The Press. MONDAY, MAY 10, 1869.

Press, Volume XIV, Issue 1893, 10 May 1869, Page 2

The Press. MONDAY, MAY 10, 1869.

The speech of His Honor on opening the Provincial Council'must, we think, have been very satisfactory to the body he was addressing. It was full, yet strictly to the purpose; dealing solely with such matters as fall within the province of the Council, but omitting the misplaced disquisitions on colonial affairs, or criticisms on the Colonial Government, in which some Superintendents are apt to indulge. The tone of His Honor's speech was extremely moderate.. While admitting that provincial institutions have outgrown the requirements of the province and need considerable 1 modi- . fications, he advocated reform only that they might " continue their locaj usefulness and the weight in the general economy of the colony which it is desirable that they should retain. 1 * He held that the province had still a great work to do, and deprecated any abdication of its functions. He was clear from all taint of " centralism;" unless indeed the' ateute senses of a jealous provincialist detect in the allusion to nominated Superintendents some symptoms of an inclination to tamper with the accursed thing. Nor did he exhibit; the .slightest leaning towards the revolutionary changes" (to use its own expressions—the almost complete suppression of the Provincial .Council and the surrender of all the principal departments to the General Government — which have been so warmly urged upon the public by the 'Infttelton Times. '■A great part of His Honor's address was occupied with remarks on the financial condition of the province. It seetns that, judging from* the first quarter of the year, the proceeds of the land sales will be below the but,on the other hand, the receipts from the consolidated fund exceed, and the j provincial charges are less than, the estimated amount. The excess will about balance -the deficit, so that on! the whole the provincial expenditure .will be kept within the income. That is very satisfactory. The railway receipts have also exceeded the estimates, but unfortunately any excess will / be [ more .than . absorbed by unexpected expenditure within the tunnel. Of the details of this expenditure, and why it should be required, Itbe Government are no doubt prepared to give, and it will be the duty of the Council to demand,* the fullest explanation. With respect to the subjects which the Council has been especially summoned to discuss, namely, the alterations in the Eoad and Fencing Ordinances, and other such matters, on which legislation is likely to take place, or to be invited by the Council, during the approaching session of „ ; the Assembly, the Government nave tn#jr Bills printed, have laid them on the table for the in--4spection of members, and the first reading will >'. be i /moved *to4mdrrkJW evening. There is evidently to be no time lost, as. is desirable; since the •session cannot be continued for much more tha&.-a fortnight..; ; r y/ ; -/ / s In referring to the Bill for reducing' the number of the Provincial Council,

Ilia Jlonor took occasion to .express h&:Pivn views as to the further* modificaiions required in the existing form of provincial government. What Mr Eolleston aims at is, to bring the Superintendent into closer communication with the Provincial Council, and to make him more directly responsible to it. At present, as was pointed out by Mr. Moorhouse in his memorandum during the session of 1868, " the Superintendent has none except a merely political responsibility." He is put in the position of a king, and can do no wrong. If any blunder is committed, or if the wishes of the Council are not complied with, the blame rests with the Executive. They have to bear the brunt and pay the penalty. But now that the Superintendent personally transacts a considerable amount of the ordinary business which hitherto has been managed by the Executive, and is likely to have still more work of the kind thrown upon his hands, Mr. Eolleston rightly ieels that he should be made liable for his actions, and have opportunities of personally explaining them to the Council.

The question is, how can this be done? Mr. Eolleston suggests that the Superintendent should either hold frequent conferences with committees of the Council appointed for the purpose; or else should take a seat in the Council, as in the .provinces formed under the New Provinces Act. But as he considers the latter plan objectionable so long as the Superintendent is elected as at present, and is not prepared, for some years at, least, to give up the right of popular election, he; is thus driven back upon his first proposal, that of the conferences. This of course would secure the first object, a more unreserved communication between the Council and the Superintendent j but we do not see bow it would fix on the latter a greater degree of personal responsibility.. In | fact, it is not easy to see how under the existing system the Superintendent can be made personally responsible to the Council at all-—except ot course so far as in an extreme case he may be removed, if the Governor thinks fit, on petition by the Council. He is not nominated by the Council/ nor paid by it; for his salary is ! settled by an Ordinance which cannot be altered except by his own consent; while he is elected by the whole body of the people, and may therefore claim to represent the people as much as the Council itself. Were the Council constituted on the municipal model the case would be different. The affairs of the province would then be managed directly by the Council, the Superintendent: presiding over its meetings and having a casting vote as chairman. But so long as the idea of provincial administration in any proper sense of the word, is maintained, the Superintendent must remain what he, is now, a separate estate; and the Council can retain a control over the management of affairs only by a system. wMcho places the practical work of government in the hahds of men. virtually,, if not technicr. ally, appointed by itself, arid 'liable to J dismissal from office if their conduct does not meet with: its approval. The question is, as his Honor remarked, one of great : difficulty,arid needs to Be further discussed and much better understood bejore any important change; is effected.