THE Marlborough Express. SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 1869.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 155, 30 January 1869, Page 3

THE Marlborough Express.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 1869.

« Givr me tiie liberty to know, to utter, and to ergue freely according to conscience, above all other liberties. —Milton.

In pursuing the subject of our articles of the last two weeks, we come to the consideration of those Reforms which are, or may prove necessary in the machinery of Government in this Province. To keep up such an expensive staff of public servants as we have hitherto done, is, to say the least, not only absurd, but suicidal to the best interests of the people. The task ot applying the pruning knife is one of extreme delicacy,and in any suggestions we may offer, we shall be guided by no personal considerations, but with the desire, and under the conviction, that such alterations will be both beneficial and practicable. We have frequently heard it said that the office of Superintendent was simply “ a political one ” ; and, under the altered circumstances of the Pinvince, we can see no reason why the few executive duties attached to it could not be readily performed by some one of the other officials, supposing it possible for a system of Provincial Government to continue in existence, but on that point we will speak presently. The appointment of Resident Magistrate will also be superfluous, if the Petty Sessional Courts are to be continued in earnest, aud not a mere sham. The erection of Blenheim into a Municipality, will add one more to the roll of J ustices : . while the holding of Courts 'of QuarterSession will provide for the decision of more important cases. We think no one will be-found to defend the appointment of Speaker, nor will the office be necessary beyond the current financial year. We showed last week that, so far as the town of Blenheim was concerned, its Local Government and income would be provided by the Municipal Corporations Act. Picton * would also be similarly situated whenever her enlightened citizens shall see tit to follow the example. But for the Country Districts, the Legislature has not yet provided any process of Local Government. An Act was carried through the House of Representatives last session for the purpose, but fell to the ground in the Upper House, because.of the voluminous and unwieldly nature of its details ; so much so as to be quite unworkable. It provided that a share of the proceeds of land sold , should go to the ‘district in which it was situated ; but no provision was made -for a like distribution, or “endowment,” of the Road Districts from the produce of leases. In this Province such a measure would be preposter ous, since our Land Revenue consists chiefly of leases and rentals, and but a small proportion from land sales. Nor would this be the only objection, was Marlborough cut up into small Road Districts. The more settled portions, being nearly all freehold land, would receive but little or no endowment; while the more sparcely settled localities, which require very little road-making beyond the main trunk lines, would get the “ lion’s share ” of the funds. A consideration of the circumstances of this Province, and the best means of providing for its future management, outside of what will certainly be provided by the General Government —who, with their parasites, appear determined to lay it out as a pleasant garden for the walks of patronage—induces us to refer to a former suggestion of ours, in an article published in this place, on the stb September last, and copied into the London New Zealand Examiner of October 30, in which we urged the formation of three Counties, and pointed out the relative amount of revenue which would accrue to each. In lieu of

Counties, we would call them Road Dis- ' triets, a term we think preferable; these would be Picton, Wairau, and Kaikoura. The returns then published show that the Revenue derivable annually from Leases and Licenses of Crown Lands in the entire Province is £4,130. Of this amount, the sum of £460 is derived from the lands included in the proposed district of Picton ; , £1,202, in that designated as Kaikoura ; and £2,467, for the District of Waira

The details of the constitution of these districts, we need not now stay to consider. Having thus far pointed out that real Local Government is provided for in the Towns, and how it may he provided for in the Country Districts, what remains 1 As we have already shown, the Province, with its revenues, has been in a sense mortgaged by our representatives, for the advance of a small sum of money—£3,ooo I —to enable the officials to retain office “ yet a little longer! ! ” The result, without doubt will be, that the mortgagee will foreclose upon us, and take possession. Ere many months we shall have a General Government Agent occupying the seat of the Superintendent, who, be it remembered, will not be elected either by the Council or the people, but who will surely look after his patron's interest and his own, no longer that of the people- who will henceforth be ignored ! Who is to fill this permanent office 1 Who is to be the Government Nominee ? We reserve our judgment, merely remarking, that if our Representatives had done their duty, and persistently placed the position of Marlborough before the Assembly, the result might have been otherwise, and the present crisis never have occurred !