THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXI, Issue 2582, 27 October 1865, Page 4

THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

Having disposed of tho Superintendency question, and elected a very able gentleman to that important trust, the electors must now turn their attention to the equally important subject of electing a Council which, shall bo worthy of ruling the destinies of tbis great province. The truth is a self-evident one that in no period of the history of the province has there been such a necessity for electing intelligent and trustworthy representatives. The responsibility of meeting this necessity appears to us to devolve upon those men who Lave the capacity and time to devote to the duties of Provincial Councilors, and upon the electors generally. If tho electors are ready and willing to return good mon, the good men must not be bashful, or, what is likely to be more frequently the case, must not scruple to sacrifice their personal convenience a little for the public good. It has been asserted by our enemies that there arc but few men in this province of good legislative ability: and it must unquestionably bo admitted that if we are to judge from the capacity of a largo number of the members of the lato Provincial Council, this assortion appears to carry some truth with it. We do not blamo those members who, not being qualified for the position of legislators, came forward and wero elected. Men are not apt to undervalue their qualifications for any particular post, and tho best teßt to an aspiring candidate was his election, often without a contest, to the vacant seat. The blame in such cases rested with tho electors, in not being more careful to roturn competent representatives. We believe, however, that tho province is not deficient of men of good sterling capacity for directing its Government, but the misfortune has been that either these men have been deficient in public spirit, or have comforted themselves with the belief that no emergency had arisen to demand their services. This want of public spirit has been very apparent iv Auckland, and perhaps a good deal of it is owing to the engrossing cares of business, or an inordinate desire to make monoy. In some colonies the tendency is to the other extreme, and politics become to some a trade, and with a largo proportion of tho people a recreation. In Auckland, however, wo have been so intent upon our own personal gains, or, to put it in a more polite and inoffensive form, wo have been such a commercial community, that we have neglected those important rosponsibilities in respect to the welfare of the State which it ia the bounden duty of every member of it to endeavour to fulfil. It would take but very little reasoning to prove that this was a very shortBighted course of action. Lulled into a state of security by the fact that, however mismanaged were tho affairs of tho province, however misrepresented we were in the General Assembly, Auckland remained buoyant, we neglected to provide the remedy. The removal of tho seat of Government was a contingency which, with ordinary foresight, might havebeen foreseen; and tve believe that there are few who will not admit that, if the province had taken earnest and energetic action upon it in time, wo should either have been able to have kept the Government here, or, failing in that, that a domand for Separation would have been acceded to. When the horse was stolen, however, we took care to shut the stable door ; and although Separation -will continue to be the watchword of the province, it will probably take long and incessant agitation to accomplish' that which, by a

little foresight, iniglil; hare been accomplished long'ago'. "■ ' But tof turn'to'the'futuk/ai it 'ref gards the impending Provincial, Council" elections, we believe that no more favourable opportunity will ever occur for the electors to return suitable men to represent them. By the election of Mr. Whitaker as Superintendent they have only half done their work. They have the painful experience of how inharmoniously the late Provincial Council and the Superintendent and his Executive worked, often greatly to the delay of the public business. The same want of unanimity, or at least cordial relations, between the Superintendent and the Council may occur in the future ; and although, where there is something in the shape of a divided responsibility, we cannot ■ provide with certainty against arecurrenoeof this evil, we may do a great deal towards it by electing a Council who will not willingly impede the public business on trivial grounds. What the electors are now called upon to do is to vote, irrespective of personal feeling, for those men whom they believe to be most competent to conduct the public business of the province. Already one meeting has been held to test the feeling of the electors, and a second is to take place this evening. This is the most popular and effectual mode of bringing out the 'dormant sentiments of the electors, and it 13 particularly necessary in this community, where politics, however much discussed at the street corners and over the dinner table, do not usually, if we except the question of Separation, produce that amount of excitement which culminates in mass meetings, and stirring orations from the public platform.

