The Clntha Leader. THURSDAY, NOV 26, 1874.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 20, 26 November 1874, Page 4

The Clntha Leader. THURSDAY, NOV 26, 1874.

... ■ ■ I The most important question of the day is that which the Government proposes to submit for the final decision of the Legislature probably in June next, involving the abolition of the North Island Provinces, and the administration of the affairs of that Island by a department of the General Government We have called the question an important one, because it embraces a vast Constitutional change in the North Island— immediately, or, at least/ not remotely, but' deeply affecting this Island also — and it becomes us to place before our readers, as fully as our space will admit, some of the features of the case, and the probable consequences should the proposal become law. When an Ex-Governor, one of whom it might almost be said that he was the founder of the Constitution, and whose intellectual qualities no one can deny, starts from his seclusion at Kawau, and plunges earnestly into politics, we may be sure that the circumstances of the Colony are grave, and the coming contest will be severe. The introduction of the Immigration and Public Works policy of 1870, with the accompanying Loan Acts, necessarily involved somewhat of a Constitutional change, for, by them the Central or General Government undertook to do, in a great measure, that colonizing work which hitherto had been done, and, it is allowed well done, by the Provincial Governments, and it is but justice to the General Government to say that, while the co-operation of the Provinces was an essential part of the policy, it was unmistakably announced that, if the interests and administration of the two Governments clashed, the colonizing operations of the General Government must not be iinpsded. That which was dimly foreseen has, it is asserted, come to pass, and it has been officially declared that, as regards the North Island, the opposition of the Provinces is marked and seriously injurious ; that they are without the means of co-operat-ing in carrying out thepolicy, or even of doing the work left for them to do ; that the political pressure brought by them to hear on the General Government necessitated a wasteful expenditure of public monies ; and, that by j their abolition, the affairs of the North \ Island Provinces could be conducted by a department of the Central Government at a less cost and more effectively. Against this statement the Provincial Governments generally protest, Alleging that they are willing to co-operate actively and heartily, if the means which the General Government employ are placed at their disposal, subject to central control j that they have only urged their rightful claims to a fair participation in the millions raided on the credit of the Colony» and that the greater cheapness and effectiveness of General Government administration is open to grave doubt. We do not propose to enter on the consideration of. these debatable questions. The Government, so it would appear, is resolved to abolish the Northern Island Provinces, and, if any indication of public feeling may be obtained from the Press,' and meetings, of Members of the House of Representatives with their constituents, there, is much indifference abroad, and, an extreme haziness about the whole subject. The latest Ministerial declaration is 'that made bj Sir Donald M'Lean, at. Napier, in which he stated that out of the £70,000 authorised by Parliament for j tbe creation of a North Island Landed Estate, not less than six and a-half millions of acres havealready been ob-" tainnd, or were in process of beino* bought. Now, it is very evident, even to the most superficial observer, that it is mainly owing to the landed estate of Otago and Canterbury that these Provinces maintain their prosperous condition, and the question naturally arises that, if the revenue of this North Island landed. Estate and of that which may yet be bought, were placed— as by. the Constitution and subsequent Acts' it is placed— -under the administration of the Provincial Governments, they would, become .effective corpperators in the work of colonisation. This arrange-. I ment would not preclude local revenues J Mn& by lawj devoted to local; pur

' poses, and controlled, by Roadßoards; ' °l bh . 1: f e Councils, which is ostensibly the chief object of the Government proposals. The Provincial form of Governme? t i ImJ 1 m J^ ht sa %, and, wisely be remodelled,- but a. local supervision of tnese Road Boards or Shires should be* retained under an elective representativesystem, instead of the Boards and Shires being- placed under a remote Government and a nominee administration. •We are at present engaged in a scheme requiring all our united effortsto be made a success, and it is a thousand pities to increase our difficulties by originating great constitutional changes, which would engender 'distrust,dissatisfaction, and disunion. We cast aside, as an idle delusion, the idea that one Island can be administered by the Colonial Government, and the otner by~ the Provincial Government, fcr if the Provinces are abolished in the North* r Island, they will inevitably be abolished, '- sooner or later, in the Middle Island,, and then the various departments, such as Land, Survey, Education, Police, Goal, Hospital, &c, will be administered by the General Government under laws, ' in which each Province will have but a small voice, and by strangers nominated by the Ministry of the day. When themdebtedness of. the United States was small, the land revenue of the indivi- | dual States was chiefly the property of the State in which it was ; raised—but when the liability became oppressive,, the revenues* became there venues of the* aggregated States. . Once admit the principle of a! Centralor General Government administration of tbe North Island, and a similar administration of the Middle Island becomes an inevitable • consequence, and equally inevitable is the abolition of separate landed estates. If we abolish Provincial distinctions in the North* Island, we must adopt in the language of the Colonial Treasurer, "a form of local Government in this- " Island such as is to be found in every "British colony from Canada to New " South" Wales arid Victoria." If our argument is sound, this effects the Middle Island also. In other words we must have a community of goods in both* Islands as one Colony. If this is desirable, then let us work* to that effect; if undesirable, then let us awake ir* time and decline any organic alteration which will most assuredly lead to such a conclusion—" Rest and be thankful" —should be ~New Zealand's motto for a time, at least, for if 'we dabble with the foundations too much, we may find the whole edifice tumbling* about our ears.. We cannot, however, divest our minds of the idea that there may be somefoundation for the opinions expressed by the opponents of the Government, viz., that foiled in its attempt to get a*. landed estate in the North Island under the Forest Act, the Government designs effecting its object, viz., the abolition of the North Island Provinces, and, thus as legal heir or trustees, becoming possessors of the landed estate bought by the Colony for theNorthern Island Provinces. If this be so, then what has been may be again,, and the Middle Island landed estate may follow in the wake of that of the North*. Island.