The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 559, 13 March 1858, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

Saturday, 3farch ISth. The approaching" Session of the General Assembly will be an important one. For the first .time a Responsible Ministry will meet the Legislature with a policy preriared during- the recess. In fact, it will be only on the opening of the next Session that Responsible Government in this colony will be fairly tried. So that, irrespective of the measures to be proposed, the proceedings of the Assembly will be watched with great interest in' all the provinces.

On the meeting' of the General Assembly for the first time-they found in office an Executive which, so for from having* matured any policy to be laid before the Houses, appeared to wish only to thwart the attempt to work Representative Institutions altogether. The ensuingl Sessions were spent in struggling through the difficulties of establishing a Government which might be said to represent the wishes of the colony, at least to some extent. A Government was at length constituted ; — their financial policy was adopted, and has so far succeeded; —they have had a fair time allowed them to establish them-. selves in their seats, and to understand the position and wants of the country, and (it is said) they have been working hard in preparation for meeting the Assembly. — Nous verrons. .■ "~

Until, the plans have been laid before the Assembly, it'would be premature to speculate upon their probable merits or demerits. We could wish thatv we were sending up a. fuller representation of this province, as so large a discretionary power must be left to the members. On some of the subjects of debate, such for instance as the Native question, they would not be so well prepared to form a judgment as the northern settlers. It is allowed, however, on all hands, that a more decisive policy might be adopted; and the South would be prepared to give every assistance in its power in the prosecution of such a policy. But the details of Native management must of course emanate from the North.

The three questions which appear to us chiefly to require the urgent interference of the South are those of l the Seat of the General Government,' the plan of 'InterProvincial Steam Communication/ and 1 the Tariff.' As to the first of these, it is vital, not only to the general prosperity of the colony but. to its unity. We might as well be governed from Sydney as from Auckland ; and it is quite absurd to expect that the important interests of the South are to be for ever thrown overboard for the convenience of one province. The Military and the Native Department may remain at Auckland, but there is no good reason for any longer mis-governing the colony from the extreme North. All the southern members will, it is to be hoped, sink minor differences to obtain this all important boon, a more Central Government. Notwithstanding the absurdity of the thing, let the Auckland people have a Lieut. Governor, if they like to pay him ; they seem desirous of the Beadledom of the thing. But, however the matter is settled, the change must be made. The South is getting too powerful now to be ignored and misgoverned—for delay in communication with the seat of- Government is misgovernment. The arrangements for the InterProvincial Steam Communication have also been based upon a determination to postpone all other interests to those of Auckland. We trust to the Wellington and Middle Island members to see that we get fair play.

The question of a change in the tariff is one which we propose to deal with again at greater length than we could here demote to the subject.