DR. FEATHERSTONE ON THE STATE OF THE COLONY.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 485, 1 April 1869, Page 3

DR. FEATHERSTONE ON THE STATE OF THE COLONY.

In his speech at the opening of the Wellington Provincial Council, the Superintendent, Dr. Featherstone, referred at considerable length to the present state of the colony, and to the policy pursued by the Government. He said:—lt is painful to me to be unable to express even a hope of the colony emerging from its present difficulties as long as the present policy is pursued. What really is the course pursued by the colony ? No sooner had it adopted a policy which could only be carried out and maintained by force, and long before the confiscated lands were fully occupied and settled, than it insists upon the Imperial Government withdrawing all its troops by whom these lands had been conquered without making any provision to supply their place, or rather in the full knowledge that the troops could not and would not be replaced by any adequate local force. The colony challenges a large portion of the native race, almost invites them into rebellion, and at the same time disarms j itself—strips itself of all means of defence—places itself at the mercy of a half civilized people keenly smarting under the loss of their lands. This may be called a policy, but it is the policy of the suicide. It would indeed have been strange had the Maori resisted such a temptation or rather invitation—not attempted to regain possession of the lands. But the course thus purued appears still more unintelligible when it is remembered that the colony might have retained for an indefinite period, three or four thousand troops, whose very presence would in all probability have prevented any fresh outbreak, at an infinitely less expense than the present colonial force costs. My own opinion is that if the Island is to be rescued from almost utter destruction, there must be an almost entire reversal of the past policy, snd an immediate application for Imperial troops on the terms offered by the Imperial authorities. The retention by them of the 18th Eegiment in the colony is a sufficient proof that such an appeal would not be made in vain.