PROVINCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2140, 30 October 1867, Page 2

PROVINCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE LTTTELTON IMI'S Sir,—The Press of Saturday last commenced its leading article by saying that the GoTernment will probably reply, in answer to those who wish the Provincial Council to be summoned at once, that the public money has already been voted up to the end of March, and that, therefore, they can see no object in calling the Council together in November. Well, Sir, I think the above is a good and bona fide reason why the Council should no! be called together before March. Does the Fress mean to say it is not satisfied with the work of last session ? Did not the Press, at the olose of last session, glorify itself as the organ of the Opposition ? Did it not nay that the Opposition had it all their own way and that tue Government had been obliged to bend to them in every respect that they might keep office ? Most assuredly it did all this. And now, when the Press asks for an immediate session of the Council, while the appropriations are still current, one is tempted to ask whether, like the Timaru people, it has seen the evil of its ways ? Does the Press wish the Government to summon the Council together at once, in order that it may alter and undo what its own party has done, even before the Government has had time to arrange the affairs of Westland, in connection with the separation of that district from the province? Is there not a great deal of work connected with that business, and would it be wise of the Government to call the Council together before it is finally settled ? But, Sir, it is very plain that the Opposition want to have another growl—l cm call their opposition by no other name—hecause, when they had growled the Stewart Government out of office, they wanted Mr Stewart to help them to form another Government. They first called him and his Government "Moreporks," imbeciles, &c., &c, &c, and then asked for his assistance in forming a Government. Plain-minded people can draw no other conclusion from such conduct than this—that they themselves must have been worse than "Moreporks" to w an imbecile for his assistance. Mr Stewart very properly refused to join them; they hw turned his Government out, and it was their duty to form another to carry on the business of the province. Well. Sir, after a great deal of backing and fill" 1 * they managed to trump up another Government; and, in forty-eight hour?, («>' disputed amongst themselves and turnw themselves out. This may seem Strang; hut if your readers think even for a m went they will see that lam right. It must la« been the Opposition that, after getting mm power, turned itself out; for, by their own shewing, the Stewart Government or ?»"> was miserably weak, and therefore not in J position to do it. It was then that part ' the Opposition established themselves, i" 1 "' mind, as a contemptible lot of growlers, m only fit to be members of a Dirt and w» ness Club, which has already stunk in "j nostrils of every good citizen. ™>aw occurred to me that there were three W" in the Council-the Stewart, Jollie, aud "•• Growlers, or l'ress party. The Utter, would advise the public to keeptlieirt" upon, for their object is to abolish r<° m " institutions by throwing them »t° du V and making them as contemptible aspow ' In other words, they are doing their M » aid Mr -tafford in his centralising, <W views of Government. , , , . t| , e It seems'like a dream to imagine t»- 1 Council had to go hack to Mr Sfe«n formauother Government, but it >s n . true. To enable Mr Stewart to form Government, as you and your reader recollect, he had to be re-elected, i' then that I saw, in its full force, the i > listency of the l'ress. J ,lst lo 2'artr twisting and turning. It wm whose views the Press advocated man the Stewart Government out at w ■ same party which formed a Governm* broke down in forty-eight hours, tt party that persuaded Mr StewM' t fake office, and the same party ttoNW" his re-election. Was this not em>v ' vinceincorftnymauofcommo n «* ? the inconsistency of the Press and its ir of the Press to throw Proyinc al » [ 0i into confusion. It w» about this ■ , g that the late Editor of the 0 General Government appomtme nt fi !o rrytohave to allude to lm,' 1 because I think " people who «™ houses should not throw stones, »" jng the Prat and its friends are so fond [iU that some of the Stewart Got rnw he and keep office only for the iaw .„,,, salary. It is an old, and a very t* • . that "what is *«f„\ X is sauce for the gander- i ft l « vinc i«l the object of the Prat »to tu»» in institutions into con fusion, i w stance the Timaru an GW jnkli it advocated so strongly. Betore

well dry, before the bill has been brought into operation, the people inhabiting the district to which it applies are in a state of confusion. The Press, it is evident to ma, thinks nothing respectable but a General Gbvernmont and with that object in view its friends would sacrifice 'everything •in order to strengthen a despotic central Government, : . * And now, Sir, with your permission, I •will say a word or two to the representative of the Dirt and Darkness Club-that honourable hedgehog, who, in his place in the ProTincwl Council, and on the platform in the Town Hall, is very fond of accusing our Superintendent and the Stewart Government of robbery and jobbery in dealing with the public funds, while, by hj 8 own shewint*. they are too poor to have been robbers and jobbers! indeed they had no interest down soutb, no large run that could induce them to sacrifice their constituents in Christchurch for the benefit of the Tirnaru district. While this honourable gentleman was fighting for his own intereats-his valuable run down south-he blinded the public by telling them he would hold three meetings every week till every district in .the province got its just dues. Such a game may be a Winning one, but to the man who has played it I can only say—l know you now. Your obedient servant, COMMON SENSTO. Christchurch, Oct. 28.