Spi,-r-That New Zealand is just now passing tfyrojjgh a very critical period of her history, *ao o*ae will dw> an d that much of her future prosperity depends upon good goyemiuent, is equally certain. The question as to who shall occupy the Govej?nnj.ont benches will, I suppose, very soon be before the public. Sir George Grey, m making an appeal to the country, a month ago, no doubt, thought that his position would, thereby, be considerably strengthened, That this surmise, on his part, wiU be realised, seenjis doubtful, but rather the result ojE tlje receipt elections seems to point to the probability that lje will not be able to command a working majority m the House, as at present constituted. That it will be possible to ' form a Government, better qualified m many, if not m every respect, to manage the affairs of the colony, at the present ( j .important period, I have uot the least i '■ doubt, m i -act Jdo not hesitate tq Bay f ' that, viewing thpir general systeuj. of 3 administration, their mauagement of "■ native affairs, and the disproportionate i way (as far as Aucklaud is concerned) m 1 whWl the public monies have been spent, the sonne? tftey a.rp replaced by a fresh 1 Government, the bettep. I ajp nq friend J to Sir George Grey's Governing);, and J ] do not mind letting it be known. The « way. in which native affairs are now i managed, is suicidal beyond measure. To i refer to one matter only, and that the 1 latest, viz., the Ohinemuri outrage, I consider }t nothing less than a standing 1 disgrace to jttye Government, tho Avay m 1 whioh things ajce going p$ f Day after ] day, we are led tp suppose that '( tilings "* are going ,on satistacilorilyj'.' anEJI tliat tlje 1 two natives Avill very soon be giA r eii up 'to t pustijGfl, and yet nothing is .done. Instead ; » of prompt and decesive measures being t ,t#ksn at *fcho time of the outrage, matters i
were allowed to go on as they alway have been, when actions and not words were necessary. Sir, I venture to assort that, if Mr Packey, when ho first went up the river, from Paeroa, to demand the two natives to be given up who had committed the outrage, had taken a suffioieiit force with him (and any force of Thames Volunteers which Mr ISbeehaii liked to ask for, was at his command) instead of the two or threo, or more, interpreters, and such like, Avhich he did, there would have boon no difficulty whatever m tho . matter. There tho two natives were, with no follower.-. They could haye been tal.cn then, but they were not. The opportunity was alWed to slip, and Mr Sheehan will ''never have the chance again. attempt made to arrest them now, can only be made at a considerable expense to the country and risk of life. Sir, such a piece of mis- management as this, without any other reason, is sufficient to show that the present Government are quite incompetent to manage our State affairs. Theso men will have to be taken some time; and what about Hiroki ? Wliat about Winiata and others? Is no attempt to be made to avenge murders which thoy have brutally committed p When we look at all theso things, is it not time, I would ask, that we had a change ? 1 think so. I will not say anything about how public money has been, spent m the South, to the loss of the North, and Auckland m particular. I will say nothing about the Premier's actions during the recent elections, flying all over the country, and at whose expense I would like to know #— first down to Dunedin, then to Invercargill, then up to Auckland, out to Otahuhu, down again to Christchurch, for -go other purpose than to influence the elections iv his own f.vor. It is some consolation to know that these things must tend to his own downfall, and that, at no distant date. Sir, we are about borrowing another five millions of money, that is, if we can get the English capitalists to lend it m the present unsatisfactory state of Maori affairs. That money, if wisely and fairly spent; may be the means of doing a vast amount of good m No*/ Zealand. It iB to be hoped, therefore, that we shall havo wise administrators at tho head of affairs. For my part, I shall not be sorry to see the preseat Government replaced by one more favorable to Auckland interests ; by one better able to manage native affairs, than this one has proved itself, by one which will, m every way they can, encourage the inflow of English aud foreign capital to this country. Apologising for taking up so much of your valuable space, — I am, Sir, Henhy Buttle. Pukerimu, September 2*>.nd.
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Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1132, 25 September 1879, Page 2
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817Untitled Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1132, 25 September 1879, Page 2
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