THE HAWKE'S BAY HERALD. Napier, Saturday, March 6, 1858.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 1, Issue 24, 6 March 1858, Page 2

THE HAWKE'S BAY HERALD. Napier, Saturday, March 6, 1858.

The General Assembly is on the eve of meeting— a circumstance which deserves to be regarded with a degree of interest by every one, for never since the commencement of the Colony did it stand more in need of able and decisive measures, and of an efficient administration — it being in a condition at the present moment to receive with important effect an impulsion either in the right or wrong direction. It is to be hoped that those to whom has been delegated the task of government — whether in a legislative or administrative capacity — will be impressed with an adequate conviction of their duty and responsibility, and of the honesty and singleness of purpose with which such duty ought to be discharged. It appears almost certain that, within a short period, a question will, in some shape or other, be brought on for discussion, and for determination by the Assembly — a question the importance of which, as well as the interests and feelings raised on either side, will, in all probability, be the means of ranging the members into two distinct parties, with determined fronts of opposition to each other. Ths question we allude to is that of such an alteration in the Constitution as will give us an efficient controlling central authority, in contradistinction to that which seems incompatible with the best interests of the colony — the extensive powers now possessed by the Provincial Governments. Regarding the two parties whose existence we thus look forward to, may we not, without being obnoxious to the charge of an unwarrantable assumption, or of an arbitrary petitio principii, assign to each various mottoes, as truly characterising their respective policies. To the one side — that of the advocates of central authority — we may assign as follows : — necessary subordination ; uniformity ; the general good ; homogeneous legislation ; the sentiments and union of nationality ; stability and certainty, with the full effect of real and substantial liberty. On the other side we see Provincial assumption ; factious, egotistical, opposition ; a number of petty states, imperium in imperio ; local contention, dis -. cord, and turmoil ; the Provincial Council an arena for vulgar, self-seeking combatants, instead of a beneficial institution for the public good ; petty tyranny ; unjust centralization ; provincial, instead of a national feeling ; heterogeneous legislation ; uncertainty ; loss of repute ; a show of liberty, ineffectual for good. As apposite to the subject of those observations, many of our readers will recal to mind the address delivered by Colonel Wynyard, then administering the government, upon the opening of the first session of the General Assembly after the receipt of a representative constitution for the colony. In that address — at the risk of unpopularity — the Colonel did not hesitate to. express apprehension as to the harmonious working of the new system ; nor strongly to urge, as the best safeguard to the colony, that its legislation should be to make "New Zealand become one great nation, instead of a collection of insignificant, divided, and powerless petty states," — to "mould its "various provinces into one united people,"

—to "create amongst them a feeling of common sympathy and the pride of a common nationality," — to "unite them by a feeling of common patriotism," to "subject them to one general authority and the same law." But what has been the response, as furnished by the conduct of the leading legislators of the colony, to this just and eloquent adanonition and caution? We fear we but state the simple truth in saying that their actions have tended to precipitate, instead of to guard against, the danger ; and that the evil effects are hut too apparent at the present moment. To those, therefore, who are really anxious for the well-being of their adopted country, and who are imbued with an amount of right feeling sufficient to enable them to value their own success the more because of its resulting from circumstances not inimical to the general progress and prosperity, — we think the line of duty is clear. And we trust that, during next session of the General Assembly, yielding to the influence of public opinion, the provisions of the Amended Act will be taken advantage of to effect a "radical reform" in the government of this rising colony.