THE Marlborough Express SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1869.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 153, 16 January 1869, Page 3

THE Marlborough Express

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1869.

“ Gtva me the liberty to know, to utter, and to.-rgue freely according- to conscience, above all other liberties.” —Milton.

The remarks made at Renwicktown by Mr. Collie on Monday last, induce us to recur to the great question of the day, Provincial versus Central Government. He very justly observed that “the barque of Provincialism had never been fairly launched in this Province,” The present depressed state of Marlborough is clearly owing to the gross injustice to which we have so long as a people been subjected. While we fully agree with many of our correspondents, that economical reforms might be effected in some departments of the Provincial Government with conside rable advantage to the community, we are nevertheless convinced that the cost of Local—or as it is termed, Provincial—Government would have been as nothing to us, compared with the loss of Revenue which a combination of circumstances has forced upon us. The words of Jeremy Bentham have become a truism, familiar to every tongue, that the object of all Government is “the greatest happiness to the greatest number,” and to this we may add, —the protection of the weak against the strong. Whether that object has been attained by the mixed Government under which the New Zealand Provinces exist—we leave for any impartial j udge to decide. In speaking of Marlborough, the Hon. J. Hall said last Session—

“This Province is in the unfortunate position of supplying revenue both to Nelson and Wellington The present mode of distributing the Customs Revenue has practically beggared Marlborough !’’

Knowing as we do the truth of these statements, we deduce from them the fact that the whole theory of our present ruinous position lies in a nutshell, th,e injustice inflicted upon tis an incompetent General Government ! Some interested and selfish persons, who care not who sinks, so long as they swim, may wish to perpetuate the wrong done to us by neglecting to grant the “just apportionment ” under the Surplus Revenues Act 1858 ; a wrong at last consummated by the Public Revenues Act 1867. As we have said on former occasions, Canterbury, Otago, and Nelson, are no doubt better off under the piesent arrangement, and, actuated by selfish motives, would urge their representatives to a more equitable adjustment of the Consolidated Revenue. The present war expenses renders the injustice still more intolei-able. If the integrity of New Zealand as a British Colony, is to be preserved, as we hope and pray it ever may—Justice to all, is an indispensable requisite to National unity. Notwithstanding the fact that Provincial Governments have proved a costly experiment, it has yet to be proved whether the indebtedness of some of the Provinces is not more justly attributable to the abuse of the powers granted to and by these institutions, than to their costliness. We are inclined to this opinion from the fact that Marlborough, despite the geographical and geological difficulties with which she has

had, and still has to contend—has less Debt ( and none of her own contracting ! ) than any other Province of New Zealand, and we reiterate that if we can but have fair play, the real value of Provincial Government can be readily demonstrated. That obtained, we say most emphatically, if, to use Mr. Collie’s words, still “found wanting the sooner it is knocked in the head, the better.” Our conviction however is still unshaken in the advantages of real Local Self-government; and, certain reforms accomplished, we see no better mode at pi'esent of securing it, than the machinery afforded by Provincial Institutions. The elements of prosperity are still within our reach, and it needs but the proper application of that energy and perseverance bequeathed to us by our Anglo-Saxon/ forefathers to secure that position, notf only among the Provinces of New Zealand —but among the nations of the earth! which our name and x'ace entitles us to.\ Let the selfish and ignorant sneer at our Province if they will, and tell us we are “ruined, bankrupts,and undone,” but we mi\y yet shew that there israrviftue in not knowing “ when we are beaten.”