SIR GEORGE GREY ON THE PROPOSED ABOLITION OF PROVINCIALISM.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1884, 22 October 1874, Page 3

SIR GEORGE GREY ON THE PROPOSED ABOLITION OF PROVINCIALISM.

Sir George Grey has written a letter to tho Superintendent, enclosing a petition to the Governor against the proposed Constitutional changes. We give some portions of the petition—

That the New Zealand Representative Constitution Act establishes in Hew Zealand a Constitution of four estates—the Crown or its Governor, a Legislative Council, a House of .Representatives, and Provincial Governments. These are all creations of the same Act of Parliament. They have no powers but such as they derive from that Act. Their powers are all carefully balanced. They form oue whole, which is the Representative Government of this country. That by the said New Zealand Representative Constitution Act most valuable privileges, rights, and liberties were assured to the subjects of her Majesty residing in these islands by the establishment of provinces therein, and of a provincial system under which they are allowed to elect their own Superintendents or Governors for a term of four years for large districts of territory, in some instances exceeding in extent what are regarded as important British colonies. That any parent in these islands may thus hope to see his child, if a deserving man, raised by his fellow-colonists to a high and useful office. A worthy object of ambition is also opened out to all, which fact cannot fail in process of time to exercisc a most important influence upon the character of the people of New Zealand, from whom, as being.the inhabitants of a mere dependency of a great nation, many of the most worthy and ennobling objects of ambition are cut off. That your petitioner and his fellow-colonists have by these same institutions the very unusual right confirmed to them of making their own laws upon all local subjects without sucli laws being sent home for the confirmation of the Crown, whereby one great cause of probable danger of disputes ultimately arising between the colony and the mother country is removed; and the inhabitants of provinces have assured to them the entire right of the expenditure of their own funds, and freedom from any interference on the part of tho Home Government to compel them to incur any expenditure of which they may disapprove; which is a privilege not' enjoyed by the General Assembly. That, uuder tho system of Provincial Government, a large portion of the population of these islands is trained to the discussion of political questions and to tho exercise of political functions, whilst many of them are being educated in the art of government; This country also possesses at convenient points Councils composed of members chosen by the people, anxious to earn the approval of their fellows. These Councils possess perfect freedom of debate, and abuses can in them bo at least exposed; if not redressed. A few years of such a system of government must make all educated men to some extent statesmen—must call into: existence an intelligent and contented community, prepared to meet auy difficulties that may arise with moderation, fairness, and enlightenment, whilst a perfect guarantee is afforded that the spirit of the population shall not bo broken, or their livos embittered. by oppressive privileges being given to auy soparate case. That your petitioner confidently appeals to the histories of all nations aud of all times to shew that it is to the want of tho education of populations in and by such institutions that practical slavery, misgovernment, persecution, ignorance, ferocity, bloodthirstiuess,- and a-galling disparity in wealth and rank are mainly to bo attributed. That tho Provincial or Federal system has been perfectly successful in this country. That, under its influence, prosperous communities lmve grown up, have marvellously .increased in .population, wealth, aud. enlightenment;

