency condemns his conduct as their representative, he will resign. Possibly the idea should have occurred to him before.