THE POSITION OF THE PROVINCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1314, 1 February 1868, Page 6

THE POSITION OF THE PROVINCE.

To the Fdii or of tho Herald. gl K) —There can bo if> doubt " An Old Cat"' Bretonian " would h:ivn-exercised a wlsor discretion in withholding, instead of publishing, his extraordinary nnd humi:i:iiinj revelations in reference to v'upo Breton's deprivation of her C.nis.itut'on and f.et>i«lature, and I am sum hU old fe'.low-coloni-ts, if they contimie to b" tin; same lii^ii-jpirit J J mun 1 onco l;new thou., will not feel complime toil, nor will they think li-in for his mivor-acv. Hut admitting, for argument's shlcc, lie tv:h correct io regard to James Kempt's treatment nt (Jape Breton ; it would be hiri to whether > y ir Jii"im's de-spotic trrnlirieiit of its inhabitants, o:- their own tame suiimusioii was tise mof" renreheii-ible. Hut correct or incorrect— and the''Old (>upo Bretonian" iu iv choose either li .i n of the dilemma ho pleases—Ml evidently is a matter entirely beside and beyond tho question. I hut ones made up my mind not to heed his singular production, and perhaps after all T would have acted more wisely iff had adhered to that determination ; but I shall only make a few observations. Wo differ, not as to the faet of Cape Breton's annexation to Nova Scotia, but as to whether such was brought about by the wish of the inhabitants, or was the solo act. of tho Governor of N'ova Scotia— whether it wus the one or tho other, so far as my line of argument was concerned, is, in my estimation, quite immaterial, the '.act of such deprivation remaining precisely the same, and it was only for that purpoa-) I adduced it. Iby no means admit tliat the Oap? Bretonora.falt eit 'or uratilied or benefitted by the annexation. Iloro again I distinctly reiterate that all I have ever conversed with—and X have conversed with hundreds—who had belonged to Capo Breton, lamented their annexation. Nor, to be candid, can lat all understand how a puoplo could no regardlo.n of their own and independence as to be qu te satisfied with their becoming a mere depemio: cy of another cdony without, their conrt'-nt ever having "been either asked or given, unless indeed they had been actuated by motives similar to tho-0 of the old woman who, observing hor " ijudoimm " rather unwilling to mount the scaffold to which he had been condemnoi by his Highl-nd Chief, allVtionately t'ipped him on the hack and encouraged him to mount, kindly dispelling his very natural to do ko by Bayit'-'j; to him, " tinui, Donald, uani; up, man, just to please tho laird," —1 say viewed in that li(<ht their submission to ari act *o despotic would be ititcllieible, but on no other. The one story is about na credible as tho rther ; at sit events, I rather think there will bo few imitators of Cape Breton, even supposing the old Ca..u Bretonian has tho ii<>ht version of the story.

