The Clutha Leader THURSDAY, NOV 5, 1874.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 18, 5 November 1874, Page 5

The Clutha Leader THURSDAY, NOV 5, 1874.

The petition of Sjr George Grey to his Exaell.ency the Governor on' the subjept.pf the Abolition of the ProyjhcesXljj/tjie $ort)iern Island demands andxiese^VQS tb^e-, fullest *pn '-■ the Ipart *of *shie 'colonies of New Zealand! >, f^y.e iH wej entirely agree with our cbn£pj£p6rary, the," Daily Times," r in itaissueof^the^2iijd October, that the published expression of Sir George's opinions, on fhe topics §f ithe,day should ensure " a careful an/I courteous cpn- " sideration " otf the part of hjs fellow?? colonists, we ( ?regreto|^tQbsbrve, in -the same article, that the editor, whilst joining in the protest against hasty 1 legislation,, asserts that; the." manifesto j " against the x long-forseen,. and now [ . il . rapidly .approaching abolition of the Jf Provinci,ai ;jsyst!bm, : is but the plain- '.\\ tive^wjiipe.pf an inventor who sees '**'; his. jiijgepip.^s .about „tp Y .he-; , " supepeded by jporp. practically use- " ful iipprpv.ements, t]bie value of which " has been determined, not by theory, "ybut.by the hard logic pf experienWr and not content with this. s', courteous "consideration," §ir, George is represented as lending the" weight of his " name to statements about our affairs i " which are very wide of the truth, " when ;he brings Jo; hear '.all the in- " fluetiae naturally acc^uing^from ..a .."Jong. and. distinguish^d'^areer in the •" phblicj.ervj.ee. to thwa,^>t^eij|ieris]bLed; •" desires Jlftthe 'l>iilk r of " people : of ''New Zealand." Leaving on one si^i ihe Questions which arise regarding "the hard logic of experi- " ence'Cand our "cherished desires," _we will glance at the petition itself, for if ,tbj3 e&perience refers to other colonies, then the territorial estate of $ew .Zealand .he regarded P?- .National y property j and.further,.so. £ar as, we can | learn>-New Zealand. colonists . a vast \ deal of infbrm.aiifth $ph' J , the ! subject .before they ."cherish " ; any desire for the Bholitipn of the Provincial, system. '"''. We may not agree in all ; the arguments and adduced Py 9ir (:}i^,#siz r y bjity .^remembering what ?jie . Jas 'done. and what he has susere4 v for N,ew Zej^and, we^iye him .credit fqr sincerity, l&w aji .earnest desire to benefit his ajdopted ■ country. We ..de not $in]k4fc ,necessary--at -leajt at present — to review :the f . f< a]^)i)i^ents brought*fprward>by Sir GisOBGE j^ith reference.^o ;J the(. ." Provincial otfjfederal: systfem^'^lHe regards it as an essential part of the Copsiitu^pn, khd'pne w|uch should not^he altered v y^thp^t J^U,. jn--fprinati^n.and"^'wit^oilt the consent of "the people pf th^rP^yihce^' having " been, previously obtained f in & lawful v " jwnjtitullonai mantier?' v He also seems to indic^^ wthat^e,: GqyEHNOR may have^made to the Bpiish Goyernment sonSerecpmmendatibn s,u°ffes{ippß,infa^ 'rpvinci'al system ; and he desires that these, together jivith anj,accompa,nying : ; ministerial explanationsshbuld, without dejaj,„ he-'l^id^before ..the ■■ General Assembly, which should be convened , .fpr the^purppse. * We are quite upaware whether theye is.any grounds for the' bpprehensipn that ,-the Jinperial Government is about to h© >- solicljted to : pass an interfering^vitb. the Conl stitution. bring* ourselves i ; tw brieve that such an usurpation is ' even drgamt. of-— th^e popple * being ;" unasked.; „ .if jara;rbeing I ta^ejtt; i^hf ghiX i4i^o^<>»^ tbcjii.^Nii^-^ea- . iaiKT' ,'is ; under /bxl- .additional of ■ graiitude $o Sjr George] QhETfo* jhis i watchfutyessYand wan?i^. £ jjif hateveir - might se the^^sibb;- W^m^ 4is 'mH% ; on the,;Buh- ; misjipniif^feljniplts scifenie tp ? ;thepi, 1 it, is prohable that a Provincial r " Government, in abdiqating its I (t tions, would probably only dp.so upon i l - condition of the whole iyfew Zealand ! " Constithtion jbeing re-cast, so that

- Oeheral Aia^My ;^ posefl . ma- mating* ]mPre , jppnsonant " teehng j .att the same time atipulating^ k^'^]^^.-^. '^M^tj^r rights reH^aig'n^aniot; for' losses past and proi^spbetivp." There js no ".plaintive : =?? #i_ .Tptteranpe^bTrSir Giso|!aE(jißi?x'Bj^ bii|;iiere P i.s :i anVini- : p6rtaißtT.^ueßt3,bn su^laitted Tor.pnrilic v Gn;e House Qlohe;.haß *an bpinipn jon ti Skeleton Tesolutidn, ,suhmitte|(y tp it under exr cbptidnal] yeirpu^sWiibes;; the other : House hw^^^ad ey|n, the^skeleton ; submitted, t;b?!it; tss'Gspxr r ji haa given, . no;utteran.cPj\ v the^^ :^b!vincwl -&pverrh ments.am.silentArand until a cpiiiplbite . scheme; .is-^rider -review, .wisely silent. It is'no.usp -|eai[ffiff the bush : ; thb Government's. Relation proposal is one PrpvincVin. \he>^ mihistbred^jhj;,^ , and:-^five- tiJ<- * Prpvince8 ,3 in*" the Middle" Islan(i ?r ;^n4 der -i^i;bctejl ...Superinte^denVs^tlia as^ ■ fa''Brireaucra i e^in jone Tslapd, a.Constii tutiphal Gb^vernrpe'iit'ip *thY other. \ As. regards <irevWrilaeV^ to lej^ye „ „the fiddle 'Islands ; 'i.o its several Prpvincps-^against whichthe North Island ,l\rp|es&-i-and it remains' W^||lin^^'^|l|^}'Beat of the Government — against: which Auckland . rey:oltßi arguing that, independently jof . the injustice of the;reigi)^?iL t pf the'spal* •of Go vern meni from A uckland>s-it- ac^Elsthe additional grie^anqpApf removihg--tlie seat pf> the ;Pr^pvincial @ovprriment also. . Before^ the Province of Jpttagp gives i any jinal utterance on tins im- ' pprtaW-; questipp, " it will jha^e ifco weigh, well, whether its .past, espjerience of General ias been such as to justify the Province^ ab^i-y catiog its powers to a Legislature in which they, have only one representative, body. It is easier' to put- the neck; under : a ypke;tb:an'tp^iffirJratw it whepgalled j it is easier. tb'rejTprm graaVaily than,;b^ter.havi^ to rebuild. ..»? The ;timff^as> -when siich;; a proppsal would 1 Jiave 1 eypked anq erperite, but f now ! the^aiifldyne ?is too j isoothing to admit of eyen |(|passing ! groan ; and, } jf Sir <^o^^ G[.rby*s j .surmises are correct, power 4^ J effect a constitutional change will bp sought for hy an unauthorised agent, and | Constitutional Gpvernnient 'receive a shock from Which the Qplpny .will not , easily, teepver.. '*. - I " ■■■:,■■. ' " * -i* '