The Clutha Leader. THURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 1875

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 63, 23 September 1875, Page 5

The Clutha Leader. THURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 1875

There can be bo doubt that prevailing' j public opinion is -against the course pursued by tbe Government and itsmajority in the Hoiiae of Representatives in pressing- the. Abolition Bill. Public opinion may be divided on the question of the necessity or expediency, of continuing the present existing proyincial divisions of the colony, with their : respective legislative and executive, authorities. Both Provineialisfcs and Centralists among the people generally coincide in this, that constitutionally the Government tmd ' their supporters are wrong in seeking- to have passed into law a: bill that revolutionises the con-, stitution, and doing: this without tha. electors having been apprised of the , ; changes proposed, and the opportunity given them -of declaring their opinion . thereon, according to tho recognised mode of representative Government. , That mode -is -.a-; new election of the: representative body— an election with the. new question, implying a great and., important change, as the testing, point on which the votes of, the electors are given. Anyone acquainted with the, history of tbe 'British Parliament, after, which that of New Zealand is fashioned, is well aware that rarely has a Parlia-f ment lived its full age ; that long hefpre its _legal period of existence had., run, great .questions have arisen affecting most important interests in the ;Sta,tej and .involving radical changes in the - working pf public matters : that tho^ questions bave been made the subject "of debate on' the. floor °('. th®\ Mouse .of. Common 8,, , a nd ; ; that in order : to tfieir settlement Parliament ,is dissolved, a ; new eleption ( is ordered/, by ; the^ new . j?.. .-**£ ■•fci

rest." ;ThHis~tftte~rerffesßntatav* government. ' Are' We tor b^ denied this ? WiU the people submit to' be robbedJof this right to be heard in the only constitutional way; their voice in the Government can be heard ?* : We cannot believe they will. Still the apathy of the people is great,- and that apathy is giving encouragement to a Government that has virtually assumed the role ofthe Dictator, and: asa Russian Czar, oi* a French Emperor considers that itself is every thing, and the people nothing, assuming to itself the power to dictate to the people, not to follow out thir wishes. But while that apathy gives encouragement to an autocratic government, it is a discouragement to the noble band ' that constitute the minority in the House of Representatives, who are righting at a great disadvantage and by great sacrifices the peoples' battle, and very largely the battle of the people of Otago, whose interests are greatly at stake and exceedingly endangered by the Abolition Bill as drawn up by the Government. We fear the public of Otago are not sufficiently alive to this, otherwise they would make a greater stir than they do. This is to a large extent due to the trimming course pursued by our leading journals, whereby much of the injury that will ensue to Otago if the Bill passes with its present provisions, is not fully disclosed to public gaze. Were this done we are persuaded that from Waitaki to Kiverton there would be one universal shout of opposition so deep, so loud, that strong as the Government is, with its expectant majority, it would wsile from its presentdaring and tyrannical course. Major Atkinson's latest statement makes it clear that in two years our land fund will all- be required to meet our provincial and our share in the General Government debt, leaving nothing for further public works, immigration, Hoad Boards' assistance, &c. And it' it be thus with Otago arid Canterbury, what will it be. with the Northern Provinces that have either no or little land fund, and which bave like debts to meet as ourselves; These debts must be met, and met they can only be from tbe consolidated fund, which comes chiefly from the Customs of Otago and Canterbury, which just means that these two provinces must mainly support the others. If Major Atkinson's estimate be correct, then of very necessity bis promises of grants to municipalities and road districts as the rewards to the provinces for their abolition are no where, and the Bill is. an actual deception. We do not adopt his vaticinations. But -there is an amount of truth about them as to make the matter of abolition as proposed by the Government a matter of considerable alarm to Otago. We are fully persuaded that tbe means at the command of Otago, if left to the management of our present local authorities, are sufficient to meet all liabilities, and to aid in the further increase of public works, railways, bridges, roads, etc. Bar it these are allowed to be swallowed up isi the vortex of a General Government, then indeed we may say farewell to all further advancement. To borrowfurther is impossible; and were it possible,' would but increase the difficulties of the situation, .resulting in what would bring but disgrace — repudiation. The true solution is not abolition of the provinces, but the restriction of the General or Federation Government' to the limits assigned to it by the constitution, and the giving to provinces the powers, and rights, and privileges, and objects accorded to them by the.vonstitution, ami on which the General or Federal Government h.is so largely infringed. Were this course adopted, larger funds would be at the disposal off this and all the other provinces,, the General Government would havej infinitely less to engage itself, and the large departmental expense entailed by that Government-be-set free for the good of all the provinces. Then would Auckland rise from its present depressed condition, and Otaigomove on with increasing strides along the road to progress on which despite all obstacles, she has entered. Far otherwise will it be if, instead of this, abolition as proposed by the Government be the order of the day — immigration must- cease, road board subsidies will be an impossibility, niid pur' public works present the fate of the man who. began to build but was not able to finish. What ■ then is to be done ? Let . the public voice be heard, and let preparation .be made everywhere for the securing the return to next' Parliament of men who shall be' true to the constitution of New Zealand. . ' ■•-.•! • ; y

