THE Thames Advertiser. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 9, 1874.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1914, 9 December 1874, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 9, 1874.

Mil. Mackay appears to be proceeding at Ohintmuri as if everything were settled and agreed upon, and as if Sir D. McLean, whatever might be the purpose of his visit, were not to interfere at all in the arrangements for the opening of the country. Wo may therefore assume that Ohinemuri will be opened without doubt—that is to say, the hills will be declared a part of the goldfield, while the flat laud will be a native reserve, cleverly made inalienable by being placed iu the hands of To Uira. Of course we shall havo to accept this arrangement, and make the best ot it. Yesterday's 'Cross' gay*:—" We do not doubt that this is the first step, and that the final result will be the handing over the land absolutely to the Government of the colouy. The getting of the gold is the thin end of the wedge." If the Ohinemuri hills are a brilliant success, oven Te Hira will not be able to keep

the country from Europeans. But if they are not, this place will be in a much better position than it is now. The country at the head of the Thames will still be a Maori district, from which all European enterprise, which ought to be the stay of this place, will be excluded. "We do not know for certain that there is a goldfield at Ohincmuri, but we know that there is a wide district which ought to bo settled. The ' Cross' says " at the worst, it is but waiting a little longer"—perhaps so, but the "little longer " may be the lifetime of the present generation. No doubt' some good will be obtained if Mr Mackay makes agreements as to through roads,-but we must confess to disappointment that after this long struggle for Ohineniuri, after the resolutions on all sides that no goldfield should be opened on the same terms as this, that country should not be opened on more favourable terms than those now being negotiated.

At the ball given by the citizens of Auckland to the new Governor, we had speeches from the Mayor of Auckland, the Governor, the Chief Justice, and the Superintendent. The Mayor was platitudinous and conventional, tho Chief Justice was namby-pamby and a little silly, the Superintendent was a good deal better than either, while the Mai quia made the best speech of all— which perhaps is not much after all. His .Excellency truly says that the freedom and good government enjoyed by the English people is something to be proud of, and that for any political evil we have the remedy in our own hands. He has a hit at the Republicans of England, but the truth is that the advanced politicians of England do not grumble so much at the monarch as at the laws of primogeniture and entail which maintain a class in idleness and luxury who.are quite useless to the State. His Excellency's speech shows good sense aud discretion, and we should be inclined to augur a successful administration. We are not quite sure, however, that it will be all such plain-sailing as the Mayor would seem to think. This big experiment of tho public works scheme is not yet successfully concluded, nor have difficulties from the natives entirely passed away.