THE GOVERNMENT ON THE BOMBARDMENT QUESTION. MR DARGAVILLE'S LETTER

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 678, 17 October 1876, Page 2

THE GOVERNMENT ON THE BOMBARDMENT QUESTION . MR DARGA VILL E'S LETTER

The following are the papers laid on th* table of tlio House, rrtrenru c to winch, is made by Sir G. oi t e Ore* in his •peaoh ou Fti.lay, a «hoit tel«'graj.hio account of wl.ich we publi-li^d ■•n Slltu^(^a^ , aud agaiu yivo more ia cu< issue oi to day.

June 2], 1875 "My Lord,— l have the honor to prcloao a le ter wliiuh ha» b*e-i a idreino i to y.)ur L.-idship i.y Sir Gm.;ge Gr«-y, "2 IhiB 1-ttt- r urn rrfftvnd by me ab ut an bour »nfore the s tiling of th« last mail, and af e r my .leioateh-wau ha b'-en closed and ami to the i\j*t office, and as it was one which could i,ot be forwarded by me without oomm- nr, 1 *»" of c ursb obliged to hold it over till thu mail. 3 Sir George Gr'y is piemen 1 to «U y e to your lordship tbat no mich opportunity as id a fiee country allowed to us iu> a >itanta of etpivHHtng thtjr npimoii upon thi • lestrucii.ii <f their Cimstuution, and the Hubatitut.on «>f ai o'lier for it has y i in i his case be n .ifforded to the mliabi oanta of Now Zciund. lam potfeutly »wdre that it is bard to convince Si. George Grey that any decision can be r.giit which doei not coincide with his own pie*cori\i(iu-d opinion; but uu . doubted ly th-> q-iestion of Abolition or iion-Abolmou wa« the dittinct unue rai*e<l at the la^t election, and there wa^ none who presgeil the matt"r more on ly t>r ukod liis mflu.uue more Mtreuuou-i\ thui Sir Goor^fl Grey, he having 0 «n-x-nted to be put iti nomination Ji.r the lh.m**s dntnnt after he h*d been iv. turned for .Aiicklaud Guy We«t, with the view' by hu owu pumoml influence, f preveutioi; the return of a ctcoiid Abolitiou oaudidate by that eon»titueucy. "4. Sir Gorge Qny then gos» on t.>oo,up»re tho sub .idi attoti o t »he> Provincial Councils to tho Colom-il Legislature to that which exutu b.twenu h« latter and the Impeiin Parlia-neut, .nd the clams, tberofoit, that the Provincial <)>uncil« ah. uld be consulted i»»foic their piiv«ii^Hi can be taken i*aj by an Act «f the General Aoitjm»ly. "5. It appoarH to me, howeve, that tie •'iitirdy omiu a circiinntadde whivh ut er!y < eUroya tLe 'para-ld which he a cmi.M to draw, The Parliament ot of lrgia. 1 , ultlo «h umlout t.dly supi tin , veiy wisely, while I- gislation ou o-ilouial uiatters, rofrfiina f r< m enforcing th« ie fc uUt.ou wliich it hat paawvd uutil

