The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1869.

Southland Times, Issue 1174, 11 June 1869, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1869.

It is a singular coincidence that some of the arguments which have been brought forward by those who are opposed to the annexation scheme should be used by an outlying district against the centralising tendency of the authorities of Otago. As an indication of the feelings of the country settlers thia fact should notbe lost sight of. It demonstrates, by the indisputable logic of facts, the neglect that has been experienced by the outlying districts. The ' Mount Ida Chro--1 nicle,' writing on the injustice sustained by that district at the hands of the Provincial Government, says : — " There has been for many years past a very general complaint throughout the up-country districts that the amount of revenues of the Province expended in and about Dunedin has been far out of proportion to that which has fallen to the share of other towns and districts in the Province — in short, a general feeling has been prevalent that the interests of Otago have been sacrificed for the purpose of securing a large G-overnmental expenditure in Dunedin, and rendering that city beautiful and attractive. We have no doubt that, as with many Frenchmen, Paris is Trance, so with many of our merchants and legislators Dunedin is Otago, and therefore each and every other interest should be sacrificed to the advancement of that one hobby. To such a doctrine, however, we are in no way prepared to subscribe. Every principle of justice, of honor, and of common sense, point out that the up-country districts should be fairly dealt with, and an equitable amount of the revenue of the Province expended upon the works essential to their material interest and progress. The most remarkable, and at the same time the least satisfactory, feature of the case is that, while money has been thus profusely lavished upon the public works and public buildings in and about Dunedin, so little skill and foresight have been exercised in the construction of the works themselves, that they have been, in each case, either absolute failures, or, at the best, entirely unsuited to the purposes for which they were originally designed." Here we find an important district vainly seeking to obtain some recognition of its wants by the expenditure of a portion of the revenue for local purposes. This is not the only complaint which has been made on the same subject. We find Oamani threatening to secede with the obje ct of becoming a county. We find the inhabitants of Waikouaiti^ Clutha, Lower Mataura, and other important districts petitioning the Supreme Government to be relieved from the hardship of contributing to the revenue of Otago, without derivi ng any benefit in retun^ or of such infinitesimal amount as to be useless for all practical purposes. Nothing can speak more plainly of the gross injustice which the outlying districts are subject to than these petitions. No abstract question of policy is here spoken of. No desire is manifested to obtain what does not legitimately belong to them. It is simply contended that the legislation of Otago has not tended to the advancement of the outlying districts, from which she derives her principal source of revenue, and a change is consequently solicited, by which each district will in future have the management of its own ! revenue. It is the knowledge of internal weakness which now causes the Otago G-overnment to exert every influence to secure the annexation of this province, and no promises are spared in order to effect this end. That G-overment views with alarm the signs which are everywhere manifested in favor of the county system, because the triumph of that system will be the death-knell of its own existence. Aladdin's wonderful lamp never could have conferred on its fortunate possessor one-half the wealth that Mr Macandbew asserts will flow into Southland after annexation. But we think we need not require to go very far to discover that Mr Macandbew is an exceedingly good adept at making promises, nor is he, we believe, burthened much with any oldfashioned scruples of conscience in breaking them. So we would find out if we were silly enough to believe in them. We would be placed in the position of an outlying district, deprived of political and commercial importance, if the annexation of this Province became an accomplished fact. To contend that we would be benefited by the change is simply ridiculous nonsense. We would find out, when too late, that we had indeed bartered our birthright for ja i

very small but savory mess of pottage. Until the Otago politicians thinks fit to state upon what grounds they seek the annexation of Southland, and what benefit will accrue to us, it is almost useless to discuss the subject.