The Westport Times. AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 381, 20 October 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times. AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1868.

The Canterbury politicians, for waut it may be presumed, of other excitement, have recently held meetings which, though ostensibly having for their object the care and preservation of the Middle Island, are really inteadedas feelers, prior to an attempt at separation of this, from the northern portion of New Zealand. There is very little, if any concealment of the real object in view, and so far the Christchurch people seem to have gona in with the movement, as resolutions favorable to it, have already been passed at a public meeting on the 2 ad instant. Though Christchurch has so wilted it, however, it by no means follows that the whole colony will accept that city's lead, and it is worth while enquiring what possible gain would any section of New" Zealand obtain by such severance. As might be expected, Otago coincides in the principle, but. is hopeless as to the probability of its being carried out, if we may accept the Otago Daily Times, as a correct exponent of public opinion in that province. Our contemporary, wails over lost opportunities that occurred six years ago, when Otago Kave birth to a Separation League, which blossomed and died, leavin« no fruitbehind it to tell thetaleof its harmless existence. Canterbury is reproached more iu sorrow than in anger, for holding back at that critical time, and not coming to the assistance of Otago, at a juncture when the cause might have been won. We might add that the Times proceeds to speak of the " six colonies of New Zealand," and despairingly concludes by remarking that, till Otago is independent it will never flourish to the extent it should and ought- Now it may be all very well for the southern portion of the island, to arrange everything so satis- i

factori'y to themselves, but there are I other people to be consulted, and j more considerations to be thought of than mere personal advantage or selfish motives. Without doubt, the North island is an expensive sister, who is alwaysrequirding southern aid, to hold its own, and very possibly the return is hardly worth the outlay in a great many respects. At the same time the whole area of the two islands makes up barely sufficient for one good colony, and the idea of dividing it into two, is as unwise as it is impolitic. To have two governments in a colony of the size would be farce, and it is utterly out of the question to imagine that the Imperial Government wotfld sanction, or rather permit such a sub-division. Although the Maoris, as we know to our cost, have been the cause of endless trouble, and although to the natives <>f the North Island we owe a heavy debt and excessive taxation, still there is no doubt that there will one day be the home ot a powerful nation, Unquestionably if southern assistance was withdrawn, if the dead weight that that the North has been were cast off, this island would ride more buoyantly, but what would be the cost of* such relief ? In the first place,it is tolerably certain that ruin must await a very large proportion of the northern settlements as many possess neither money nor the men to successfully defend themselves, and this island by a cowardly and dastardly withdrawal, would allow their own race to be triumphed over by the disaffected natives. If there was no other ground than this, we are sure nineteen-twen-tieths of the white male population would veto such abandonment, for to leave a large number of fellow-colo-nists in such a fix, is not the British way of doing things generally, a,nd_we should indeed he sorry if the Middle islanders wer- the first to set such a scurvy That is one reason and a great one ?rV.y situation should not he, but the materialist portion of its advocates may perhaps deem anything national or chivalric as out of , place in the present day, and therefore would pooh-pooh such sentiments as puerile or ridiculous. That may or may not be so, but there are other more substantial grounds for opposition to the course proposed. In the first place, as we have before remarked, there is not room enough for two divided Governments, anil as to the idea of " six colonies," its originator surely ought to be accommodated with lodgings in one of the lunatic asylums of the Colony, if he really dreamed that his conception was capable of realization. Though it is unquestionably hard to have to give so much and get so little, at present

it is our fortune, and we must and should make the best of it. The day will come surely, when the colonists of New Zealand will remember greatfully that the proposition for separation was seouted by the body of the people in the face of strong temptation. But the obstacle, and the unsurmountable one, is found in the fact that the Colony is indebted some seven millions, and before a dissolution of partnership can be even talked about, this little bill must be settled, or at least arranged for. Now there would be two or three parties to any proposals on this score. In the first place there would be the members of the existing firm, then the public creditor, and lastly, the British Grovernment. To begin with, the adjustment of the relative burdens would be utterly impracticable, for it would be impossible to arrive at any conclusio i on this head, that would be satisfactory to both, and even if that was achieved, the bond-holders, in a body, must be satisfied with the arrangement, which it is very certain would not be the case. As to liquidating the existing loan, and incurring fresh liabilities, the attempt would be hopeless. It may be accepted also as a fact, that the English Grovernment, before anything was done, even if all parties were anxious and willing, would see that the faith of the Colony, to which they are in a measure pledged, should be maintained to the letter, and altogether a more hopeless difficulty to get over than the whole loan question involves, could not well be conceived. In spite therefore of a few noisy people south, it is clear that on every principle of honor this island must give its moral and mal erial support to to the north at present, and if any hope to see New Zealand one day a nation, no division of its soil must take place. Next and last, such a separation is actually impossible in the present circumstances of the Colony, and the sooner an agitation that is neither honorable or politic, and one that cannot be attended with aught but failnre,ia brought to an end the better. It can lead to nothing but diaappointjment.to its fomenters, and . possibly dissension, where unity, at this time most especially, should prevail.

About three o'clock yesterday morning, the back portion of the Jolly Waterman's Hotel took fire, but fortunately was discovered by the nightwatchman, when he aroused the inmates of the house, and succeeded in extinguishing the flames. We believe this is the fourth time that Mr Fagg has been the means of arresting the progress of fire, and his vigilance ought to be fullv appreciated by the inhabita t :

It will be seen from a report which appears in another column of an extraordinary meeting of the Progress Committee held last night, that so convinced are the members of the Com. mittee of the necessity of securing a prompt acknowledgment of the memorial now in course of signature, for protective works, that they have deputed their chairman, Mr A. B. Bain, to proceed to Nelson, and present the petition in person. Judging from the telegram from Christchurch, the recent shocks of earthquake appear to have been greater on this side of the island than on the other. Accounts from the Caledonian and other terraces, and Addison's Flat, bear witness to the strength of the shocks felt at those places, the ground in many claims being much shaken, aid in some cases the working have caved in. Our Charleston correspondent reports that the shocks were severely felt in that neighborhood, and a telegram which appeared yesterday in our evening contemporary says that very just alarm was experienced by the inhabitants of Hokitika, large numbers of whom rushed to the terraces and remained there for the rest of the night, though there was no ocean or tidal \ disturbance to create any danger. Here, in Westport, there appears to. have been .a receding of the water to some extent, and a gentleman who walked across to the sea-beach immediately after the Earthquake oecurred, states that the ocean receeded about eighty yards. An official enquiry into the circumstances attending the loss of the Satellite was held to-day, by Mr Munday of H.M. Customs. After tho examination of some of the witnesses, the enquiry adjourned to this day. We understand that detective Lambert arrested Mr John Lewis, late ironmonger in this town, on a charge of conspiring to defraud his creditors, and proceeded with him to Hokitika last night in the Charles Edward. The accused will be brought before the Hokitika Bench, and the charge then investigated.