continue i l>v tl.e L .f te colony j.ff,itel, hut «h«t ?«ir O o- L e GryfutirHlyov.rlo.ki is fie fact ih*t rre 'mpi-ria' P.u) ument is elect d l>y c n*titueuc ts v.ho ar* uneonntct-d with tt c co'ony, and pml.aS'y to a threat extfiit are i^noiant of jta fe. hug* and r«j qmr.n>nts, wlien-as the Gei era 1 *m«-ml>y and the Provincial Council are t-lectel on exactly tlie sftnie f ranch <• the foimer r<- ( r.soutmj die g.-neial interest of th whole colony white tie Utiei are piece 1 to manag- purely looti maiteM, and are in thwr nature chiefly of a inuuicipal character. 6. Thai tjjp propojed ihnnge in the constitution of t o co.ony is a ma ter » f gererui policy, is»p mt which admits of no quernon, an,) to 'suppose (ha the le«iNliiion of the General Assembly oa a mutter of th s importance ahould be subservient to (lie w.ll of one or more of these local councils appears lo me to be utterly untenable But admitting, for the sake o' argument, thai such a thing were possible, how could it be earned out in practice ? 'Jhere are m this Coiony nine jiiovi.ces. Supposing that five, or poisibiy Seven, of < hes« locil i-ouacils d. tid. d in lavour of Abolition, and (he r. mainder opposed it, how i8 this question to be decided ? Are the m jonty of the founcis to carry the day, or u the population of each province io take into consideration, or is the provincial By=.tem lo beabolished in tlio3e provinces whi. h agree t< the propoaali, und retain -a in those* whi. h oopose li ? With all deference to Sir George Urev'» ejtpen, rcu it ap pours to me that he ha« i»ken up a ground whioh is entirely iud f asible. "7. Hie Genenl Assembly ia elected by the. people o l tins .olonv under * very h'erul franchise, and wituouc in any way wi^i.inato p ejudice the decmon at whi'ili it miy a. me on th* subj. ci oi Abolition, 1 believe that it is as Weil able to iipress and curry out the general r«qiurcmeuts and wi h^.f the communit* as the A«sembly of any other colony in the world, und it. inuy rule, in my opinion, it uthe bistai.donh constitution i uvde by whicu i he real fueling of tho count- y can be obt lined " 8. It s ems to me also that the calculation .nto wh.oh. hi- h-a gone with r - g.rd to tlie rr.atite population of Autk laud »nd Otsgo and u.e rest of ihe colony is equa ly unsound," rheihlr such a syi tern uii»y be fi^ht 6, wrong. Equnl electoral Uiafricta form no part, of tue- B"-iiiib Coiibtitution, as evinced by n nnerou» cohatii aencies m E tspi'cilly in LondoH. By tlie Consti unoA of this colony the Leg «l iture lias full power to alter or increuie thi r-preseutai'mi of ihf culo.y, but they h.ife i.o seen fit to adojit eqaul electoral districts, »nd wliat 1^ wouiU usk, Mould bdaml ot any one in England who would venture to dein the power of Pn lianicnt to curry out. su< h changes as it oniddered desirablu, up >n the ground .hat one port on of the pouii try Was not >i» fully rt;pre«entei according io popu.ttion as unotln r. "9. 6ir George Grey ulso omifs to iolorm your lord.-hip that although possibly the m>joiity ol tlie meuiben from the province of Auckl »nd are opposed to the übo ition of the proviucia system tliat feeling is not unanun us, eX' e,ji, perhaps, iv the city of Auckltmj and i s immediate neighbouahood, neither dore h • »tate tuat last year a resolution in faviurol Anoliliou w»i . arned b\ h m».j nty of fivu in Mi- Provincial Council itself, and wua o ly rocm led tho next. d*y by a m j >• rily of one at the ni cci natigatmn and iiictatio'i of 'ir Geor c Grey hi nselt 1 think, therefore, he i$ hurdly justified in claiming the whole of the proTince as adopt m c hia view*. " 10. That the Legislature h.-w pown "» o. me authority of the ImD» r 'B| fiulianient to mtike the chang- propo d l»y the Abo i ion Act i*. I tbiek umply proved by the ft. t that your lordship ha'; informed ra.» tint hi-r Mij sty will no!, be advised to (Hollow it. " 11. As regards <he concluding pori n of hi- letter, were it not that Sir G.