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Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 6, 13 October 1871, Page 2

The political situation appears to be embarrassing. Judging from recent reliable intelligence from Wellington, the Government do not appear to be so strong as they were at the beginning of the session. The tone assumed by the Treasurer Avas not conciliatory; and although he had all the honors in his hand, he did not play his cards well. It may be gratifying to his own personal vanity to snub his colleagues, or make them appear small beside him, but the House does not like that sort of thing. It has great respect for the Executive Council; and nothing is, or can be more distasteful to a representative chamber, than to have the leaders on the Government benches, made conspicuously apparent. But this has been done more than once during the session.

There have been keen encounters between the party leaders; but save that the Opposition has checked the headlong pace of the Executive, nothing else has been done. The debate on the retrenchment motion of Mr. Creighton was the first real battle of the session; and although the mover and his friends demonstrated conclusively that the proposed saving could be effected, and although the general feeling of the House was with them, the Government succeeded in obtaining a large majority against the resolution. Whence we may infer that the present Government arc opposed to economy, and prefer to tax the food of the people to raise money for their extravagant and Avholly unjustifiable departmental expenditure. Indeed, such is their proposal. They do not mince the matter. They say to the country, “We shall not reduce cx- “ penditure; we refuse to repeal the “ Civil Service Act; but we intend to “ tax your food to raise money tomairi- “ tain our growing establishments.” There is no mistake at all about it; and in these remarks we do not exaggerate in the least, degree. There is no room whatever left for exaggeration, and any one using it in this case Avould simply defeat his. oavh object. The facts are too glaring in themselves. When Mr. Creighton pointed to the Native and Defence Departments as those on Avhicli he proposed to make the greatest reductions, lie Avas taunted by Mr. Yogel Avith desiring war. It Avas necessary, the Treasurer argued, that the present rate of expenditure should be maintained to secure peace. To withdraw from the expenditure, or curtail it in the least degree, Avould be to “ let slip the dogs of Avar” on to the country. Such, in substance, Avas Mr. Vogel’s reply. Now, let us seriously ask, is there any force whatever in such an argument? We maintain that there is not only no force, but that there is no foundation in fact for the statement. The peace of the country does not depend upon maintaining a standing army and a host of highly-pahl officials to Avander about in native districts, half spies and half mischief-makers. It depends, liOAvever, on lioav avc treat the natives. We must give them equal rights, and impose on them equal responsibilities Avith ourselves; and avc must also withdraw the regiment of officials maintained in native districts. Were that done, and the native assessors made responsible for the peace of their respective districts, there would be no danger of any further Maori Avars. But instead of doing these things, Avhicli are simple and plain, and must commend themselves to anyone of common observation who has any knowledge of Maori character, the policy pursued has been the opposite. We maintain a standing army to coerce, and a avliolc battalion of officials under the Native Minister to cajole the Maori. We place embargoes on his dealings Avith Europeans; avc propose exceptional taxes on his laud transfers; avc refuse to alloAv him to deal Avith his real estate, after the CroAvn grant has been issued, as he may choose, but make reserves Avithout his consent, and often against his Avish, and create a ucav department to manage these reserves, of course at the Maoris expense. The root of the matter,in our opinion, lies in the direction we have iioav indicated. Deal fairly by the natives; treat them as men and equals in the eye of the IaAV, and there Avill be an end of Avar and confiscation. But is there a reasonable hope of this being done ? We fear not. The number of men who live by the existing system is so great; their ramifications are so extensive; their family connections are so numerous, that avc despair of seeing right done, and can only look fonvard with apprehension to the future, Avhen the Maori, in sheer despair of obtaining fair play, will again take the field, and ravage our out settlements, War would not result from economy, as Mr. Vogel alleged; it is more likely to result from the present policy.