SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1874.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 400, 5 December 1874, Page 2

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1874.

'• M Oh ! That mine adversaiy had written a book ! " ;He was a wise man who gave "utterance to that japhorism. Many a grand reputation has been jnarred, many a fame, which it lias cost years to jacquir-e, sacrificed by " writing a book." After jeais of retirement from a political life, Sir George <Grey has emerged from his solitude and laid bare ifco the world the depths of his inmost soul. He Jias thrown aside his diplomatic reserve and rushed into print as the champion of Provincial instihntions. Mis last manifesto appears in the form of a letter jn the Herald ol the 3rd instant. His Centralist .opponents must experience great satisfaction when jieru&ing it. The name of Sir George Grey and his .■great prestige as a Colonial Governor, would Jiave doubled the strength of their adversaries jf they had not been nullified by the •exposure -of his evident weakness. He begs £he question by saying that although he sees that many state Provincialism to be a hateful 'thing, "None of them have the courage to .state that what they intend to sweep away is the right of &elf-go\ eminent iv the fullest and most effectual form — in the fullest at least that the "■world has ever seen." Of course they " have not tlvp courage " to stultify themselves by admitting the cc.vibe they are fighting against is the fullest " right ,of self-go^ ( i nnicnt " that the world has ever seen. Who would be prepared to assert as much of Provincial institutions except the author of these institutions himself. The "To ego "in its weakest form runs through the whole of the letter and is made to ifaupply the place of argument. The fact is that <e"\en Sir George can find nothing worth saying in defence of Pro\incialism. It has been the enemy ,to all impartial administration of the public mone3 r s; it has been the cause of the expenditure of our .funds upon useless and unprofitable works all over ,the colony. "VVJio could have watched the progress t of the .session of 1871 without seeing this 1 Each province then formed itself into a caucus with the M vowed purpose of forcing the Government into exjjending public money upon works which would t)Q obviously unprofitable, but to gain which they ■$vene prepared" to sacrifice the interests of the colony iis a whole. First Otigo, then Canterbury, then .Auckland followed by tho smaller Provincial fry, |ccpt up a cea&ele,ss .demand for useless works until f\\Q wonder is that we have a connected scheme of Ift ox'ks at all, ProviiAeialibm' fosters a spirit of selfish localism, and .stands iv the way of engendering a tiational spirit jn ihe colony. And perhaps as striking evidence a* we can have of its rottenness, is the utter weakness of the defence which even <a ij]iampia» jjk.6 .Sir Goprge Giey can make in its