THE NORTH ISLAND.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 32, 12 August 1867, Page 3

THE NORTH ISLAND.

The following 1 views expressed by Mr. Stafford with reference to the. A’orth Island, its prospects, and future position so much coincide with our own that we make no apology for giving them insertion in our leading columns Mr. Stafford in the debate on the Representation Bill, and in reply to the disparaging remarks of Middle Island members, said : He had always stated his belief that the Northern Island was intended by nature to be the richest portion of New Zealand. He had been met with cries of derision for holding that opinion, but he had never seen any reason for changing it; and he believed that it was only the effect of those exceptional and -accidental circumstances, which they now trusted were soon happily to cease to effect the country, which had prevented the Northern Island from running fairly in the race with its Southern neighbour. He took this opportunity of repeating that it was only a question of j’cars, and of only a few years, when they would see the Northern Island exceeding the Middle Island in population, in wealth, and in all that really contributed to the strength of any country; and that would he the case even if it should for some time lag behind in the export of raw material, putting aside the gold question, for that was a matter of accident which a few months might see developed in the North Island. He said that with a full knowledge of the agricultural and pastoral resources of the Middle Island; hut he knew also that in those elements out of which constituted the greatness of any country—the power of settling a dense population—the North Island largely exceed the Middle Island ;* and taking everything into consideration, they would be wrong if, looking merely at exceptional and what might he ephemeral circumstances, they were to increase the representation of the Middle Island and at the same time ignore the present and future positiou of the North Island.