'I'ho astounding story, too, ha has introduced of Sir Jumps'a sulf-appropriation of tho public moneyn of tho 'Vovince, and tlmt of tiie treasurer dipping his hand in Ihu public chest to p;iy hs c-ird tublo d;:bte, is tho veriest twaddlu imaginable, faurel y htj not lourin to mo of ivny i^isn oiit<i:umori scni-i that a Governor could do ho without riiferiug to his ICxeoutive C'uim.'il, or that n 'i'reaenrijr could help himself in tho minner ho describes without hie surelise, for all such officials huvn to give security and to :t largo iiniount, being li ible for Jiis liftfalcations ? But I der.y the powor of any Governor by the stroke of his pen to deprive any colony oi a Omsiitutiori and Logislaturo onco conceded by lfor Maji.-ty, or by her pre;teees j ora inivpcideiitly of tho peop'e'a will und consent: —li'iy in )rc, I contend that <Jw Majesty hers'lf co .Id nfi d>) so exco:t in the, czsi of rebellion or «>f tint iiiituro, im.vroiild aiiy Ministry sancliun an attempt so outrairenus, a:id unprecedented. Xlm ftet too lie his so ostuntitioualy paruded of eight members (I think that v.-ns tiie number, for I have not the paper before me;, being actually üblo somotimos to turn out a mini-try is really wonderful .' In my simplicity I always fancied a lesser mun'jor would do, and it, strikes me the removal of our own-gea* of Government ia ti caso in point, but, be that at it nmy, I cannot, see hov/ that satisfactorily eetubli-iliOH the fact ihst if < Fin celebr .ted light could do this, they could thereforu onsiiy nnd at all timo* ensure thair own rich's and thiir jiiit ftiul f-iir share of thf |iub!i-j exp'indituro. Xhis to mj is qnito a lion sequilur. I procand now a cxL-iriiiratioii of tho real quo - tiori. .Supnosinir "Old 'ape Hrctoniau" honest and sincero in his predilection for tli» introduction hero of the form of Government that obtains in tho British North A:neiican colonies, why did'nt he years ago manfully submit to the Provincial Council or the Goncra! his fuvoiiriio punnceti (or tho red?o3s of all tint is uztra vacant and coiujit in G-overnmentj ? lie hus he.H a seat in both for years, and he t-till ho'd" one in the Provincial Council, and I am turc, t<",o, the [louao would be only toi glal to haa'r him enuncia'o hie opinions on a subject of such importvnee, partieillarly at such e conjuncture as tho present, jlut, it miij bo asked, , has he not been an aider i.nd libet'or of the lavish expenditure of the public money of the P/Ovince, aud contributed, by his votn, to the finnricial dietross now unfortunately existing? Yea; in fa':t lift admire it, for be «ayd " we" have brought the country into an u;;ly mess. True for you " Chd Cape Brutonian, ,, but methinks thou hast nothing to boast of in such an ad.iiiesion either on the a ore of oon istency or of patriotism, and let tno whisper " 1 .'one no motive influence you in your excessive hatred, particulary of late, of matters which perhaps it woul 1 not bo quite pruilent, openly to avow? What, too, of a once contemplated t!inis;ration mission to !-orth America? Oun its abandonment in no way help to explain your alumd feelings und opinions in regard to a certain quarter ?'' Alihouifh I have put theee queries, I nuither expect nor do I want an answer. It m iy Bufely be considered t> at the British Korth American form of liovernnii-nt is neither bo cumbaieoine nor expensive as that of Ihx country; bulj that proves nothing. What 1 muinlain is chi.", the

