ECHOES FROM MOUNT BENGER.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 1, Issue 41, 21 November 1868, Page 3

ECHOES FROM MOUNT BENGER.

Mr. Macandrew must be classed with the mea who have failed to fulfill their destiny. To him alone v of all the Superintendents of our time,~has been given the opportunity of effecting an extensive and beneficial change in the administration of the-'- Waste Land and Goldfields Acts. That some change, and no slight one, i 3 imperath c is a fixed and general persuasion/ The;^feis:upofli;.KhichT th 6 Acts rest is confessedly and essentially defective, as any body might learn from facts and figures, and from the report of the conflicting evidence 'given' before the joint Committee of both Houses of the Legislature at Wellington. The maladministration of the *-A-cts~was clearly known when Mr. Macandrew was elected Superintendent, and seemed to demand an absolute change in -the foundations of the Vogel-and-Dick-system. But Mr. Macandrew, approaching the subjectinthe spirit, not of an architect, but of a contractor, has preferred the easy labour, so congenial to colonial politicians and commonplace artists of. all kinds, of following the ground-work of (Vbgel and Dick's) old plans, and sticking bits on the present rotten edifice, %o the bold and. more arduous task of reconstruction. I sincerely regret that Mr. Jtfacandrew must be content, after all, his fair promises, to take his plaoe among the temporizers, and not among the originators,\ with the additional disadvantage of having] secured his election at a time frfienj originality was specially demanded, snM "would have been specially Immediately after his eleGtumjtijm^^^M in his power to enforced mat&^^^^^H in theHrorking of "theActa|^^^^^B credit td himself of Kavn¥^|^^^^^^H a permanent basis a scheme^^^^^^^H have satisfied at once the^H^^^^H " Land for the people " andtnev^^^H exigencies* of the Province ; w&^^^^f political, talent and patriotism^^^^H likely to be quoted hereafter as^^^M satisfied the necessities of tU&4H^|^H single particular. I hesitate 1 iospfjSH severely of Mr. Macandre^ as his' negleW of duty;*deserv,es,;i beqaiise : of the gopA and earnest moral intexftion on wMchVhe gained the victory ovejrhjs opponents and calumniators, through"" tlie faith and energy of the working classes, whose interests he has neglect§d~aSd rigorously maltreated. When Mr. Macandrew, on his induction to-office,'disc6Vdredthat his predecessor and Yogel had committed an evasion of the Acts, by entering into covenant-jfrith the mj^ldets,, wlQfift th® name of honesty did he not expose their abnormal actions, and endeavour, in the interests of the. Province to restqre -the Acts to thek^tJristM'in^giitjrr^The solution is patent to the most casual observer. Mr. Macandrew's inconsisteni ciea deydopfedTthemaeLvfealmmeaiStelyv after Yogel handed him tho compact unon which the runholders vould

fome under the operations of th£ new Aot; subtle than any of , his colleagues, was deputed to administer the sop ; and the enemy of Otago4-th.e spirit -of apolitical digression — entered into poot Mac -Can Myr-MacandreWjfand Vpgel say with,a' 1 6leaj><;6n8Ci6nce th^lhey Ijave disc targed their functions faithfully and satly in entering intcrtf^Vetffilrta^pitjhi TunholderS) tlie effect of wnicn is tere bs of thefl&o^ncewanp|di4TnetpSalJj opp< sed to the spirit 01 tnVAfftsi Tins callcusness and effrontery under urge it expedience might prompt them, m their usual evasive logic, to_ jmt a sirperficial lustre on their unique'poficypas'tney endeavounadJ^> T do^).efore the Committee at WellingtoiT/'^But the influence and tale: it brought to bear on tlie_aubject wiU no t oubt convince them of their nefarious deal ng with the public estate, and ought to t ach them a lesson to administer "the" ActJ as they find thepy.^ndr saak& -the best of them. Mr. + Bradshaw,' to whom you] referred "in "a c " recent issue] distinctly proved^ <in.al very CQtnpreliensive manner,.ihat the^xay in which Yogel and Co. tampered with the Acts is perfectly illegal. ' v - In CgivihgCevidence, Mr. BradshaAy buckled to liis task like a giant refreshed. His statement is. a masterpiecp of argument, delivered^ with honesty of purpose. Mr. Voxel's statement was^a repetiHdn' -bf the f * stele v and -nkekneyed trash^with' which the" 'Provincial Council have ieen-sb off emdosed. - EYgo.- •