REFORMING THE CONSTITUTION.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1691, 5 January 1874, Page 4

REFORMING THE CONSTITUTION.

The .New Zealand, Hergldj speaking of the 'efforts made by New Zealand statesmen to amend [?] the "Constitution; given the Colony' by the British 'Government, 6a y 3 : __" Getting, little by lit^e, . the, power from the 'lmperial Parliament to disregard ; the provisions of the ImperialAct) they "have abused : . this power in ,a manner-conclusively showing their, unfitness for {he* task. ' The representation has been,^allowed to become full of glaring anoinaliesi without principle or .equity. The Land Fund has been alienated, from the Colony to whom it was fiiven and handedover to the' respective ' Provinces; The'Civil ; -Lißt has been.alteiied, and \3xe. amount 1 vWy materially increased. More , than all, and* at. the -rof.t.ot cv.cry evil which the Colony has since suffered, we have ;the ; number; of representa^ves -An*< creased .^iieedlessly ' and . m ischievbusly ! from!42;toßo. To bring together so large 1 a body, the highways' and-,by\v'ays'J of -tht^ 1 world hav*e tobe sWept, and the downward .course^of the AflEaembly is the clear result. Year by year its proceedings create greaiter y mistrust,' its Extravagance fncfeas'es,' arid: its statesmanship l degenerates ititb' ' more shameless trickery. The, people who elect these representative's lose their hold over/ them as 'soon 'as the elections are' over},aridi they meet in 'Wellington prac-^ tically irresponsible, and not onlyclaiming but possessing the right to play with the Cofistitatibh," and to tinker 'it* as they please." .-..Y\,\&