That vast and sometimes appalling difficulties have been met and overcome, and that general contentment and_ well-doing prevail. That your petitioner hoped that this federal system might have helped to solve many of the political difficulties of the future. That liaply hereafter the whole English-speaking race might have been welded together in some such federation, and a degree of peace, prosperity, and commerce thus insured for mankind, such as no previous age of the world has witnessed, That your petitioner sees every person of the Bussian race convinced that their country is marching on to a great future, which they have before them; The same feeling prevails in the United States of America. The German and Italian-speaking races are federating into separate great Empires with ,a view to future progress. The dependencies of the British Crown alone appear to be utterly, neglected, to be formed by degrees into isolated communities, often with questions unnecessarily created ' between them which are likely to' give rise to future- , disputes. In some instances they are absolutely abandoned. For them no future is opened out, and your petitioner would dread to see 'a federal system abolished which, he trusted; offered the prospect of a solution for these difficulties. Indeed so successful had the federal system proved in this colony, that it was adopted in Canada. That it was ordered by her Majesty's late Government, if possible, to be introduced into South Africa, although they had up to this time been opposed to that measure, and that the Governor of the Cape colony has recently stated that,' if that Government had been'allowed to ; re unite the whole of South Africa when! it.might easily have been accomplished, ■he would have had very little apprehension for the future; but, as it is, lie is afraid federation is still far in the distance. That your petitioner believes that the entire freedom the inhabitants of this colony enjoy, in the election of their own Superintendents or Governors and in their own provincial institutions, and the means they thus possess of rewarding eminent public men, are of greater value to them on account of the steps recently taken by! the Colonial Department to reward the public men of this country by theereolion of two new honors, each of which, both in an Imperial and Colonial point of view, is open to serious objection, and one of which being repugnant to law and donstitutional usage, and apparently in violatiou of the Few Zealand Representative Constitution Act, is probably void and useless. That an attempt was made to introduce into Great Britain; an Upper House only in small part similar to the Legislative Council established here, and that such proceeding was declared to be illegal, was strenuously resisted by a large majority in each House of Parliament and by almost the entire nation, and was abandoned as being unconstitutional and contrary to law. That, relying upon this Act of Parliament, and contented with the great freedom they enjoyed under Provincial Institutions, your petitioner and many of his fellow-colonists have industriously and quietly occupied themselves with their own pursuits, and have taken no part in political affairs. That the General Assembly of New Zealand has, however, recently proceeded to consider the question of the abolition of the provinces in the North Island of New Zealand, and to pass resolutions, and to take other steps in relation thereto, which, if carried out, your petitioner believes will result in the total abolition of the system of Provincial Government throughout New Zealand. That your petitioner is also now credibly informed that the Premier of the colony has recently gone to England, and that one of the objects of such proceeding on his part is to endeavour to obtain an alteration by the British Parliament of the New Zealand Constitution act, in order that powers may be conferred upon the General Assembly of New Zealand enabling it to abolish, either in wholo or in part, the existing provinces and Provincial Governments in New Zealand. That the Imperial Government, which lias so many weighty duties to discharge, ought not to be drawn unnecessarily into interfering in a local question of this kind with an important colony, and that every good subject will strive to keep tier Majesty and Her Majesty's advisers clear of such questions. That the British Parliament ought .not to be led without due warning, without the full knowledge of the people of this colony, and without the several and separate Provincial Governments being first heard, to pass an Act which would destroy cjmplete representative institutions in this colony, and would, therefore, greatly augment the responsibility of the British Parliament to the inhabitants of New Zealand, for the consequences which may flow from the measures of the General Assembly. That any Provincial Government that might in that matter abdicate its functions would probably onlv do so upon condition of the whole New Zealand Constilution being recast, so that the General Assembly might be composed in a manner more consonant with popular rights and English feelings, at the same timo stipulating upon. an equivalent for rights resigned, and for . losses past and prospective. That your petitioner would therefore deem any attempt to induce Parliament to lend itself without full information and without the consent of the people of the provinces having been previously obtained, in a lawful and constitutional manner, to any plan for the destruction of the provincial institutions now enjoyed by the people of this country as wrong, as in breach of public faith, and as a bad public example to the whole empire, j That your petitioner therefore humbly hopes that your Excellency may feel that it is your bounden duty to your Queen and country, no less than to Now Zealand and the Provincial Governments, to whom bylaw your Excellency owes independent duties, to prevent Parliament from being surprised into an aet so fraught with momentous consequences for the present and future of the colony, aud for its relations with the mother country, by at oncesnmmo'ning the General Assembly of New Zealand to meet with the least possible delay, in order that all necessary information may bo afforded to the inhabitants of the colony. That your petitioner humbly prays that your Excellency will bo graciously pleased so to summon the General Assembly of New Zealand. That your petitioner further prays that a copy of: this, his humble petition, may at once bo transmitted to Her Majesty's Go- i vcrnment, with a respectful request s that it may be. laid before Parliament.! That your petitioner further humbly' prays that your Excellency may be pleased immediately to send a tclographic; message to . Her Majesty's Government,! pointing out that at tiie present time there: is no person constitutionally or in point of law qualified to negotiate or commuui-' cato with Her Maj 'sty's Government on ; | the subjects the abolition of,the Provin-; [ cial Institutions of this country, and that; > any negotiation foe such a purpose at pre-.

sent entered upon would bo an illegal and unconstitutional act on the part of both parties to such a negotiation, in violation of the rights, liberties, and privileges assured to the people of New Zealand by the Act giving a representative constitution to this colony, and an unnecessary public error, as there are proper and constitutional means of settling the whole question. And your Excellency's humble petitioner, as in duty bound, will .ever pray. (Signed) G. GEEr, Kawau, October 14,1874