The Arrow Observer AND LAKES DISTRICT CHRONICLE. Arrowtown, Friday, April 19, 1872.

Lake County Press, Issue 46, 19 April 1872, Page 2

The Arrow Observer AND LAKES DISTRICT CHRONICLE. Arrowtown, Friday, April 19, 1872.

The election of members to represent this district in the Provincial Council draws our attention to the present status of that body, and induces speculations as to its future prospects. For a long time pas: it has been seen that the Provincial system could not much longer hold its own, and the question occupying attention has been, not so much whether it should be abolished or not. but in what way least injurious to public interests its extinction could be brought about. There has been, as might be expected, a variety of rumors as to the intentions of the General Government on this subject. A Northern contemporary gives it on reliable an* horily that Mr. Vogel has in his possession a draft of a new Constitution Act, which the Government will submit to the Legislature next session. Yet from the West Coast—in answer to a deputation praying for the abolition of the Provincial system the Premier is reported as having avoided giving a definite undertaking on that point, but intimated that it a change was wished for, it rested with the people of the Colony to indicate the mode and direction in which such a change should be carried out. A large section of the Colonial Press appear to accept it as a foregone con elusion thaton the meeting of Parliament a.resolution affirming the expediency of doing away with Provincial Governments will be brought forward by the Ministry, who will be prepared with a scheme for uniting all the various Pro vinces into one Government. We ourselves anticipate a different course of action. We must hear in mind the fact that there is at the present time a very large amount of work that will have to be got through with next session. Public works and the Bjrogden contracts, the Education Bill, a Gold Fields Bill, and other measures will occupy so much lime that we can hardK expect, on this ground, that action wiil be taken on a matter so important as a fundamental change of the form of government. Apart from this, we think it unlikely that any immediate step towanla abolishing the Proyincial

system is contemplated by the Government, but that its policy will rather be to prop up the ricketty structure, and enable it to perform such functions as cannot at the present moment, without danger and inconvenience to the public interests, be assumed by itself. It will probably, in accordance with its past policy, continue quietly to absorb, one to'one,"“the various functions of Provincial Legislatures. Education is a late example of this; Emigration is another; and we may be sure it will not be long before the Gold Fields follow suit. By this gradual, yet statesmanlike, process, the shock of*upselting a long-established order of things is averted ; Provincial Governments will come to grief—as come they ought—but not from rough treatment and attack from without, but through internal weakness and inanition. If this be a correct exposition of the policy of the General Government as regards Provincial Institutions (and Mr Fox’s words, before referred to, are consistent with this interpretation) then it is not to be expected that the initiative of a fundamental change will at present be undertaken by the General Government. That duty is cleverly thrown on the Provinces, who will be at liberty lo retain or divest themselves as they may please of the expensivetrappings and luxuries which for a long time they have enjoyed under Provincial rule. But the absurdity of carrying on public business, under the altered circumstances, iu the same pretentious manner as has hitherto been done will soon become apparent. Deprived, in a great measure, of legislative functions, our Council—shorn of at least half its members—will apply itself with greater freedom to matters of administration ; autl although its early dissolution is inevitable, it will in the meantime have rendered no unimportant service if it paves the way for an easy exchange of one form of Government for another, and contrives that the interests of this Province shall suffer as little as possible by the transition.