At seven o'clock last evening a publio meeting of the electors of Auckland City East was held in Mr. Dr. Graham's now warehouse, Vulcan-lane, for the purpose of nominating three candidates to represent that ward in the Provincial Council. There was a large attendance of electors. Mr. D. Burn presided. The gentlemen unanimously nominated were Messrs. John Watson Bain, Richaid Ridings and Thomas Russell, M.G.A. Messr3. T. Macready and D. Graham were proposed, but those gentlemen respectfully declined for the reasons stated in our report of the proceedings. The utmost harmony and "good feeling prevailed during the meeting. The half-yearly general meeting of the Bank of New Zealaud will be held at nosn to-day, when the report of the directors will be pressnted, and other business that may be brought forward tramacted. The bazaar in tho Odd Pellowa' Hall in aid of tho fund for the enlargement and improvement of St. Patrick's Cathedral was continued yesterday. The attendance was good, especially in the eveniug, and a brisk business was done. The bazaar will be kept opeu to day for the disposal of the remainder of the artioles, doubtless at an alarming sacrifice. No less than fifty tons of ammunition were brought into Auckland from the Front on Wednesday afternoon. It wai conveyed in fifteen drays, and deposited in the magazina in Albert Banacks. About an equal quantity yet remains to be brought down. It is said by eminent authorities on the subject that our relations with the natives in the Waikato and elsewhere are of so cordial a nature that, for the future, only a few blank cartridges will be retained to keep them in order. Hence the removal, with this exception, of the ammunition to Auckland. A public meeting in reference to the Parnell election will be held this evening, at half-past seven o'clock, in the Dramatic Hall, Parnell. Tho Council of the Northern Association will meet to-day at three o'clock, for important business. The Superintendent will receive fresh tenders until noon of Tuesday, the 7fch proximo, for the erection of an extension of the wharf at Stokes's Point. Judgment was given by his Worship yesterday in the case of Wallace v. Waters, the evidence taken in which was reported some days ago. The plaintiff hail bought some sheep, sold by Mr. Bucklaud at Otahuhu for Mr. Wateie, which subsequently turned out to be infected with scab. His Worship gave Judgment for Mr. Waters, on the giound that Mr. Wallace had had full opportunity of examining the sheep before he purchased them, and thut it had not been proved that Mr. Waters was aware that his sheep were infected with scab. We call attention again to the second meet of the Garrison Hunt, which is to t»ko place to-day at 1 o'clock, from the Criterion Hotel, Otahuhu. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, a man named Jennings brought an action against Mrs. Furley, of the Exchange Hotel, Onehunga, for the value of a swag he had left in the hotel. His Worship gave judgment against the plaiutiff on the ground that tho evidence did not prove that he was a guest. The London coi respondent of the Nehon Colonist gives the following item :—: — " From Rome tbere corner a report that the Popo ha* formed a project which will cause the greatet excitement throughout the Catholic world. We are told that Pius IX. was much struck by the f6te<3 at Florence in honour of Dante, and he has resolved next year to celebrate the eighteenth secular auuivewary of the martyrdom of St. Peter (crucified Ad. 66) at Rome. The Catholic bishops of the whole woild are to be summoned to tho canonisation with which the celebration will commence ; and Pius IX. wishes the whole of the Catholic laity— that is to say, all the faithful of the five parts of tho globe— to be invited. The invitations to tho bishops will be sent out iii November; and each bishop is, iv his turn, to call upon so many of the faithful of his diocese as can do so to undertake a pilgrimage to the Eternal City. It is added that 'important measures' will be taken on this occasion, and that an oecumenical council will be held. Not being in the Pope's secrets, we must wait the denouement of this eventful prospeot and iti accompanying 'importaut measures.' " A man named Patrick Doyle was apprehended yesterday and lodged in the Police-office, on several charges of hor&e-stealing. Information had been given to the Commissioner of Police that several horses had been lately stolen from paddocks in tho vicinity of the town, and it is believed that Doyle has been the person concerned. The accused, it is ■aid, i« a soldier, and has only lately come out of the Stockade, where he had undergone a term of imprisonment. Three sailors, of the barque 'Sir George Grey' were charged, at the Police Court yesterday, with having been drunk and disorderly on board that vessel, and having pleaded guilty, were sentenced to pay a line of 40a , or to undergo seven days' imprisonment. One of them, named Burns, was also charged with disobedience of orders, and will be brought up again at the expiratiou of his term of imprisonment for being drunk. It is in contemplation to hold a tocial re-union of the members of the Mechanics' Institute some time in the eniuiug month. A committee has been appointed to makn the necessary arrangements for carrying this purpose into effect, consisting of the following gentlemen :— Messrs. Eastwood, Brown, Myers, Whytlaw, and the Secretary of the institute. Due notification will ba given, by advertisement, of time and place of such meeting, together with a programme of the projected entertainment. It is certainly desirable that additional vitality should be infused into this institution by means of social gatherings, lectures, and classes, in order to further the objects for which it was inaugurated, and to put us— approximately, at least — on » par with similar flourishing institutions in the sister colonies. A plasterer, named Ayery, brought an action in the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, against Mr. Sibbin for the value of the plaster work done in Mr. Sibbin's building at the time it fell. The ease was adjourned till Monday for the production of the contract between the parties ; aud another action will also be tried on that day in which Avery sues for £50 damages for not being enabled to complete his contract.