The Oamaru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1866.

North Otago Times, Volume VII, Issue 158, 27 November 1866, Page 2

The Oamaru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1866.

The policy of the new Ministry, as enunciated by the Treasurer, Mr Vogel, is important, and at the present juncture is to be regarded with interest. Occupying the placas of an Executive, who went out from, no well defined, or at all events from no sufficient cause, and placing themselves in the somewhat exceptional position of not knowing the bias of the House for or against them, the Vogel Ministry do wisely for themselves, if not for the country, to intimate that they will not regard any question as a Ministerial one, short of a direct want of confidence motion. They will swallow as many leeks as there may be occason for, but sacrifice power to high principle — never. In as few words as possible that, we take it, fairly represents the stand taken by the Vogel Cabinet. That portion of Mr Vogel's statement, however, which refers to the relations between the General and Provincial Governments, is by far the most important. His government very properly does not intend interfering in anything beyond the power of the Province ; if their successors had viewed the matter in the same light, there would have been no crisis, and a government in all respects supexior to the present would still have been in office. Resolutions bearing on Provincial matters are to be introduced, pointing out what the Government consider would be " absolute remedies " for the evils now complained of. To give some idea of what Mr VoGEii terms purely Provincial matters, and also to afford an inkling of his remedies, we here give the resolutions which his Government will bring forward : — That tho course of events in the .North Island during the lait few years has had |a tendency to injuriously affect the interests of the Provinces of both islands ; and this Council is of opinion that those events point to the necessity of endeavoring to secure the co-operation of the Provinces generally towards giving effect to the following objects : — (a.) That the South Island should no longer interfere in Native affairs. (b.) That an equitable arrangement should be made with the JNorth Island Provinces, to undertake the cost and the responsibility of preserving law and order within their limits. (c. ) That there should be an apportionment and adjustment of all existing liabilities ; and that the South Island should be released from further contribution towards Native purposes. (d.) That the present partnership account between the Provinces and the Colony should be dissolved ; and the Provinces be assured of a settled instead of an uncertain rovenue. (e. ) That tho Territorial Revenue should be secured to the Provinces. (f.) That the present oppressive Tariff should bo lightened. The Land Act, as passed recently by the General Assembly, is to be accepted by the Ministry as an Act to which it is the duty of the Council to give effect. The Council will be requested to decide upon — not the policy of the Land Law, but the spirit in which it shall be administered. Then, as to the Local Road Boards, a Bill for subsidising which has been read a first time, the Treasurer stated that the Government intend to bring in a measure for more completely dealing with the subject — in fact, for establishing District Municipalities throughout the Province. Mr Vogel says of these institutions — and it is wonderful, we may here state, how change of position alters a person's views : — " I believe that nothing will be of more benefit to the Province generally — that nothing will more tend to allay those feelings of jealousy which are constantly interfering with the consideration

of public matters — than will a broad tystem of local self-government, and a well-defined plan by which the various outlying districts will fairly participate in the revenues accruing to the Province." If Mr Voqel could be brought to see that the "various outlying districts" can never hope to " fairly participate" in the provincial revenues, so long as the present impoverishing system of expenditure is kept up, we should have some hope of him. As it is, it is very encouraging to know that he is so docile; he is gradually improving. He fails yet to see, however, that in the establishment of these municipalities one of the great objects to be achieved is the husbanding of revenue for application to its legitimate objects, by a reduction in the cost of government and administration. Mr Vogel, while aware of the objects, would make matters still worse than they presently are (for the Province generally) by increasing such cost. Temporarily, the scheme indeed may answer well, but that it can be accepted as a final settlement we do not for a moment believe. It is simply an lusmiment of the justice yet to be meted out to us. One point which it is satisfactory to think will be gained this session is that the Province generally recognizes the principle of expending revenue in districts whence it is derived. This is the thin end of the wedge. By-and-bye, as it gains force, its work will be more apparent, and the people of New Zealand will then have reason to feel grateful to those who, almost single-handed, stood up in behalf of Municipal Government, and fought the, for a long time, unequal battle. What effect the passing of such a measure as proposed by the Government will have on the Bill to be introduced in the next session of the General Assembly, it is as yet difficult to say, but that it is intended as a strategic move to outflank the more general and liberal measure spoken of by His Excellency there is little reason to doubt. It is manifestly overlooked, however, that the Provincial Government have a mind to exercise powers they do not possess in the creation of these municipalities. Any Ordinance they may please to pass on the subject will require [to be validated by an Act of the Assembly, as in the case of the Municipal Corporations Ordinance of 1865. We have yet to learn that the system is an economical one. It is a significant sign of the times that Mr Macandrew, on the eve of a dissolution of the Council, should take such a warm interest in the creation by the Provincial Government and Council of District Municipalities, and in the increase of provincial powers, leading to an increase of national expenditure and difficulty, which he so much deplores. For provincialism he is now an out-and-out optimist — an avowed pessimist as regards the time-honored representative government of countries, anything his speeches "may contain to the contrary nevertheless notwithstanding," as our carefully prepared and digested Ordinances generally state.