The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1839, 19 April 1884, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's riphf maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain^

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1884.

It seems that the outcome of the constitution-mongering -which has been going on in the South for some timo past will be an attempt to resuscitate Provincialism in some form or another. Politicians are by no means agreed as to what shape it shall take, but th^y have resolutely made up their minds that " Centralism" is doomed. The bright hopes that were held out to the country in 1875 have, we are told, not been realised. Abolition was to have righted every wrong, brought prosperity to the colony, and, in short, made everybody happy. It has failed to do this, the people have awoke to a sense of its shortcomings, the fiat has gone forth, and its results must go. There is deep depression all over the colony, and much discontent, wherefore the coming session of Parliament is to be a momentous one, involving, we suppose, the serious consideration of proposals for the revival of our original constitution. We are told this, but it does not necessarily follow that we are to believe it. We can quite believe^that there is real depression in the country, and , thaf; r many trades and callings are suffering ,; we iare Bven/ire.a.d:y;;to. ooage^e tfia^Qur' pre w r

sent form of government is not perfect, that it is susceptible of improvement; but the argument that the bad limes the country is now experiencing is due to " Centralism," as it is called, is only equalled by the contention that the sunshine of the few years proceeding 1875, was the direct product of Provincialion, a statement which we know to be utterly absurd. There was plenty of money then and fewer people to distribute it amongst. It was the heydey of speculation and spending. There were no thoughts for the morrow. But the morrow would have come as surely under Provincialism as " Centralism," and the reckoning would have been a much heavier one. But it is rather one aspect of the subject to which we now desire to direct a moment's attention. When we hear it stated boldly that the people are clamouring for Provineia'ism, pel haps it is as well to ask for a definition of this loose term " people." We can quite imagine tint a large number of the "people" w- re always on the side of Provincialism, because to them it me.mt more butter fort heir b eadthan they are ever likely, fortunately, to get out of Centralism. And these were not merely the officials, but everybody, roughly speaking, who lived or held property in the great centres of population, which were the sinks into which was drained the very life-blood of the country districts. All the eloquent speeches of Sir George Grey, on the right of the people to self-go-vernment, all the reasoning of Mr Rolleston, Mr Montgomery, ami Mr Macandrew, to say nothing of the le.sser lights, could not •jloss over t\v. real defeat of Provincialism. During the debate on the second reading of the. Abolition Bill, one of the Native members, following close on one of Sir Georoe's brilliant efforts, put his finger on the ugly feature of the ohfsystem. lie. asked opponents of tin- bill to tell him what the Superintendent of the Wellington Province h.ul ever done for the district of Wanganui, which wanted roads — I what he had over done for the district of Otaki, which also wanted roads. And many another member of that House might have asked similar unanswerable questions. '1 he carrying of that measure was a victory for the countiy settlers, the real bone and sinew of the coun ry, over the dwellers of the cities, who had been cosily getting fat while the others pinched. Murmurs still come from tho agricultural population, murmurs growing louder every day, hut they do not call for the restitution of those things which foiraorly oppressed them, but for furtlicrrei'orms in tho same direction. _ Tho pontralising tendency of Provincialism, by which we mean tho concentration of wealth and power in the towns, received a check in 187-5, but it was not killed ; and though wo have abolished superintendents, mo have not eradicated iho evil of which they were merely the type. It is quite clear that no change in the constitution which aims at restoring the legislative preponderance to tho centres of population, can bo popular with the rural constituencies. It is just such a change that tho people of Dunedin and Ohristchurch aro ciying out for.

" Echoes from the Cafe," in type, aie unavoidably crowded out of this issue.

The Rev G. B. Monro, of Remuera, will preach at Trinity Church, Cambridge, on Sunday next, morning and evening.

A cable message, dated London, the loth int>t, announce^ tho death of the Duke of Buccleugli and the Bishop of Ripun (Dr Bickcrstetb.)

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Piako County Council, which stood adiourned till Wednesday last, has been further adjourned.

Mr John Blackett, Engineer-in-Chief for the colony, leturned to Hamilton yesterday after a week's trip to the Lake country.

A number of road board notices of mere than nrdinmy interest appear in our ad vei tiding columns to-day. They refer to annual meeting*, elections, &c.

The anniversary services at the Baptist Tabernacle, Cambridge, will be held on Sunday, the 27th iu.st. Mr Spurpeon will conduct the services. The Rev. Gi instil Jones will preach to-monow.

At a special meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council, held on Thursday evening, it was lesolved to stay pioceedings in the matter of taxing Mr W. M. Hay's bill on costs, that gentleman undertaking to guarantee that the cost of the taxing to the borough should not exceed £8.

