THE ABOLITION OF THE PROVINCES.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2060, 11 August 1875, Page 3

THE ABOLITION OF THE PROVINCES.

(To tbe Editor of the EveningjStar.) ..''Sini-r-The lives of men as Veil as 1 -/crentfiij' periods leave imperishable records, which will attract the attention of ■the.observer to-the facts and-incidentsto which.they have reference when ages .will have passed away. The" future student, of the history of New Zealand *- will, no doubt, recognise the importance of the present period admitted to he so .eventful for good or ill, not only to us, but to generations yet unborn as well as to ■' the.future destiny of the whole Colony of New Zealand. As we at present—who are the arbiters in. a great measure of that destiny—discharge our duties as men and as patriotic citizens, so will to our acts be accorded that praise or censure to which they will be entitled. - There are many persons who are now endeavouring to take a prominent part in this question, and thereby lead public opinion on the subject, with .whom in my opinion such a consideration is the least of the motives which impel-them to so distinguish themselves. With regard to the- Abolition questiorf, what has taken place, at the. Thames i 3 proof positive of this unworthy conducts.-A'few days previous to the so-called *' Abolition Meeting," a petition of grievances-^which if all ifc contained were true, would be eriough to consign any government,-being as intimated, the causQ.pf these grievances, td:4'Pluto' dreary region " -was sent to the Assembly. In a day or. two after the most "prominent signers of that petition, . in the most abject manner, " cordially" approved of a measure devised for their benefit, and as it were placed before them - for their sanction. Unquestionably' not " their" .sanction, but that of the publicAnd I venture to assert that the public, if the question was fairly placed before them, would never have given the unqualified approval represented. -There is no doubi they would liavo been in favor of the principle of Abolition^ but not of the details annexed to it, consequently the representation made to , the GovernVmeiit on the subject was not a correct one. ' " . .r . ■ . Sir v no man could hare shown more disinterested anxiety for the welfare of the province and its inhabitants, since he came forth as a public representative of its people than Sir George Grey has done; and yet whan he asks those people to 'pause b'eifo]??giving an opinion upon only one side of a great question, they treat his request with contempt. What confi denco can His Honor- have in future in - those people ? None whatever, or else he is not the man I 'should imagine he is? Would I presume to do so, I should certainly caution him against taking as-gospel the representations made to His-Honor by some of those persons of questionable - celebrity P It is -. true . that Sir' George Grey may «rr in his opinion or judgment on public questions, like other men; but it must be undoubted that whatever his words or his acts in connection therewith, his motives are above reproach, notwithstanding' the vituperation he may receive at the hands ,of- mercenary writers who find their own selfish objects counteracted by his,'integrity, in hia public, capacity/ And for this, consistent with the first sentences in this letter; the future New Jseal*ncU>r- -will- record- as the brightest page in the life of Sir George Grey, the self-sacrifice made in the interests of its people by tho present patriotic Superintendent of tbe Province of Auckland.—l am, &<?., ••"• ■ ; v, -• .A DIGGEB. Thames,- AugWlO, 1875. -