The Lyttelton Times. SATURDAY, July 19, 1851.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 28, 19 July 1851, Page 5

The Lyttelton Times. SATURDAY, July 19, 1851.

It has never yet been our task to publish «o much material for the anxious thought of the settlers at Canterbury as that which appears in our columns to day. But the •übject of the most pressing importance is that which is brought before us in a correspondence between Mr. Godley and the Go-■vernor-in-Chief, relating to the erection of '*■ this settlement in to an independent province. It would seem that Mr. Godley has beenadtrised by the Association in England, that Lord Grey has left the decision of this important question wholly to the decision of the Governor; he therefore writes to his Excellency, to urge the fulfilment of the expectations in which we were led so confidently to indulge, that our settlement should febe permitted to manage its own affairs. j/i Sir George Grey's answer is distinct and ! satisfactory. His Excellency "can only »ay, that it will in this case, as in all others, in which he can properly do so, afford him great pleasure to conform to the well-ascer-tained wishes of the settlers in the Canterbury block; and therefore, if the power '

is left in his hands, His Excellency will, if they desire such a course to be pursued, raise no objection to the block of land, at present vested in the Canterbury Association by Act of Parliament, being erected into a separate province." We believe no sentence could have been penned by the Colonial Secretary which would have been read with more entire satisfaction than this, by the settlers in this district, because, of all the important questions, upon the satisfactory adjustment of which the future prosperity of the settlement will depend, there is not one of such moment as the establishment of a local legislature.

Our readers will have learnt that a good deal of discussion has arisen upon the subject of Provincial Legislatures. LieutenantGovernor Eyre, in the able speech which he delivered in the General Legislative Council, has stated, that the opinion of most of the inhabitants of the Southern Province of New Zealand is opposed to the multiplication of Provincial Governments, and is in favour of one General Parliament for the whole of New Zealand, each settlement composing a separate municipality, with extensive municipal powers .and privileges ; and he supported his opinion by a memorial from the inhabitants of Nelson.

We speak with great diffidence in differing from the Lieutenant-Governor and from our friends at Nelson, on this point; but there seems to us to have been too much stress laid upon a name. It is not of much importance whether the Local Governments are called provincial or municipal. The real question is, what powers are to be placed in their hands ? and, without approving entirely of the line of demarcation proposed by the Government to be drawn between the General and Provincial Legislatures, we think the latter, call them provincial or municipal, ought to have all the powers, at least, which the Government proposes to give them.

,The only valid objection raised to the Provincial form of Go%'ernment is, that it is extravagantly and needlessly costly. But is it necessarily so ? Let us take our own case. Suppose our settlement were declared to be a separate Province from this time. What necessity is there that government should be in any single respect more expensive than at present? The Governor-in-Chief says that he does not contemplate a Lieutenant-Governor in each province. That a Superintendent would be sufficient. If this means that the head of government should not have an extravagant salary, we cordially agree in this view; otherwise it is of little importance what title is fixed upon. It is quite true that there are as many departments of government necessary in a small as in a large state, but tie secret of economy in a young settlement lies in this—compelling one official to do the duties of several departments, as long as there is not sufficient work to occupy his whole time in each. In Lyttelton the duties of Collector of Customs, Treasurer, and Postmaster were for some time all performed by one gentleman. When the colonists arrived, the work became excessive, and the post office department was separated. So it may be in all departments of government. The increase of official labour is invariably co-ordir nate with the increase of revenue ; so that as the necessity for increasing officials arises, the means of paying them is provided. The only error to be avoided is the creation of a large number of officials at the heads of departments, each with little to do, and a full salary to receive. For example, it would be monstrous to erect a Supreme Court at Canterbury, and to appoint a Judge receiving 8001. a year, when there would not probably be half a dozen causes tried before him in the year. Would it not be better to

pay the Judge at Wellington a certain sum for B holding two or more circuits in the year.;at Lyttelton, until the business in the Supreme Court here should require the whole attention of a resident. Judge. We cannot conceive any necessity for increasing the cost of govern-, ment one farthing, by the erection of our settlement into an independent province, farther than the simple machinery of the Legislative Council itself would demand.

On the other hand, the advantages we should derive from this arrangement it is surely needless for us to enumerate. The right of expending the surplus revenues of the settlement would alone render it an immeasurable benefit.'—the mere removal of the chance of our surplus funds being spent at Wellington, Nelson, or Auckland. Add to this the appointment of the officials of the colony from amongst ourselves—the being enabled to pass local laws for ourselvesi — suited to the character of the country, and the wants of its inhabitants —the {[removal of all the delays, misunderstandings, and vexations which inevitably arise from a distant governing power in local matters —and last, but not least, let it be remembered that under the Minute of the Managing Committee, dated May 26th, 1850, the Association have undertaken to resign all interference with the local and municipal affairs of the settlement, as soon as a local legislature shall be legally constituted.

His Excellency has virtually called upon the settlers at Canterbury to express their views on this subject. All he desires is their well ascertained opinions, and the matter will be settled. It would be superfluous in us to suggest even what we ought to do ; we have no fear that our fellow colonists will remain silent to this appeal, comirxg from the representative of Her Majesty. Constituent powers are placed in our hands, to accept a machinery, at all events partially satisfactory» for managing our own affairs, or to leave them entirely to a distant authority.

The press of matter which has come to hand compels us to postpone, until next week, any remarks upon the monstrous and uncalled for attack which his Excellency has made, in the Legislative Council, upon the Canterbury Settlement,