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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4168, 30 July 1874, Page 2

The House drifted lust night into an unexpected discussion on the position and responsibilities 'of the Superintendents of Provinces, and then on to the question of maintaining or abolishing Provincial institutions altogether. It arose out of the personal tone of the remarks of the hon. members who represent the Grey Valley and the Buller. Whether the Superintendent of Nelson (Mr. Curtis) was moved to his feet by a remark as to the superior position of a Provincial Secretary and Treasurer to that of the Superintendent, the effect was that Mr. Curtis rose, and in a few remarks explanatory of the position of matters in the Government of that Province, affirmed the view that the Superintendent of a Province, having been elected by the electors of the Province generally, was placed in a position which rendered him independent of his Executive, and that if an Executive were forced upon him with whose views he did not agree, and they asked him to put his name to documents with which he did not agree, the responsibility lay upon them, and not on him. This view was questioned by Mr. Kolleston, who held that when the Superintendent signed a document on the recommendation of his advisers, he could not turn round and say, “this is not my act it was his act. Mr. Donald lioid repudiated the views of Mr. Curtis as perfectly untenable. The days of autocracy had passed; and if such views wore to be entertained it would be better to abolish Provincial Executives and Councils, and create autocrats to rule instead. Tie could not understand the position assumed by the Superintendent of Nelson. This contention led Mr. Luckie to the belief that the days of Provincialism were drawing to an end—and he thought the sooner the better. Local institutions found a warm defender in Mr. Sheehan, who compared Provincial Governments, their officers and works, favorably with those of the Colonial Government, and the subject dropped.

A not unneeded step has been taken by the Government, to look into the financial condition of the numerous benefit and friendly societies of the Colony, with a view to ascertaining their solvency, and the probabilities of their being able to fulfil the obligations into which they have entered with their members. The subject was brought before the House by Mr, Fox, in the form of a question, in the course of which he remax-ked that those institutions were now pushing their business into every village and comer of the Colony. Mr. Vogel, in reply, mentioned that before the hon. member had placed his question on the Order Paper—some weeks ago, in fact—the attention of the Ministry had been given to the subject. It was found that the Government had the power to look into the state of those societies ; but the clause of the Act which gave that power had been overlooked in the multiplicity of business. The Colonial Secretary had called upon those societies for a full statement of their affairs, with a view to their submission to actuarial investigation ; and if the .step taken was found not to accomplish the object fully, the Government would appoint a Royal Commission, with full powers to inquire into the subject.