THE EVENING MAIL. THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume 357881, Issue 350, 7 June 1877, Page 2

THE EVENING MAIL. THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1877.

The Government are, it is stated, about to withdraw all the powers delegated to " Provincial Executive officers," such as Messrs. Bunny, Rolleston, &c, and abolish the offices held by them This is to bedone before Parliament meets,-so that the Government may say they have the whole administration of the affairs of the Colony under their direct control. It is satisfactory to learn that the members of the Ministry have at last become cognisant of the fact that the work of governing the Colony properly devolves upon them, and not upon a number of nominated "Executive officers," who are free from any responsibility to Parliament for their actions. It is doubtful, however, whether the Government would have been brought to see matters in a proper light had it not been for the fact that the General Assembly meets within a few weeks, and there, is every prospect of a rupture taking place over the adoption of the prefect system by the Ministry in defiance of the wishes of Parliament. " Better late than never," says an old adage, and it certainly is applicable to the abolition of these nominated and irresponsible " Executive officers ;" but we scarcely think. that the Government will succeed in warding off the outburst of indignation of the people's representatives which is certain to take place over the disgraceful manner in which the Ministry has relegated their, work to gentlemen over whose ; action Parliament has no control whatever. In writing thus we do not wish it to be understood that we would for one moment call in question the manner in which the "Executive officers" have done their work. In truth, we believe they managed matters far more satisfactorily than would have been the case had the Government undertaken the work themselves, as they should have done. It is the system that we complain of, for it is one altogether antagonistic to every principle of representative and responsible Government. If the Ministry is unable to perform the work of Government, as we feel sure they are, then they should be turned out of power, and supplanted by a Ministry both capable of, and willing to, carry on the Government of the Colony in a proper and legitimate manner, and not by a system of delegates.