The Oamaru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1866.

North Otago Times, Volume VII, Issue 160, 4 December 1866, Page 2

The Oa maru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1866.

The debate in the Provincial Council on the " relations between the General and Provincial Governments," so far as the incomplete reports to hand enable us to judge, appears to have been a most interesting and ttninaated one. The resolutions proposed by the Treasurer have been passed, in a form slightly different from that in which they were introduced. Although, as we have just stated, complete reports have not yet reached us, there is sufficient before us to enable us to infer that the resolutions, as elsewhere printed, have been carried by a considerable majority, and also that the opinion pretty generally entertained was that if they did not do much good they would not do much harm. This is as nearly as possible our own opinion. We fail as yet to see what effect the passing of such resolutions by any Provincial Council can have upon the action of the General Assembly, and therefore must come to the conclusion that they are perfectly innocuous. Our Provincial Council apparently cannot rid itself of the strange hallucination that it is its duty to legislate for the entire Colony, and cannot perceive the anomaly of an inferior Assembly censuring the action of a power under which it lives, moves, and has its being. Session after session, for some years back, has it wandered from its legitimate sphere of action, in the endeavor to secure an increase of the powers entrusted to Provinces — powers which already are much greater than the framers of the Constitution Act ever contemplated. With all deference, we think that the Provincial Council should have been silent on this question ; inasmuch as the country sends its representatives to the Assembly, the country, and not the Council, should have been allowed to see to the adjustment of the present unsatisfactory relations existing between the General Government and the Provinces. It is an interference which we are inclined to believe will not be regarded with mueh favor. The resolutions proposed by the Treasurer may be looked upon as but a renewal of the struggle which has been going on f^r the past ten years, and the end of which it is not yet easy to foretell. It is clear, however, that matters are now assuming a more decided and definite aspect, which must ere long bring about some great change. So great, so implacable we may say, is the hatred entertained by the Provincial Governments for the Gener.d Government of the Colony that measures must be resorted to which will finally set all differences at rest. Desperate di&eases require desperate remedies. If the two forms of Government cannot work advantageously for the country, one or other of them must be done away with; for it must be patent to every thinking and observant person that the anarchy into which the Colony is being driven must be overcome, if her credit is to be maintained, and the general prosperity of her settlers promoted. If it be considered that one Government cannot legislate for a Colony, whose population numbers some two hundred thousand souls, let the idea be discarded, and let nine independent States be established, if the common sense of the country will sanction such an absurdity. At all events, it is now imperatively necessary that the present system of double legislation should be put an end to. From the speeches of the Treasurer, Mr 1 Vogel, during the present session, we observe that he has very materially altered his opinions on colonial affairs ; and now that he may be said to be in himself the Executive of the Province, anything that falls from him,

while he retains office, deserves attention. One gratifying sign ia that he is an advocate, to a certain degree, of the interests of outlying districts, which lends additional weight to the scheme of modifying the provincial system into one of municipal government. It is not of course known to what extent his proposed Bill in aid of outlying districts will go, but if it does nothing more it will affirm the priuciple that some change in the present working of Provincial Governments is necessary. That Provincial Governments have been great and efficient agents in promoting the growth and settlement of the Colony no one can deny, and the good they have wrought we must gratefully recognize ; but the time has long since arrived when those settled in places far distant from the provincial capitals bitterly complain of the inefficiency and effeteness of a system which, however good when earlier established and population was insignificant, now operates most unfairly and injuriously for the general interest. No scheme will meet with general approbation that does not provide for districts the control of their own revenues. At present an outlying district occupies the very uncomfortable position of the forgotten broomstick of Christmas story notoriety. It was left out of doors, uncared for ; it had contributed to the comfort of those within, but got no thanks for it. The revenue contributed by outlying districts is converted into channels other than legitimate ; they are left out of doors. We had thought that it was pretty generally conceded that Land Revenue was intended to be devoted to the making of roads, the erection of bridges, the promotion of immigration, &c, until we read some remarks which fell from Mr Macandrew during the debate on the Resolutions. He does not condescend to state to what he would have it applied, but knowing it to be guaranteed to Provinces by the Act of 1856, he still asks — " What has the General Government done for the country ? Has it introduced a single immigrant, built a single bridge, or iu any way developed the resources of the country ?" In the name of common-sense, we ask, why should it ? Have not the Provinces got the sole control of the territorial revenue, and for that especial purpose ? No one is readier than we are to admit that the relations existing between the General and Provincial Governments are unsatisfactory, and we shall hail with satisfaction any scheme which would be calculated to for ever set the matter at rest ; but as we have before said, the resolutions passed by the Provincial Council cannot be regarded in any such light. The proposal for a Conference is perhaps the only redeeming point in them, but we would have much preferred to have Mr Moss' withdrawn amendment embodied entire than moulded into a shape which may either be made to do something or nothing. The amendment referred to ran thus : — That a respectful address be presented to His Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to communicate with the Superintendents of other Provinces in the Middle Island, with a view to securing their co-operation in assembling a Conference in Christchurch, to consider the position of the Provinces of the Middle Island, in reference to the charge of Native Affairs in the North Island, and the measures necessary to place the lelations of the Provinces and the General Government on a safe and definite basis ; and further* requesting His Honor to place on the Estimates such sum as he may consider necessary for the representation of Otago at such Conf ei eiico. Regarding this proposed Conference, we have only a word at present to say : the delegates should be persons who are not interested in the upholding of Provincial Governments, who are not members of Provincial Councils, and who can therefore arrive at more disinterested conclusions than would otherwise be possible.