American colonies and New Zealand are countries entirely dissimilar, and that the form of Government is suitable to America could not be made applicable tothie Province in its present state. Nova Scotiu is a compact country, with ample means of communication of all kinds, excellent roads, railways, a pufficient wealthy and enterprising population, and, in eliort, all the appliances and conveniences of a high state of civilization. And no it ought, for it is upwards of a century since its settlement under tho British Ori>Yurnnicnt (previous to this it was in posseaaion of of the b'rench). And immense sums of money during the whole <fthat period have bean expended in it On neeount. of both Army and NftTy. Tt em therefor) bo easily icoverned and in-inuged. A couple of days or 80 can bring any one to rfa'if.tx. the capital, or from the capital to any part of it. But it is not so with New ZeaUnd ; in fact orei'y thing mar be said to be quite the reverse, the counh-y is aii immense one, at least an immenseonoin companion with Nova scot.it. All of it may bo said to be still in a.state of wild and rugued naf.un'. Almost no road? whatever. In most part* a semi-barbarous hoo'Ui native pro- | pricrnrv, the :ictuftl owners of the country, and not i He>- Britannic Majestv. The Colony has be.in parcelled out into separate provinces. This wts.iuugert to be necessary by Sir G-eo. Orcy, and few, I think, will question the propriety of such a divieion. It was a natural one, and the great j distance of nonie of chos« Provinces from encli other j necessitated as it were Provincial Institutions, it having been found impracticable to govern them from a centre. It should be b >rne in mind too, that the intcr.'ste of many of tlie-ie province* are in many ro- ! not only not identical, but nctuitlly antagonistic. ; When all suoli matters ara taken dispassionately into I cr>n-iderafcion, they will go far to oxplnin why it i* so difticult and expensive t> govern and manage New j Zeal.nd. No doubt the time will corno, but it is not yet —it li'is in Lh" futnrrt, —when Provincial Councils here : will b.) quite unnecessary, in fact rather an injury ! than a benefit;. Hut'the"truth is, a cloud of dust ha's ! been raieed to blind and diveit the peoplo from the 'real cause of our present depression. Provincial ! institutions are not the cause. It is not the system j that is in fault, but members composing such Provincid Council! who hive not been sufficiently careful, I but quits the contrary, in regard to public expenditure. They have been far too grand and gigantic in their β-heme?, (witness, for instance the railway, that I monument of our folly, and a railway nome 30 year* ; hence would have been time enough,) nnd hive reck- ! lessly borrowed money to an immeute amount, and ! frittered away a great, portion of it in entirely uieless i projects, never dreaming when they did *o of the dpiy ,of reckoning. I maintain; too, that neither thie ' Superintendents nor the ."•uuerintendeney system are '■■ justly charuetble with our present difficulties, for i they only cniried into execution what the Council decided on, and if the present Superintundent had a g iod Council they could not have u better mnu at their heptd. But bad as our -cC'iire ave we are not, ! i-ropirably ruinod. 'VUa-t and economy will put Us all right yet. Hut the business of the country must i still be ciriied on, and wo must i ot violate the > plighted faith ot" the C'rov-rnment, for that would I amount to repudiation, and tho finger of s otn would ]be poiuf-'d at us. Let us aroid that at )<;iist Tho j .e*penso-< i" regard to management ar,; bt-iii£ curtailed > (eoinn think to too an eitcrit), but the=o have j . ut to a slight extent contributed to our present difficulties. Tnere seems to me tr> be no necessity whatever to thrOf up our Provincial In-itituti.m-." There hnv« j been, so far us 1 urn awar", no petitijus from the J respective constituent* cailing •« violent i Hofi'au the 'jouni'.ii ie-.iiru so sucred at.ua: comi mitted to their keei ing without ih« conserir-of tlnw ', t!i>-y rep-es'iu. ? Wimt 100 is tho n-r.;re or fo-ir. j <.f (iovernm ■!!..? X..thin- deHiiite <>r inteliifzthk- ! wh.it':ver, bo Itiras f h-iv.i sen or he.ird. ha» yr.t be-n j o.h'iliicl '-'Ut or iippr.iv,-,! of. i.'ritwiiur ou: >>r tinker I ini; Oon-titutions it «;imu d be rempmb.'n'd, eve'i t'-y I tho wisest men is a mast perilous tiiid>srl:tkiu ; at sill I lime'*, —how mui:h in 'its bf uv.n who have unythiiuc j but sign dized Lliomrta!v t :s bj their conduct in the i'rovin'ial (JoniioU. I'lie truili U, we aru on ll\c brink of a prroipici , , nnJ. before resign the. rights wo novr posses?, should well consider lhos» we propose to take their pine.!.

At whatever lime the change takes ne-ir or distant, a lo'iKlh of i.ime will iiav.i nee'ss.irily to plapso before tho now institution!) will ba in a worl:nble etato. Js'o doubt iaen, ciipiili norarttin, v.ill appliud and Mert themselves lo cftent a uium.-u ; i omi: of in the hope that they will pr"lit by th-.; confu-ivn thot will follow, iiiH others from a mum rt:stl«ijsnßSS and love of excitement, ''owtvur paradoxical it may appeir, I hold thut a i-ystem well adminiatero i ia preferable to a better one, cither cartlesslv or injudiciou*ly carried out. JJut who at all conversant with the management of tho Generil Croverninent, :.nd their pss-. treatment of us would trust to them for protection, or with es open, fa 1 into the snaTe they hnre laiJ to entrap us, bj holding out deceptire inlucements in thu way of adruncing t.i us. 1 certainly would n>l, ant I should hope my fellow colonists in gonernl wiil hi of a similar opsui-in. I bi'g 11 apolcgUe for so long :m > fiUtle. When I co:innencei 1 did not intend it should be a long one. I now taltft leave of urt " ' Ciifio liretoui-m," and in doing so I hope he will nllow me to give him a bit of adrice, and, if ho tuki'e it in a friendly upirit, he will bo nil tho better for it. It is simply this : gire up, and at once, nowspiper scribbling—it is not profitable, anrl os<:hew u. levity b rderiug on bull'j -11ery ; it dots not become an aged brow.— F. am, &e , 1". K. I.