THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1871.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 69, 28 December 1871, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. THURSDA Y, DECEMBER 28, 1871.

Political meetings arc less frequent, in Auckland than in the South. There is less active agitation, and less earnest public spirit in the North than in the South. This fact is most noticeable at the close of each session of the General Assembly, when Southern members usually meet their constituents, and detail to them the part they took in the work of legislation. Rarely have any of the Northern members convened their constituents, and yet more rarely has it happened that the Northern electors have required “an account of “ their stewardship ” from their representatives. What is the cause ? Is it climatic? Docs the semi-tropical climate of Auckland enervate the public mind, as it unquestionably enervates the body ? Does the body-politic suffer with the corporeal body ? Or has the choice of members been at all times so excellent as to leave no room for question on the part of flic electorate ?

These are points we are unable to settle in our own mind ; we leave them to our readers to settle them to their perfect satisfaction, contenting ourselves with the recital of the fact. But we have to notice two rather feeble exceptions of late. One of the Auckland representatives convened his constituents, and received a Vote of thanks ; and one of the Auckland constituencies invited its representatives, Messrs. Clark and Buckland, to hold a political confabulation in the Public Hall, Otahuhu. Mr Gillies, the Superintendent of Auckland, who represents the City West in conjunction with Mr John Williamson, was the inviting member. Why bis colleague in the representation of City West did not appear, is not for us to inquire. Perhaps Mr Gillies, as he opposed the Government, the Wellington loan swindle, and increased taxation, was under the necessity of exculpating himself to his constituents ; whereas Mr Williamson, who supported each of these, might have been more in accord with them. But be the reason what it may, there is again a fact which, in itself, proves the enervated state of public opinion in this delicious climate of Auckland.

We have carefully scanned the reports of the addresses delivered on the two occasions in question, and have come to the conclusion that the weather must have affected the speakers or the reporters, or perhaps both alike. The latter would seem to us to he the more charitable interpretation to put upon the reports. There is a haziness of idea, and a drowsiness of expression, miming through all that was said, or reported to have been said, that inevitably leads to the conclusion that speakers, audience, and reporters were more disposed to sleep and mutual forgetfulness than to an acute criticism of the important legislative feats of the session of Is7l. And we can hardly blame them. The weather was sultry,

the subject somewhat stale, and above all, there was no prospect of making anything by it. Public duty, unless bound to private interest, is at a discount, in Auckland, which affects to lead the Colony. But this unamiable aspect of our community is as well known to Southern settlers as it can possibly be to the Aucklanders themselves, who fancy that by a little {t management. ” a hiding of their heads in the dust, of which they possess stores in abundance to blind the South —they can’ escape detection'. It is not so, however. Their true value is known in the South, and as the province was content to sell its chance of “ taking the lead ” in the Colony for the high privilege of being represented by Mr Yogcl in the Ministry, the South would be most unwilling to break such an excellent and cheap bargain—more excellent and cheaper in degree than the “ financial compact” by which the Auckland representatives bartered their interest in the Crown lands of the Colony for a loan of £90,000, of which they were not to have the spending. Reverting to the speeches of Messrs. Gillies, Clark, and Buckland, as we find them, we confess to not a little disappointment. We hardly think them worthy of the men or the occasions. There was much said that was true; nothing new was, however, uttered. Moreover, it seems to us that the gentlemen named took rather a vestry view of Colonial politics. Their range of vision did not extend to the extreme verge of the political horizon. The circle of their observation was limited. They could not, of course, see “ the good time coming,” which is ever present to the mental vision of Mr Vogel and his followers. That is a pleasure reserved only to the true believers : to those who have faith in the prophet of finance, and his policy. But there were less extended prospects which they apparently did not observe : some little gleams of hope peeping through the haze of political charlatanry which now envelopes the Colony. This is deeply to be regretted, inasmuch as all that is now left for New Zealand are the pleasures of hope. The pleasures of memory are not for the unhappy colonists of “ The Britain of the South,” which appears bent on localising all the abuses of the British political system, and rejecting everything that tends to economy, purity, and good government. The history of this Colony is the record of an unbroken series of crimes and blunders, the avenging Nemesis now following us being the speculative borrowing policy of Mr Vogel. We have to deplore the alienation of our waste lands without settlement, the extirpation of the native race without the progressive advance of civilised men, burlesques of the Imperial Parliament in lieu of representative institutions, corrupt administration for economic responsible government, the daily depletion of our natural resources without increasing the fixed capital of the country, an overwhelming load of debt, for which there is nothing to show, an army of officials, for whom it is scarcely possible to find the semblance of employment, public and private indebtedness rapidly increasing, taxation the most grinding in the universe, also on the increase, and an indefinite indebtedness, according to Mr Fox, the Premier, which requires no stretch of fancy to estimate at half a million sterling for every soul in the Colony, within the next fifty years, provided only the money could be raised. If any of our readers are inclined to think the latter statement an exaggeration, let him rend Mr Fox in last Hansard , and judge for himself. These are the only things which memory recalls to us of the past of New Zealand, and which we know of its present condition. The gleam of hope is that the ruinous policy of the Government may break down. So far, it has been an absolute failure. With a million and a quarter at command for a year and a half, what has been done ? What works have been commenced ? How many immigrants have been introduced ? llow much of the waste land of the Colony has gone under cultivation? Where arc the immigrants who were to assist in paying our taxes ? Let Mr Vogel answer. He will address the electors of Auckland City East, no doubt, and prove to their satisfaction that in the nature of things it could not have been otherwise ; —but that henceforward. Ah! that henceforward.” Where, and to what will it lead ? Mr Buckland declared that it would lead to repudiation : some of his audience cried “ No, no.” Well, we think with Mr Buckland, that if the present policy be persevered in, the colony will not be able to pay the interest on the public debt and maintain its machinery of Government. And docs anyone think that the “ public servants,” and their slaves the Ministers, are likely to relax their hold on the public purse ? He would be a foolish man who did. What is public credit and publ’c honour to them ? They look to their own personal interests; hence it will surely happen that when the New Zealand colonists have become too poor to pay the increased taxes necessary to meet the increasing charges, as most certainly they will become thus impecunious, the public creditor will be last served.