-orgt Grrt?y molt e,..pqatical!y osseris Ins bdliel in the report to which he alludes, 1 should certainly huvo treated it «is a oa I joke ; and cren now I hard y know how to tieutsuch a p'cpo«terous idea in a seious nvtnner. Tlmt Sir Gem go Otrcy ahould seiiously m orm your l)rfj s |np that he believes that (here is thobli<Thtt"f foimdat'O i for tho rerort which he »nys exUls that opposition to the Ministry might involve <ha bombirdnoent of the city of Auckland by her Majesty* .-hips, and that he should consider it incumbent upon h.m to nak y tir lordship to send a •tle/rHp'iic me-sn^e to me to disi el all apim-lien-tiims of her M.»jeBly'» forces bt ing used for sm h a purpos is, I'ihink, a snfficeut proof of the -pint nnd tone in which he has ent red into thu controversy. "12. Sir George Groy contents himself with endowing tiie truth ol the lepor without Bta,ing th« n\a c» fro-n which he obtained it. I e»n only any that I never taw it, and if I had I should hare looked upon it ns a pu>e invention iirculated tor paity purposes, Mid fhiuld hivetreatel it with the sims contein|» thac I am convmci'd it will receive fn-m eveiy uiau, woman, and child, in Auc . land, eic«|it, I mn bound totuy upt.n his »wn imeruon, Sir George Grey. ' 13 VVer. las much i clined to take ata^ n at absurd rumour* and newspaper ' canards' ah he seems to b, In gbt md.cd n.ftrm your L idaliip that on ini.e ilmnone iccasion Sir Georije Q-r. y himse f has be n rep>riel to have i-iduli; d m d>rk nd m\»teiious hints ua t) thp is^bility of ii'in-l rumstan c to the law bcinu resort' d to by those opp s°d io th >«b 'li'ion of the pionnces ; und the s»m< touc h is been more fr, q l^ntly a loptsd bv t ie ' Evening htur,' n new>piper in A|ick"and, which strmgly a.ipp >its his view-" ; but placina as I do enure reli ne in thf 1 yaliy and good aense of the inhabitants of tins colony. I hare hit'ierto treated iliein us empty threats. As, however, S r 'leirgc Grey has iOftn fit to make this tjrma co'mp aint to ) >ur lordship I now distinctly chaige him with beins; himself th« first to give currency to it repnt similar to the one he Ims brou^h. m der \our lordship'i* noiice, nnd in support of his accusation, I enclose to your loidship the copy of a letter which has been addressed bv Air Dargavill ■ to my private sectetary tor un informal i >n. " 14 Mr Dnrguville wa« at the time n member of the Pi ovmcml Council .>f Auckland, and the occurrence tie n;trm<es occurred übouta.ienr before the melting of iho General As-pinblr, and, cmse-qiit-ntlj, the Aboliiim Bil was before tlm public. The circunistineo came to my knowledge soon tif er it took pluee "15. The conversation n»rr»ted by M> Dargnviile is so identical wi h the langua^ • us. d in Sir George Gr.-y's letter t»yo% onltfhip, t hit there can bo littl* djtibt thit it must, havo bten the origin of the report of whioii he now complains. It ithcrelore, not »urp ising that he sh mid itate '1 ,im ro entinly sat aflad of the honour and good faith of th-i pap>r Irom w ich 1 quote, thnt 1 feel sure there uro •übstuntitl grounds fn- the s'utement it conti.ii s.' In ray opinioi it won d Imve baen more ingenuous on his part if he hud ata-ed at the sum-* time that he himiflf had been t e first to give expicaion to such an idea. " Iff. S r (jlt'ori»e Givy when he wrote that le'lerto your lordship, ii.ust, from his long experience, a» Colonial Governor, have bi on perfeetlv a*iire of the fact (h.it tho q v-inuiuil of a c^>loi hare no I

c nitrol w!i .tor.T ov.r Her M-ij sty'i (ones, and t-iat tbev could uu-iar no dr. umAi»c s fa.; brought into action exo pt M.rou»h the i .tni-vcnt'on of the Governor himself To suppose, therefore, timt itou d hi> possible for h rM j.-aty'a •hip* to bo use \ for the purpose ol cunnonadi'it? the citj of Auckluml, he mutt in th<> first place ha»o piesumed that I hid tr.ti rely lost my sen«e» be'ore 1 cou'd ha indue d to m.ike suoli a rrqu si io.i to !h.> otfjcvrs in cominind of H r Mije-fv's -h>p«, mid, in the around pluon, thut tliene ofll «T8 must hav^ been eg lally maJ to comply witlj it. " 17. I hex to append a memorandum fro-n my Horernmeut, io »bou 1 eubmitted Sir Gteot^o Grov's comaiu lication. "I have, &c, ' NORS£\N»T. "Tlie Bight Hon the Earl ot CUruar* Ton, &c "