THE COLONIST.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 281, 29 June 1860, Page 2

THE COLONIST.

NELSON",- FRIDAY, JUNEW, 1860. ,

On the occasions when-,the veil ■{$ .drawn aside which conceals the details of our Colonial Governments, a mass evil-is disclosed so repugnant ,^a our feelings and so incompatible with the state of society at home, that it is commonly: attributed to deliberate, wickedness on the part of the colonial' rulers. It may be. more justly ! attributed to ignorance and incapacity, and !to the employment of ' military and mval; officers, who enter on their posts utterly ignorant of the affairs of the cploriy and of the duties and obligations pf a Gwil Governor and Government,:.,and' who;1 consequently, are liable to be imposed upon by interested and ignorant persons, an^jvho retire after a few years of misrule* they were perhaps just beginning to accjuire some knowledge of their colonial duties; if indeed they do not commence tjteir new profession too old atid too'wise in'th.eir iptvn conceit to learn anything. ' ■'"•'.■/..' : .: •, Indeed it may he sajd that the Cfolonial. Governorships are so ■ many exhibitions wherewith the Home Government reward their- staunchest political supporters, v seeing' that, like pur University and Collegiate gratuities; they are limited as to their deration of tenure, and under very glaring cases never revoked in cases of delinquency or; gross breach, of instructions from home, nor scarcely ever renewed, however satisfactory to the colonists themselves 'thiey may have managed the affairs of their government. When a successor arrives, not unfrequently a new line of policy is adopted, destined ere long to be altered probably by himselfi and certainly by his successor, and so on, as it would appear adinfiniium. Then again the officers in immediate sub-r ordination to these are. selected in the mother country on .various grounds, of which peculiar fitness for their appointment does not form the principal part; and being in some measure banished men they take no pride or pleasure in their new position, and from which they are desirous of returning home with their retiring pensions previously secured to them. These circumstances alone (and there are thousands pf others) would be amply sufficient to account for a great part of the colonial misgovernment. . ! It would be unjust to say that great talent for civil administration is not occasionally to be found among military meij; but we would ask, does military rank (with or without professional talent) necessarily imply capability for that: most arduous of. employments—the Civil Government of a Colony. The ordinary military officer, like a man of standing in any other profession, cannot avoid carrying the habits arid feelings of; his__professiDn into ordinary life.' Anyt|iing> short of immediate and implicit obedience to command, however severe or unreasonable, is'.mutiriy, arid must be suppressed and punished with the utmost severity for the ' good of the service.' f The officer who is fond of his vocation occasionally likes a little prpfessipnalwori?. In a colony he need never be long, without this gratification, the most expensive that?a ruler ban enjoy." :As an instance we may refer to a quoiidam Governor of the Cape, who was a ruler of the soldier cast, having the objectionable propensities of the profession .greatly aggravated by strong' aristocratic feelings and prejudices, like the, noble lord, formerly at the | head of the Colonial Office and late Prime Minister, who isno- ;- torious for not being very scrupulous eiihe.1 1 in word or deed, when his interests or prejudices are concerned. ' • We know it may. be said as respects the appointment of the subordinates in some oi the colonies, and our own amopg the rest; our Governor, so tar as the selection of| his subordinates, excepting the reseryation made by theHomeGovernment for their especial patronage, is leftto exercise his own choice; but in respect to the native question, he is exempt from all interference of his ministers; so the great body of the English settlers, who have selected their representatives to watch over their interests, are, on the one hand, deprived of any voice:on the subject, and on the other, they are rendered liable to all the consequences which, any disagreement betvyeen the natives .and the Governor may bring about, and which we1 are tiegiriningto feel the effects of, by the great bulk Op the industrious classes being called frprn. tfieit- peaceful avocations to be initiated info all theintricaciesiof modern warfare, Si?

The editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, in the last paragraph of a very able and temperate article headed 'Native Affairs in New Zealand,' which we inserted in our Tuesday's number, says, " Perhaps this war may enable the Government to settle the question of land on a more satisfactory basis —land/that grand cause of strife in all countries. There can be no peace when the law is in conflict with the policy of the Governments There can be but one Sorereign, and she must possess the .right to hold, for the benefit of the State all property not in the hands of private subjects." ' ' To this we will only add that it ought to be the policy of all Governments clearly-to ascertain what that property really is; and in the next, as in our, own case, to decide, how far an aboriginal native race are to be considered as 'private subjects \, and above all, to ,be satisfied that in all treaties between $he two ( ,contracling parties the,true, intent^ and meaning of the terms used in framing them is clearly understood by both' sides.

Our readers will have seen by our advertising columns that a Ploughing Match; in connection with the Agriculturamssociation,