In th© presence of the large organic changes which, are contemplated by the -Abolition Bill now imder.fconsideratipn in the; House pf representatives, it is the bounden dutyof the Press of the JColony to, aid: all parties by supplying 'them with the 'necessary data tor arriving at a. sound : conclusion, and toavbid , the expression, qf those irritating sentiments which tend <to disturb the judg-^, * ment. There has heea a yastde^l top ! much of perspnal 'abuse arid persqnal inuendo. j It r is [time, now that Parlia- ; . ment shpuldj settle tiownr to, a calmin--yestigatipnyof. facts and. .arguments., .Wer willingly, do, the Government jlis,-,. < tice .to-say^ jnat ,in^.hringipg.in the JBjll,! ,for ; abolition of the. Provinces, t^iey^ jbuifpilowedUj'e opinion ; off a. majority f pf the peqpie .lyjia .rightly ..or,! wrpogly^ .'desired i.cb l a^g^ L in.;Bpnae djrf^iop'j. pjjf; .having ; said J this, we must radhere.^o [

our Ojlinion/lhat~iti''i«_ftm]^~'a^'l^'ig|ir to tU# country, 1 thef 'did that which was J not' creditable J tdkheir' judgment j ' for, looking' to their follower^ tliey f tfaw : but a mixed multitude 1 -who wereiihited--on one point' ,only- ; and whb,y so ''soon as« that point wfcs gained, ''■ would disperse into isolated bodies, arid would carry on the work of reconstruction' according to their several whim's. To Sir George Grey and his firm phalanx of supportersj men, of note and indomitable 'resolution) the country owes very much, and to both Government and Opposition we have reason to bo grateful that amidst the strife of tongues and angry turbulence they accepted a compromise which terminated scenes which the Parliament of New Zealand has never before witnessed. We wish we could look as hopefully on the future, but from what we~hear, the elements of discord are at work disintegrating both parties. The proceedings of the 16th gave us a foretaste of what is to happen. The Superintendent of Otago, wisely alive to coming events, and resolved toipre- : serve what he could from the wreck, introduced sometime since tw;o< Bills to secure the landed estate of Otago, and then the Government, alive to the necessity of conciliating the large provinces, accepted the new position, and expressed its determination to go further in the same direction. But the debates of the 16th shew that repentance followed upon reflection, and when Mr Macandrew moved an addition to a clause providing for the safe custody of these lands and education reserves by an independent board, the Government recoiled and rather pitiously asked that the question might be relegated to a future session. Immediately the fears of the supporters of , the Government and of the Opposition from Otago, Canterbury, and Nelson were aroused, and the Government was forced again to change front and grant what they willingly would have rejected. So soon as the building up commenced, the majority became a minority, and unless the Government yield on every such point, its supporters will dwindle down to a mere shadow. Shortly the question of the finance of this organic change will be debated, and then we may learn something which will arrest the attention of the people, if they are to be awakened to the consideration of the future. What is now done will be very difficult to be undone, when the Governor's assent to the Bill is given, and its corninn into operation is proclaimed. From what we learn from all quarter?, our district has reason to be proud of its representative. He has shown himself faithful in opposition,' sound, shrewd, and able in debate, and incessant in his duty to his constituency, tfo doubt the district will recognise and reward such faithfulness by returning him unopposed to the next and most important Parliament. We cannot now touch on the other questions which are at present occupying* the attention of Select Committees, but we have reason to believe that much good will come from the thorough investigation now going on. ' ■