WHAT IS THE POLICY ?

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3039, 23 April 1867, Page 4

WHAT IS THE POLICY ?

To tht Editor of th» Daily Sotrmwt Caosb. Slß,— -Now that the Superintendenoy election is over, and in view of the approaching session of the 1 Aiaembly, surely it is time that something was known of what is to be the action of oar members. The late Superintendent, in his opening address to the Provincial Council, after mentioning the failure to obtain a leparate Government for Auckland, and expressing hit oonviction, confirmed by ezperience | that a Government, with full power, is essential to the peace and good government of this province, proceeds to say, " I have the fullest confidence that the united and unremitting exertions of the representatives of this province will speedily succeed in obtaining the object of our wishes." What are we to infer from, this? In his speech in the House of Representatives, in introducing his resolutions, Mr. Whitaker says : — "He would now proceed!" to conrider the remedies for the evils which, he trusted, he hid shown to exist. One remedy wai entire Separation (of Auckland), 1 with no federal junction ; another was a Provincial Government with extended powers' ; and another was that he w«b proposing." The' first* and latt «f these remedies may be considered definitely settled by the result of the debate on the resolutions ; the second remedy alone remains— Provincial Government, with extended powers. It may well be asked, then, what is to be the programme ? — a new scheme, or the sole remaining remedy of the three before mentioned, or Insular Separation? Mr. Wlritaker admits it may be a "remedy" to have Provincial' Governments with extended powers, but objects to them on the ground that he, for one, would not trust the Provincial Council and Superintendent of Auckland with the management of native affairs. This objection was completely answered by Mr. Stafford when he said: — "He would ask, if they had a Provincial Assembly, where he (Mr. W.) would get its members, if not from among the very men who formed that Council; and what right had he to throw dirt at those men as Provincial Councillors whom he would take his hat off to as members of the Provincial Assembly ?" Do all the other members share in this objection^ which is no objection at all ; and is it necessary that the Provincial Government should have legislative powers in native affairs ? We all know, that some great change is contemplated at bead-quarters.— Provincial Governments to be done away with, and ■ one central authority to be established. Perhaps the larger provinces may be provided with a resident member of the Government. Major Richardson Ti'as been airing himself in that capacity for the last year or two at Otago. The Defence Minister, being an Auckland member, might naturally be the Government representative here. Having nothing to do in his department at Wellington — for he has been lately trying to perform the oommandant's duty at Tauranga, and 'his Undersecretary has been travelling- in the interior getting a sheep-run— it would- come in very opportunely to find him employment. Possibly with General and Provincial .Government departments amalgamated in' some , shape under this or other representative of the central authority, are we j satisfied that there will arise good and sufficient government, and a -remedy for the evils that exist? Or wilHt~be better to hold by our Provincial Government, and make it strong ' for good, by having'delegated to the' Superintendent all necessary executive power and authority, and amalgamating, under him, theiGovemment departments ? ' These art questions which demand the attention of our members. Would the- polioy-rof Provincial Government, with extended executive powers, and a skeleton General Government, not meet the great difficulty, now arising*, of .getting members to proceed every year to Wellington ? A session every three years would then only be necessary. I come now to insular Separation. Is that to be the platform ? If so, under what conditions P At the meeting of the Northern Association, Mr. Firth recommends saying to the South that we are prepared to accept Separation on their own terms. What are they ? Not to our advantage, it may be very certain j and if we mean to be very foolish, is the other half of the Northern Island, Wellington, Taranaki, and Hawke'a Bay, not supposed to have any voice in this wholesale way of doing business? It is melancholy to Bee such wild inconsiderate sentiments put forward, and enough to make one despair altogether of this place. By the way, if correctly reported, Mr. Firth is made to say, " the Government at Wellington now tell us that when you want Separation you must take it on our terms. " This is news indeed. • I thought the Government opposed to Separation of any kind. Looking at the matter, as aomewhat of a practical man, I must confess my inability to understand where we ; are in this insular Separation question. It is all very well for the various speakers at this and kindred meetings to wind up each his speech^ with a stirring paragraph (amid cheers), expressing conviction that the thing will soon be done; but it requires something more to bring about. In politics, as in other matters in this place, ft is too much the fashion to take- things on trust. It will not do. Is there any organization among our members, acting in concert with Separationists at the South, so that the insular Separation scheme may be clearly put before the Assembly in all its relations, financial and otherwise, and' be fought out' on that basis? Without something of the land, or to expect combination and a plan of operation after the Assembly basinet, is mere folly. In mentioning the various subjects under review, I trust sufficient? hai been aaidto draw attention to them. — I am, &c, Cms. Auckland, April 20, 1867.