In another column will be found a very interesting advertisement by Messis Stewait, Dawson and Co., watch manufacturers, of Liverpool. The advertisement is well worth inspection, and we commend it to the notice of our readers.

The Rev. Joseph Bates, incumbent of Holy Trinity, Devon port, Auckland, will preach at S. Andrew's, Cambridge, and at Ohaupo to-morrow. Archdeacon Willis will hold service at Lichfield morning and evening.

A meeting of the Hamilton Football Club ia called for this evening, at 7.30 o'clock at Hally's Hotel, for the purpose of electing a committee and making arrangements for the coming season.

The Roman Cathhlic Concert on Monday last, was a great financial success. After'paying all expenses a sum of £7, remains to be devoted to the funds of the church. In another column the Rev. Father Fox, conveys his thanks to all who so ably assisted him in bringing the concert to a successful issue.

A meeting of the Blue Ribbon Army was held in the Public Hall, Hamilton, on Thursday, Mr G. French in the chair. The attendance was small, but a very pleasant evening was spent by those present. The meeting was addressed by the Rev. Messrs Dukes and Raeburn and Mr Dando, and solos were hung by Miss Trewheellar and Mrs Home.

Mr W. J. Hunt, well known as the plaintiff in the celebrated case Hunt v. Gordon, arrived in Hamilton on Thursday on a short visit to his i*elatives in that town. He left again for Auckland yesterday morning, en route for England, whither he goes to institute fresh proceedings against Sir Arthur.

The hearing of the petition against the election of ceitain members of the Pukekura Licensing Committee occupied tho Cambridge Resident Magistrate's Court., on Thursday. Certain legal points were argued at considerable length by j the counsel for either side. His Worship reserved his decision until Friday next.

In the course of an address at Dundee on the loth of this month, Lord Rosebery referred at length to his recent visit to Australia, and expatiated upon the importance of preserving and strengthening the bond of union between the Australian colonies and England. His Lorship expressed surprise at the want of interest in' colonial'affairs which manifested by the Imperial Government, and contrasted the apathy ,of England with the activity prance i? jjqw'displaying i» its colon.i»\,

A very pleasant gathering took place last Monday in connection with the choir of St. Paul's Wesleyan Church, Cambridge. Mr and Mrs E. B. Walker, invited the members of the choir and their friend j tt> a picnic in their ground?. During the day from forty to fifty were present. Sports of all kinds were indulged in. croquet, racing, jumping, &c. Most ample provision were made by the host and hostess, and the arrangements throughout were of a most thoroughly enjoyable character. At the close of the day three hearty cheers were given tor Mr and Mrs Walker and the members of their family.

Eeports have lately come in from Mr F. Edgecumbe'd party now surveying in the interior that they are passing through a very rough country, nothing but bush overhead and a continuation of gullies. The party for the last two months have been working through this description of country, and the only incident that broke the monotony of this kind of life was the running shoit of provisions, through the natives not bringing them out to them, and having to travel into Taumariino for food themselves. This is spoken of as a very rough trip ; they had to ford the Wanganui river three times during the journey. It is no joke carrying a heavy swag through rivers and dense bush, and clambering over a range of hills over 2000 feet in height, but even this must have been an agreeable change after the tedious work thiough the bush for m> unny weeks previously.

The following items of European news, dattd London, April 15th and lGtn,and 17th, have been leceived by the Pi ess Association :—Sn Saul Samuel has presented Sir Moses Montetfore with an address from the Jewish lesidents in Sydney.—Her Majesty the Queen has handsomely lesponded to the address of condolence from the Victorian Government. She retains the original telegram.—A number of English detectives are in Paris, tracking the Irish eonspiiators.—Mr Parnell, in addressing a meeting at Drogheda, denounced the nationalisation of the land agitations. — Baron McLeay has privately complained of the continued kidnapping in the Pacific— A long letter in The Times pi edicts that the Recidivntes Bill will compel the colonies to seize New Caledonia, and commence a struggle for the mastery of the Pacific—Mr Childeis has asked the Agents-General to nominate a member to sit on the Technical Committee, which meets in Paris in May, to dKcuss the proposed alteintions in the Sue/. Canal.—Nine hundred and thiity ot the fnuen carcases per .s.s. Garonne, have been condemned as unfit for food.—The National, a paper published in Pans, states that M. Waddmgton has informed Earl Granville that the Kecidivistes Bill is a domestic question, and will entirely unalfect the interests of the colonies.—The Times vividly debdibes the failme in the convict system at New Caledonia, and argues that the Australian colonies ha\ c a pci feet right to regard its extension with dismay. Mr Edmund Duncan writing to the Times, aigues that it would bo cheaper to reform convicts at home than abioad.