is to take ,place at Richmond on Tuesday next, a • •

Some years -have been allowed to pass since the last* ploughing match took place in-this province; and should the weather prove fine we feel little doubt that there will be a good attendance both of ploughs and spectators'." \,V j , * " the principal reason why so-long a period has1' elapsed without an event of this kind is,, that very great dissatisfaction was caused on the last occasion by the very short timewjiich was allowed for,the execution of the task, ■ making it rather a ploughing race than a ploughing match, and certainly causing the-prizes to be withheld from the most meritorious work. This will certainly not'be the case on the present occasion; indeed the Committee appear to have gone to the other extreme —five hours being allowed for less ttian half-an-acre, so that the slowest } earn- will have no-difficulty in jJerformihg its task within the time. We are glad to see that arrangements are made to accommodate teams coming from a distance; and we. are given to understand that the juvenile prizes are likely to be well contested. . , • Ooji remarks on Mr. Torrens's Land Transfer' Act would vbe incomplete without ths list of Fees to be paid to the Lands Titles Commissioners,, over and above the cost of all advertisements prescribed by the' Act to* be in such case published. .. ■ ' £ b. a., -When title consists of land grant only.. O: I, 0 When title is of any other description, and the value exceeds j£2oO ' .. ..'lO 0 Ditto ditto, exceeding £100, Hot exceeding £200 0 15 0 i Ditto ditto, when not exceeding £ 100.. 010 0 For every certificate *f title issued to pro- ", ? prietor for balanoo of land left upon a transfer of portion of the land included under a former grant, or certificate of title , .. 010 0 Certificate of title issued under other circumstances .. .. ..' ... 1 0 0. [Registering memorandum of sale, bill of mortgage, bill of emcumbrance, lease, or nomination of trustees .. .. 0 10 0 Registering transfer of mortgage, or of en- ■ . cumbrance, or release of mortgage, or encumbrance, or the transfer or surrender of a I eaie. .. .. ~050 Registering declaration of ownership taken by transmission ~ .. .. 010 0 Power of attorney.. .. ~ .. 010 0 Registration of abstract .. .. •♦.1.P0 Cancelling power" or registrators abstract. 0 5 0 Revocation order ..• .. .. «. 010 0 Receipt and noting of caveat «, ~ 010 0 Every search 0 ■ 2 • 0 Every map or plan deposited 0 5 0 Every deed or other instrument declaratoiy'of trusts deposited 0 5 0 | Certified copy, first five folioes, per folio of 72 words ~ -.. 0 10 Every folio or .part after ~ . ~ .„ 0 0 8 Wesleyan Quarterly Meeting.—The Quarterly Meeting of the office-bearers of the Wesleyan Church was held at Richmond on Monday last, presided over, for the first time, by the Rev. J. Innes,1 successor to the Rev. J. Warren. The business transacted at these meetings has special reference to the progress of religion in connection with the Wesleyan Church in this province, and we are happy to state that as. a whole the work is ; prosperous and the prospects cheering, Mr. Innes is a man of business in church matters, and i by uniting the 'suaviter in modo' with the I 'fortiter in re' is likely to maintain peace and order throughout the society of which he is at the head.

Anniversary.—The second anniversary of the new Wesleyan Chapel will be celebrated on Sunday next. On Monday evening a tea meeting will take place, to be followed by singing and addresses.

Resident Magistrate's Cocrt.—Two .cases of cattle wandering with 6s. and costs; one of drunkenness while on drill as a militiaman, with ten shillings and costs ; and one case of vagrancy, with one month's imprisonment, were disposed of in this court this week.

Tea Meeting at Richmond, —This eveningr a tea party will meet at the Schoolroom ; after which an entertainment by the pupils and'amateur friends will be given.

- Takaka.—We extract the following from a private letter: —Things are going on in this district first-rate, with the exceptionof the floods sweeping away about an acre of John Page's land, which was planted with potatoes, and" of the sawyers being unable to work owing to their pits having been flooded. The Pages are making a good job of their contract ; it got into good hands when it ' was given to them. We are getting up a Rifle Corps here,' and in another month or so an Odd Fellows' Lodge will be established. The diggers here are doing well.

Caution—An important discovery of stolen goods has taken place in the neighbourhood of Christchurch, consisting of some hundred articles of clothing, etc.. The parties in custody rejoice in1 the appropriate name of Bone; the man has been following the trade of stonemason. It is supposed thai; the depredation must have spread over a considerable lapse of time. The stolen articles are on view *t the Police Barracks, Christchurch/ and are sufficient in quantity and variety to give the owner (?) a fair start -as a miscellaneous storekeeper. These facts should act as a warning to housekeepers manS about our" towns to beniore careful in leaving their houses arid property un» protected; the time has evidently passed when that'can be done with impunity, and it is impossible for the small police force in existence to act as ' a sufficient protection throughout the widespread' suburbs 'of our towns. The persons in custody for the offence came to this province some months since from Hobarton, V. D. L.— Lyttdton Times. ■ Sheriff's Duties,—According to the Wellington Independent^ the Sheriff has been fined forty shillings for not informing two witnesses who had been summoned 'that their services would x not be required. Mr. Justice Johnston did not fine him for .'any "wilful laches, but as a-vindication of the dignity of the Court, and as a protection to society that its orders would- be implicitly obeyed." lie likewise severely animadverted upon a position of affairs that afforded a possibility for the Sheriff to be placed in so false a position. He acquitted him of any-intentional disrespect, yet it was a contempt of Court. ' " .Volunteers.—-A corps has been" formed at Moutere. The members were sworn in on Friday afternoon. The oiSicers of this corps are :—C. F. .Kelling, Captain; »£• H. Bensemann, Lieutenant? W, (jJo'ok,'Ensign..'

The Missing Party from the ButLan.—Tht i above party returned from the Buller to Collingwood on Friday night, the 22nd instant, and came overlap to Nelson, which they reached Wednesday afternoon. j - Meeting.—The preliminary meet" £ng whffch took place^ at the Tleece Tavern' the qther eV<>ning; and was adjourned till the Saturday evening afcthje Odd. bellows' Hall, is, we tra-1 ! detstantf," postponeo^till'"after the arrival of the I steamer from, the north. >