Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 1883.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXV, Issue 10234, 26 June 1883, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 1883.

1?bom the fruitless debate on the motion for tbe Address in Beply there appears to have been carefully.'eiiminated all referenco' to several important points connected .with- native affaire, on which an expression of opinion by honourable--' mjambers would have been interesting. •' As a matter of course t the. , Vice-Ilegal speech took a very cheerfuland hopeful, not to say confident, view of the situation; and we willingly , grapt that there is substantial ground for believing that much good has been effected during the -last six months, that a better spirit generally prevails amongst the natives, and that something has been done to break down the system of isolation from -which,. in a large measure, fcingism has derived its strength in the past. Mr Bryce cannot be called a popular man in the ordinary everyday meaning which attaches to the term, and it | would be no solid recommendation if he were so ; but Mr Brvee as .Native Minister has unquestionably' estab- j lished in the minds of friends and foes a better and more enduring kind of popularity based on the conviction that he has played his part well and wisely in dealing with a troublesome and expensive native ■ difficulty far more successfully tban any of his predecessors. It is generally acknowleeged that he is entitled to the continued confidence of the country ; arid' the cowardty attacks made on. him by a very small and insignificant body of detractors have only had the.eSect of eventing and strengthening a personal sympathy with him which might perhaps have otherwise been wanting. That such sympathy hag been strongly developed was evidenced in the House when, in the coursa of the recent debate, Mr Hutchison alluded to the diaries brought against Mr B-ycs in Rusdon's History of New Zealand. Mr Hutchison has no faith in the native policy which has been, pursued 'for tho last few years, but ho thought it right to express in plain .-mcl forcible language his ontiro disboliof of Ilusdon's chargo 1 ?. ]\[r Hutchison was resident in Wariganui at the t.itno ni {}\n aU"~O'l aceiuronofie, uinl had spoci,-: s 'iir.M.-j of information with lofrnrd to what actually took plaoo. Tho vory ho.ivty ajrpla-ise with which, in evory part of the Honso. tho (loci ir.i Lion in i'nvouv of i\o :i :n iv th :i z'"- i. !i>vT'ir" > H" mo ril.jr.* ■'. ...; ' -I'- .■ " Nat' to ?.*■•)'■ :■••• f:i [:■> : "; ■ n •.>-,-. r V'z'-': ' fculb iv Lim ■ .".!o '-- v • _ :.:: L-tyo-jd

ithat negative tecomtnendation,. and is \ -amply justified by Ms past actions. jßut we should be sorry if any amount of confidence in tho Minister had the effect of extinguishing or weakening criticism of bis ' future policy either in its general scope or in to details. The .Vice-Regal speech seems to imply that there is 1 not the remotest prospect of a renewal of trouble and .annoyanceuon ,the. JWest .Coast ,owing to tne return of Te'Whiti and Tohu, and the Government have given no intimation that they intend to ask for a continuance of the West Coast -Peace^Preser vatioTr^&cr "of '" last session. At the time of the release JWe'.expresfeed 'aMouWa's 1 to 'whether it would be— wise, r to allow, the Act.tO; 'expire' -'at'', the' end of the present sessiim^ and sinee ,' that time, we [have on, one or.jtwo occasions drawn 1 attention ;to theisame'.subject. • The inten-tion-'of the' ; Govermnent' 'migKt jwith propriety have been mentioned in the Vice-Segal speech, and the, absence of all reference to it,, coupled, with the general tone of the paragraphs relating 'to'f native affair.s,,, would lead tcTthe that the !A.ct is to be alUrwed n to,, "die a^nafuraLjdeath by '.jfche'' enluxipn ..of ;-time.i,-Not one of the speakers in the debateu'a'ised the question,; " which, ,may perhaps| beaccourite^a lor by 'the" fact that the omission left nothing for the Opposition, to attack, whilst the supporters ,of the ' Government did "not care to enlarge the scope of a debate which . was' goirig^ favourably . for' their side. '"Bif't-'-it'i may,. be, urged' 'that if- the, picture i presented in the Vice Regal speech is a true one, there can be no necessity 1 for' continuing the exceptional powers contained in the .Peace Preseryaftipti A.cf. ,'lf the / )ia^v,es; are; T perf,e'()tiy., quiet '.'.and' , orderly,; ... if the.l?a.irihaka ;.inee.tingS'iare; : at^ anjtendj •.&adiithere^iß:no' reason>t6' think 1 that they -will be renewed, why ''should there .beTone "law' for the , dark, race" 1 iid;Jnoth"er , for '/thl ? 1 The; ; natives'ar'e '"quiet! ftpd , or.derly at ;the present time)-,in!i,tlleir .relations with the European population;'; I'biit is it not^'li'' i act'tflat '.''tKe''' (Government I are' J stlir : §ep > e l naeat M 6n' Ihe provisions of | Jtha»sKestßGoast -Eeace-Preservation "Act for checking attempts to hold meetings at Parihaka ? Unlessiwe are much mistaken the Constabulary Jiavftjf ion; 'Several ■ recent:, tobcasions stopped! sfrarige. natives oh'their way ; t6'-Parihaka> L and have done so' by virtue' of" the ". exceptional "power? conferred' byihe'Act. If this is' so, it., is clear; enough that:. the ■g-overn-•ment«dp,not ."regard. .the Aob aa^'of] no value. Their conduct s " towards' jthe natives is closely watched by those who opposed the<pa"ssing of the Aci, and who have-ever since maintained. tHl^iPfas^utiiusfWd^yrannical.'. }l|'a'Go,vernmen^''posß'e i > sse'd) pf %p'ar"ii'cle of "judgment "wouli.Jiii.dor^uch -circumstances needlessly "make' use of the special powers, and we are very far from- thinking that the present holders 'of ' office ard'. deficient in judgment. 5 If they have stopped af Parihaka. ,i^mv(Bj; liave been done because 1 in their opinion suck meetings might have led^on to mischief. .' "We can^. not see why the. same sort of meet-' ,ings;iare.not.,to be. oxpected' after the conclusion of the ' present 'session of 'ParHanienVth'e 'date 1 whfeh '$$.'■ Ajbt ..expires,.. nor_ why such meetings' wj'l be more harmless then than now,, The fact is, - the exceptional powers ought' to be retained fforr r a while longer^" if . only as' a" matter of precaution.'."yVo ; missed also from the .debate ail-rff orenep to the intentions of the Government with regard \to native land purchases, laitf we pre-i sume that Mud some other matters which appp ' r to have dropped out of fligh'tj .will' Had a place in the Native Ministers-s tatement.