Page 5 Advertisements Column 2

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 100, 4 December 1852, Page 5

undertake the duties of a Member of Assembly, or whether, on the other hand, his presence on the spot may not be absolutely indispensable, while the Members elected for that particular purpose advocate in the Assembly the extension of Provincial powers, leaving the Superintendent to acquire, from letter or gazette, an understanding of the manner in which the Constitutional machine is to be worked, so soon as that point shall have been settled. 111. Members of Provincial Council. The choice is more easy in this case than in that of Members for the General Assembly: as the great majority of those likely to become Candidates can attend a Legislative Council held in the Settlement, without any great loss of time or money. The Council is to consist of as many Members, not less than nine, as the Governor may appoint. They will meet at such place and time as the Superintendent may appoint. They will have the making of laws for the Province on all subjects except the thirteen reserved for the General Assembly. They will vote the expenditure of the whole balance of revenue which may be returned to the Provincial Treasury, after this Province's share of the Civil List, and of the expenses authorised by the General Assembly, shall have been paid. They will vote the salaries of the Superintendent and of all other Provincial Officers. They will thus compel the Superintendent to carry on the Government of the Province in accordance with their wishes. Immediately on meeting, they will be able to make many useful laws on local subjects. The Society need only point out the subjects of Scab in Sheep, Fencing, and Cattle Trespass, as some of those on which new laws are urgently required ; tbe existing ones having been constructed long ago at Wellington or Auckland, by persons totally ignorant of local wants. It is true that, until the alterations above-mentioned shall ly|ve been effected in the Constitution, these new laws may be upset by the General Assembly. But, practically, that body will probably have enough to do in discussing subjects of general interest to the whole colony, and in determining what reforms in the Constitution maybe desirable and practicable : so that it will hardly interfere with such purely local subjects. By the 75th and 76th Clauses of the Act, it is made lawful for the Canterbury Association * to transfer to the Provincial Council of Canterbury all its functions, powers, and authorities, at such time, and upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon between the two bodies. The Provincial Council and Superintendent will have a very important task, in ascertaining from the Agent of the Association the exact state of its affairs, and determining whether its powers, authorities, and assets will be of sufficient advantage to the Province to render advisable the acceptance of its functions and liabilities. Should the Provincial Council refuse to accept them, the management of the waste lands within the block will revert, like those of the other provinces, to the General Assembly, until that body shall be disposed to give them up to the Provincial Governments. Even on subjects now reserved, and which may continue to be reserved, for the sole control of the General Assembly, the Provincial Council will probably collect evidence, and submit the opinion of the inhabitants to that Assembly. For instance, even though tbe management of the Post-office, Custom-house, and Waste lands, may be retained at Wellington, there can be no doubt that, if the officers of those departments should not perform their duties in a manner agreeable to the inhabitants, the remonstrances of such a body as tbe Provincial Council, accompanied by accurate and authentic description of the grievance, would have so much weight with the General Assembly as to obtain prompt and effectual redress. It is highly important, then, to choose men as your Provincial Members, whom you know to combine industry and sound knowledge of local affairs, with ability, uprightness, earnestness, and public spirit. It should be observed that the members of the House of Representatives are elected for five years, the Superintendent [and the members of the Provincial Council for four years. The Governor, however, has the same power of dissolving either the General Assembly or the Provincial Council, at any time, as her Majesty has of dissolving Parliament in England. A new election would then take place. (Vide