, 1872-06-26

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to ascertain whether those steps have been
In the right direction, but also to convince
himself, and perhaps others, which have
been the obstacles in his way SO far, and
what hindrances are likely to be e%ncount-
cred by perseyering in his purpose. From
the outset we have had no other object in
view than to be an Indicator to the Gov
eminent and the people; to point out the
smoothest road on which they might meet.
That it has not always been SO smooth as
we could nave wished, that people and
Government have in many, nay, most ques-
tons met as antagonists, must, we still
believe, be accounted for in the manner In
which we have so often attempted to ac-
count for it in these columns. The home
governments object is to see us well start
ed on the road of progress. They may not
in all cases be able to find out the means
to this end. Their representative here was
as interested as any man could be in effect
ing this object; his reputation depended on
the successful issue of his mission. Our
people were certainly anxious to meet the
Government in its endeayourS to bring
about the reforms, retrenchmentS here, de-
~velopments there, which had been so ur-
gently asked for and insisted on for years,
which had even induced us to ask for as
~sistance from home, and still, after the
lapse of nearly a t~welvemonth, we are no
further than at the outset, nay not even SO
far, for then, even after the passage Of the
military bill, it was never supposed by any
BODY that the reductions effected therein
were to be the last word, that we should
for ever continue to pay an insurance pre-
MUM ofsome $4,000 a year,-the aggre-
gate cost of the military and the police
but that this latter could be so reorganized
as to gradually develop itself into power
full and secure substitute for the exorbi-
family expensive military. When, gradu-
ally, the plans of the Government were
made known, when the Budget was laid
before the Council, it became clear to every
body except to those who for their own
Acknowledgement were interested in the statu
quo, that there was no hope of a smooth
road where Government and people could
meet. We were not blind, however. to
the fact that some of the opposition which
the new Government had to encounter
proceeded from what might be called the
reaction of those who, having been more Or
less in favour of the former Government,
were Systematically opposed to most things
that might proceed from the new; that
some might arise from disappointed office
seekers, for under every Government there
will always be some such; that some might
originate in personal ill-will or grudge
against parties in power; but leaving all
these out of consideration, there was still
left the great body of the people in town
and country, and Of the intelligent portion,
not plantocracy or shopocracy exclusively,
who were persuaded that more could be
and ought to be done, in fact, it had been
asserted over and over by the very persons
who now Tor their own private ends took
quite another stand. We have always
thought, and we still think, that a moder-
ate expression of opinion will have the
greatest influence. The fact that the peo-
ple's own bill, the police organization
which we have advocated, has not yet been
accepted by the authorities proves nothing;
it is the peoples idea and it will finally
prevail. 1t is a question of time it has
hitherto had to fight against odds: On the
one side was Government with It's mighty
machinery, its enormou influence, fat
places made or to be made and distributed
to greedy aspirants. On the other side the