The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Issue 638, 22 June 1876, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Kqiril vet 1 r^ict notice t> all iv>eu,* Ot whatuM'i stuti Di poiba i'ioh, x'oligiout or 'political # a * * * flcro slinlltlippws" t'u Tfovits's ii«»htm»itnt < iia, Un.iwcil l)> n..''ueuLO and uabtibed Ij^ gam.

TIIULSDAY. JUXK-22, U7i\.

The startling cvonfcs which lmvo tukon phieo in Wellington demand move tli m a casual investigation of the caasos which led up to tho ciibis, and the results which may bo expected to flow from them. During last Ecssion, two bills were brought forward by th-s present Minis! rv. 6110 providing for the Abolition of Proviacua, •.iiid a, second introducing- a .system ot Local Government to supply their pl;u;es. Sir George Grey, as UncW of tho Opposition, warmly opposed the action of the Clovernment, and, after a fieioo and acrimonious deb.itc, tlie concession was made, that tho change in tlie constitution should / l)o postponed until tho conclusion of tho I Kofcsiun of 187.3-76. The plea iv.-g.-d »by > c; ir Gooigc and his party w.is this, that such n complete change in the constitution should not be effected without giving 1 the country an opportunity of expi c-ssiug-its opinion upon the desirability of the refomi. lie, «\nd his party, challenged the Ministry to a trial of strength before the constituencies. This was right j this was jHfet. The Government acquiesced, and Parliament was dissolved without any nt.e having been made of the power which a sweeping- majority gave to the s-up-povtei sof Abolition. Nothing 1 was oasier, nothing more agreeable to the temper of the liouse and the people =cf i'ie -whole C.ilony than to press tho Abolition Uill through all its stages without, delay. Uut, Ministers lightly agieed to what w i.s but a fair proportion, and openly le t their policy in the hands of the countiy. Thiniighout tbo elections of r( j)rLsentati\(s in this province, bufc 0210 cry wa;j hoaul, but ono r.'iiij ing point known — Centralism or Provincialism. We do not recollect one single instanco in the history of the elections of 18 /~j in which any other iosuo was put to the electors. Tn Waikato and other country districts, Members were- elected on the strength of their pioclivities for Abolition. I fere, in Waikato, there was, on this point, no division of opinion. The buttle which took place on the election of members for W.iipa, vas fought entirely upon local questions. Both candidates wero as one on the great constitutional question. The people had a wholesome dread of rrovinei.il institutions. They did' not forget that Auckland, city and subiubs, returned to the Provincial Council nearly one half of the entire number of members. They recollected that theso city member*, had, in former years, banded themselves together ma caucus, to di&possess tho out-distiiols of their fair share of the expenditure of the public moiifys — that Waikato was played oil against the Noith, and the other country constituencies, in their turn, were induced to support the Auckland city members by tlie promiso of support in obtaining a shni'o of expenditure — piomises which, in turn, these const ituencies never wero able to realize. Tlie country then looked for a definite and decided action on the part of the Opposition, who had demanded tho respite, immediately upon the meeting- of the House. lixLlwas wanted, and a speedy termimtion to the unwhulesoine political excitement which theciisks had called into o'ciptencc. It was on all h.wids exacted that Sir GeorgeG!iey would bring- forward sonic definite proposition having reference to a new and improvfcd foim of Provincialism. Who amongst us forgets his famous appoal to ti 0 Auckland people to withhold their lunds, as iio had "something" better to propose " than tho Abolition .Dill of tho JVliuis'i'y ? Did he say that his opposition wan bisod upon the eoruipt practices of the Oo\ eminent. No ! he distinctly, definitely, and conclusively told us that ho would hontsily and fairly test tho feeling of tho Colony upon the question of Abolition or N on- Abolition. JJut, during tho recess, he ilnd^> that Otagj is determined to continue its possession of the l.md lund, which rightly should bo the property of the Colony, and that his pet Piovincial scheme must fail to the ground for want of tho support of Mr Macaidiew and his followeis. And what couiso docs he then puisne? Ab indoning the main point which ho had pledged himself to .light, ignoring the question of constitutional refocm u,jou which he had implored the country to elect their membois for tko Assembly, he brings clown a motion amounting to a want of confidence in the Ministry, in reference to tho Piako Swamp transaction. Well ia he aware that Southern Members Jfnow nothing, and care nothing about the rectitude, or otherwise, of the tiaiisaolion. His object is place and power at all hazards, in or U-r that, through Native matters, he may involve the Colony in complications with tho Home Government. Is.it right; is it honourable to deal with tho country in ;lih fashion? And in the event of his iucejss i.i these machinations what will be Am resalt ; what will be the position of 7\ib!:c affair* 1 } In auy one cicdulons

enough to imagine, for a moment, tint) Sir Uoorgo tlrey will consent to slaughter his own offspring, to destroy his pot Provincial institutions. It were madness to hope for it. A separate Colony of Auck- | land, a separate Colony of Otago with the laud fund secured to it for ever, would be the result of the unholy and unnatural nllianco between the Superintendents of the great Northern and Southern Provinces, and the out-districts would languish under the petty despotism and grasping avarice of a Central Government in Auckland, while the city and suburbs wore reaping the reward of their scivile submission to the- man who, twelvo years ago, insisted upon a, confiscation policy which luta, up to the present, destroyed the liiopes 01 permanent amicable relations bctwoou tho European and Maori rneiw, and co.st the coimtrv ;\ million or two of money, and humlriKh of valuable lives.

1 Our K^aruawahia correspondent on account, oi the lateness of'tho public 7ncotintf of Monday o veiling', wasmiible to send 113 the paiticulars by tologtaph, ;*s was done in the ca&o of Alexandra, To Awamutu and Cambridge, on i\lond.iy last. The ftillor report is now, however, before \is, and while wo cannot but regret that Nffaruawahia should ailoid an exception to tho almost unanimous measure of support afforded by the Waikato settlements to the Government in their lute parHamentaiy crisis, we can scarcely Wonder that it .should bo 80. Ngaruawahia has received ycant consideration at the hands of the Colonial Government — not of this Ministry alono but of its predecessor. L uuls Avere bought at high rates during tho Weld administration, on the understanding tli.it, as tho capital of Waikato, Ngaruawahia should be mndo tho Governmental eentm of the distiict, Of course the present Ministry cannot be blamed if their predecessors acted hastily and made a mistake in this matter, but we do not hebitate to say, strongly as wo are inclined to support the geneial policy of tho prcspnt administration and its notion towards Waikato :iba wholo — that it lms been less than just to tho jSgaruawahiu district. Wo have more than onoo pointed out, uid the mcinori.il of tho pcojile of JN ganuwahia upon the subjecv must at the presont moment be before tiro Government, tho great loss airl i'ljustico entailed upon that district by tho unprcecdontty high upset price put upon the smburban lands around the township, wliich, l>ut for this hindrance to their hale, v.'ould bo purchased and utilised to the benefit of tlic town and di»tnefc. Ht*re»it least is a real ami substantial grievance and, as wo kuow, one which tho people of that district feol keenly. It is one, -too, that has been strongly represented to tho Government, and we are therefore tho more surprised that it still remains unrclrcsscd, for ws are bound to admit lli.it with this exception, the prouent administration cannot be chared with nogleet of the interests of the Waikato djstiicts where the statement of the case lms been faiily laid beioio thorn.