On the whole, we think the speeches of the three gentlemen named were not what one. would expect from leading politicians. Mr Clark, perhaps from age and business training, was too cautious ; Mr Gillies was too carping and narrow: and Mr Buckland too discursive. There was want of point in all. Their speeches contained more of “ the wretched past ” than of “ the living present.” They forgot that the public naturally expected something from them as to the policy which should guide the Assembly in the future. The funeral oration of the late session of the General Assembly might be shortly pronounced ; a slight sprinkling of

orntorical earth would cover its dry boucs ; but the hope and expectation of all men look to that which is to come, wherein we trust the errors of the past may serve to guide to more prudent measures in the future.

Affairs do not appear to glide along smoothly at. Wellington. A grateful public should have unanimously recognised the enormous efforts made by Messrs. Fitzherbert aud Bunny to saddle the colony with a debt of £82,000 to pay off the pressing demands on the province of Wellington ; but there are, even at Cook’s Straits, a few faithless among the faithful found, as the following letter, which appeared in a recent issue of the Wellington Post will show :

“ I notice that a writer in last night’s Post proposed that his Honor the Superintendent, Mr. Bunny, and the rest •£ the Wellington members should be invited to a public dinner, as a mark of gratitude f.'om their constituents, from the extraordinary valunble services the aforesaid writer imagines that they have conferred upon us. I should hope that the electors will not forget that it was through these members’ assistance that the stamp duties have been raised from I’d to 2d; and it is entirely through their mode of tactics that the next session of the Assembly will be held at Dunedin. No contract yet signed for the Wairarapa Railway ! but, on the other hand, has not the Mayor and Corporation got £40,000 ready to give Fitzherbert and Bunny to spend as soon as they return from Wnnganui 1 Either the Superintendent and Provincial Secretary should invite the Corporation to a grand spread for having saved their political lives, or perhaps both parties should unite and give a grand treat to those whom they duped, and who voted for them at the late elections for the House of Representatives and the City Council.”

Truly the “ elector” who penned the foregoing lines must have an exceedingly tortuous intellect. He is evidently out in the cold. Let him take heart of grace, and perhaps Mr. Bunny may take him under his protecting wing, and seat him at the feast of fat things which Mr. Fitzherbert has provided for his hungry province. Grateful Wellington, honour thy Bunny, for lie is all thine own.