The Clutha Leader. THURSDATY, MAY 13, 1875.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 44, 13 May 1875, Page 4

The Clutha Leader. THURSDATY, MAY 13, 1875.

The whole tone of the speech delivered by his JIonor ; the Superintendent, at the opening of the Provincial Council, goes to show that, he is sorely perplexed regarding the probable * issue of the abolition of provinces question. Lifting up his testimony against the proposal he says : — " It implies that the iad- " ministration of the waste lands, and " the settlement of the country, will be " placed under control of a power much " less directly responsible to and under " the eye ofthe people than at present," and, in further explanation, he goes on to say, in language which cannot; be misconstructed that the southern province's territorial estate will be hypothecated for general revenue purposes. How far these . apprehensions are well grounded or otherwise, we are not, prepared to say. One thing, however, may~bfr relied upon, that the proppsal as it* stands at present not only bears ho such construction on its face, "put on; the contrary, it is heralded by an express repudiation -of any such design., j It was, as our 'readers may, remember, first mooted in the Assembly during ithe, latter partx>f last session. It was put forward by the Hon Mr Vogel in 1 the following motion :-— " That this i liduse "is of opinion that taking the circum- " stances of the colony into cbnsiflera- " tion,, the provincial form of Gbyern- '? merit in tne North Island shouioj be 'f abolished ; and that in the measure ;«« giving^ effect to the same there sHpuld *' also be inqluded a provision cleclanng ,£' Wellinglfbn to be the seat of Gqyernr "^ent of \the cblpnjr, and for cpn'f:Bnu|n|f^the localization of the land '^revenß^hi accordance.. with ■ what is during., the reeess ; A •; . ,6oyeajniaent effect to ;%tfm < ab^y^resolutipp;"^ : We haveSere^ STil expreMgtipuJa|oß of; tß^lan^^indi r io^t&at' ithe; s nlaKn^pfi is; •.p^f^^Bß)i's9, annsj !tne '- : moum^pieceVis misconception of -^^oOhe j>roposedchs^j^t. fhe whpie^npß otkhe -supppr'ted -^ Ration of ttt&lah^leSueyh^O: mnd^mentot m^Wt^mmmMWoT, .^ler'sl :#eeW tfTiSfe < ffisL% asi J< ti^^fen^^venWal^f^Ste '^'idea wliaie^er <n^ffivwft( uppr^mel

" contingent, consequent upon carrying " out that policy. The Government are '* perfectly willing that the trunk rail"ways shall be constructed through "both islands j that the ten million " loan authorised for public works shall "bo borrowed and expended, and be " charged upon consolidated revenue.'" In another part of the speech he says : ." We have all heard lobby rumors, and " we know it has been stated, that these u resolutions, are an attack upon the "■ Middle Island land fund. I most " emphatically deny that they are any- " thing' ofthe kind ; and I do not think " there is any reason why the Superin- " tendents of the great provinces of the " Middle. Island and the members of *' their Executives should be so bitterly ct opposed to these proposals. I re- " pudiate any and every assertion that " there is involved anything calculated "to attack or tr> render insecure the u land fund of these provinces." These , may be designated in a general way the negative virtues of the proposed change as stated by the promoter. It will not be out of place to mention a few of iis- positive featuresas put forward by the same authority. The Colonial Treasurer has not only to finance for the colony, but practically speaking he is called upon to finance for the provinces likewise. - The history of tbe last few years- has. been to a great extent a series of expedients designed for maintaining the provinces in such a manner as to enable the General Government, with . their consent, to carry on the policy of immigration and public works. In view of these facts, says the Premier, " I am compelled to think that it would

"be easier if the Colonial Treasurer " were recognised as financier for the " whole colony, instead of being in fact "financier-general for a. number of *' separate Governments, under circum- " stances which really amout to this : "That the Colonial Government have "to perform the unpopular task of! " asking this house for exceptional assistances, and obtaining them not " from the tjpnviction of members, but " because, see no other course open " or possible 'than to follow the lead of " the Government in the matter." In further support of the premises, ifc was argued that provincial divisions in their geographical limits are of such a naturethat the provinces absolutely throw biuderances in the way of, instead of assisting, the settlement of the interior. The provinces have to look to their immediate centres of population. That view ofthe question wasput^efore, the Assembly in the following - tefsS' language : — " If a Provincial Government .'• contemplates works reaching to or " near to their boundaries, they arf " checked by the reflection that perhapk " after all they would only. be. spending! " money for the benefit of another pro- " vince. After the, colony has opened "up its interior roads at much ex"pense, the. provinces decline in some " cases to take them over — will not " maintain them. I think lam right "in saying that the estimates. recently '* brought down by the Minister for " Public Works include votes for main- " tiaining some of these roads which the "provinces will not maintain.'' These are a few of the leading arguments put forward in support of the proposed change. Admissions have been made to show that even their bitterest opponents. agree in the opinion that; the time has come when some radical change pr another must be made in the political constitution, and that it will be impossible for provincialism to maintain the precarious existence it has. been doing for a long time past. On* the other hand, we are not prepared to!saythat the resolutions put forward by; the Premier indicate the best remedy which could be devised under the circumstances. The filling up of details is to momentous,. a question to be left for adjustment upon sUch a mere skeleton basis as that set forth in the resolutions. This^ was evidently the. view taken by the Provincial Council when, in reply to, his Honor's address, they said:—•'We concur in the opinion that any "organic change of the constitution "ought tb be made in a carefiilly "guarded manner, and only after due "deliberation, and that we should be " better informed as to what b%ahiiza- " tion is proposed to supersede j the " existing institutions before agreeing " to any change.''