Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1871.
The Daily Southern Gross, well-known as the organ of the Auckland protec tionists, is nevertheless quite disgusted with the course taken by Mr Hamlin to carry out the views of the Colonists' Protection League. In an article bear ing on the subject the editor says : f f We by no means deny the right of the province to protect itself against the introduction of disease amid our flocks and herds " . . . . but the hon. member . cc has moved that the Superin tendent should do the only thing that could be done m using power.s which the legislature has placed in his hands, for wholly different purposes, in order to protect [Auckland] against the neigh boring provinces." .... " The spirit displayed in the proposal is so mani festly unfair that we trust the mover •will, in regard for the simplest prin ciples of decency, withdraw it, and spare the Council froni being compelled to repudiate connection or sympathy with such a manifest ruse." The fact of Auckland being quite unable to supply itself with a sufficiency of fresh meat is fully acknowledged, and this of itself is ground for encour aging, rather than prohibiting, the steady trade which has sprung up be 3 tween the Thames gold fields and the South. If there were any fear of the introduction of disease, o£ course the case would be different. The people

w ; ould doubtless submit to scarcity and high prices rather than suffer the greater evil; but it is not pretended that there is any such fear. Jt is a matter of some congratulation to find an avowedly protectionist journal repudiate the transparent trickery of the leaders of its party.
