THE ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND FORMED BY NATURE FOR TWO ABSOLUTELY INDEPENDENT COLONIES.

New Zealand Herald, Issue 17, 22 December 1863, Page 4

THE ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND FORMED BY NATURE FOR TWO ABSOLUTELY INDEPENDENT COLONIES.

To the Editor of the Daily Telegraph. Sib, —I see from to-day's issue of jour journal, th&t a resolution has been passed by the General Aaeemblv, empowering His Excellency to refer the question of the future seat of Government to the decision of a Commission to be appointed by the Governors of New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. This resolution you very justly condemned on the ground of its being utterly unsatisfactory to the people of this Island, and, indeed, to all parties of intelligent men in both Islands. The idea of governing these from a common centre is altogether absurd; to govern them from nine petty centres and one grand centre is still more absurd. It is satisfactory to find you advocating the abolition of the nine provinces, and the substitution of two provinces in their place. But, sir, here I, in common with many others, must diverge from the road chalked out by you, for the efficient government of these same provinces. You want to preserve the union of the Islands, whilst you would destroy the provincialities. Now, sir, with all defer* ence, 1 cannot sec what really you will have by way of improvement. Let me ask you, what do you by the preserving the unity of these Islands? Is there to be only one General Assembly? Or are there to be two ? If two, is the one to be subordinate to the other ? Is the one to lord it over the other ? Or both to be co-ordinate ? If the Union is to remain intact, will you favour us with an explanation of the mutual relations that are to whiirt between the two Provinces—their legislatures, Governors ? In a word which Province is to play aecedd fiddle to the other ? Whose Governor is to be the medium of communication with England? The solution of these questions ie surely Of vital importance. To rae it appears that anything short of separation absolute must be eminently unsatisfactory. The respective interests of the two 'Islands demand absolutely independent jurisdictions—executive, legislative, and judicial. Supposing we had a lieutenant Governor and constitutional advisers in Dunedin, wherein are we benefitted if we have to submit every important question to the action of a foreign tribunal, in the shape of a General Assembly ? True, we have got rid of nine vexations and weak Councils ; but we have only gained two larger Councils, the one of which must be the servant of the other, unless both are to be in the anomalous position of being the dependents of a certain " Tertium Quid" —to wit, a General Assembly, which, in this case, must be presided over by two Governors and two Executives. There is no getting out of this political riilmrvma I n fact, Union except in the sense of Federation is a political absurdity.

It is high time that the people of this Province, particularly of Dunedin, did shake off their slumbers and political and commercial apathy, and assert their rights in these critical times. Pray, continue to drop a word now and again in the dull ear of the public on such important questions as the union or division of these islands—the destruction or preservation of the provinces. It is thus only that we can be aroused from a shameless slumber. It is of the utmost importance that Dunedin should assert its legitimate rights to be the seat of Government for this island, and the terminal point of the Panama steamers,— both advantages we are likely to lose through sheer apathy and the incompetency of our members. I quite agree with you that the Separation League members had no appreciation of the question entrusted to their care.

Sir, now that there is a prospect of direct communication Tia Panama with England, what is the Chamber of Commerce doing ? What are the promoters of the fort Chalmers graving docks doing ? We have had sentiment enough, and prospectuses enough, now let us have action—stern and vigorous action—to maka our port the greatest magnet of attraction in New Zealand, to the contracting company for the Panama service. There are 70,000 souls in this province now ; surely, then, its present condition must- decide the questions ofthe seat of Government and the Panama terminal. Where the carcase is, thither shall the eagle, resort.. The Government should be„*and indeed must, be, m the centre of the great commercial empormm *ew Zealand, divided into, two loyal Governments must greatly advance in everything. I deprecate entirely the continual reference to England and Scotland as making against this. The analogy does not -at all hold Those were tw» independent nations mutually hostile to one another and owning allegiance to different Kings and Parliaments. The Islands of Aew Zealand are members of one grand Empire and separate or united, they will both rejoice in rendering loyal obedience to the Sovereign of England. It is simply ludicrous to see and hear men who ought to know better, perretually confronting the separationists with thißffrot* historical paralogy. Let us have done with such puerile analogies, and advance better arguments, or else shut our mouths for ever. The question is of paramount importance.. The Press should try to put it in the clearest light before the public. 1 his Island will never flourish till it is finally dismembered from the Northern one. Auckland is the natural site for the Government of the North, and Dunedm IS the site, par excellence for the Government of this Island. Let Dunedin and Auckland assert their positions, and the logic of circumstances must constrain then- petty jealous neighbours to withdraw their empty pretensions-pretensions which, but for the surface of the waters of New Zealand politics. I am, &c., Dunedin, December 5, 1863.