THE Otago Witness.

Otago Witness, Issue 528, 11 January 1862, Page 5

THE Otago Witness.

Dunedin: Saturday, Januart 11, 1862. ♦ On the principle that let ahtens out tovjours tort, it has always been a safe and easy expedient for Provincial journalists in New Zealand, when at a loss for subjects of special local interest, to "pilch into" the general Government. The temptation to adopt this practice has certainly been great, for not only is it the easiest thing in the world to find fault, but it also affords the fairest scope for smart writing, and when it i 3 further considered that a " slashing " article against the General Government is always sure to commend itself to Provincial readers, the wonder is, not that Provincial journals should have contained such articles, but that the editors should have so frequently let pass opportunities of gaining a cheap local popularity. That their opportunities have been frequent enough it is impossible to deny. Delays and disappointments, in the passing of ordinances of local importance, hare often enough occurred to raise their ire ; while it has always a standing grievance that the more remote Provinces should be taxed to defray the expenses of costlywars brought on by causes with which they !iad nothing to do. Add to this the fact oV the seat of Government being in a manner isolated from the remainder of the colony, and t will at once be seen that for a captious spirit there was and is every inducement to launch forth into complaint and invective. Bat complaint and invective, however well founded, and however consonant with the feelings of provincial readers can hardly be of my real service, but, on the contrary, by protoking retort, must even tend to strengthen md perpetuate ill feelings, and still farther to •omplicate what is already nn exceedingly difficult matter to deal with. The position* of the Genera] Government of New Zealand N ».nnmo!ouß in the extreme, and at the present moment it needs (ill its energies to deal with 'he difficulties that surround it, without being hampered and harrassed by the jealousy or iiwdioidinationoi'the Provinces. It is therefore in no spirit of ill-will to, or calousy of, the General Government that we now propose to discuss the subject of the Constitution of New Zealand, but'simply from an 'mnest desire to do justly by the Provinces • -md to further ventilate a question the discussion of which must sooner or later lead to momentous- results. We have no particular [uarrel with the present or any former Government, although we cannot but see that t!iis and other provinces have suffered greatly by their errors ; our quarrel is with the system which, by binding together under one Government a number of provinces, not only geographically separated, but with different nnd even antagonistic interests and sympathies, has rendered it next to impossible o avoid constant injustice, .with its attendant train of jealousies and heart-burnings It is no new thing for Provincial journals "to denounce the constitution of the colony, and we are well aware that in doing so they lav themselves open to the suspicion of seeking for selfish purposes, to foster a spirit of opposition among the ditfl-ient Provinces. It is satisfactory however to find that journals, against which such a charge cannot be brought, adopt the same views.

The Suturduy Kevicw, in one ofits masterly leading articles, expresses the opinion that the constitution of New Zealaud is about the worst that wns ever inflicted by n mother country upon a young colony. The Saturday Review will hardly be suspected of any local predilections, yet that journal does not hesitate to state, broadly and distinctly, that the constitution of this colony is bad to ihe last degrte. It would indeed be difficult to conceive any constitution more causelessly . omplicated, more hampered with unnecessary checks, more clogged with elements of delay and failure, than that with which New Zealand is cursed. It is the most absurd parody of representative institutions that was ever perpetrated. Indeed, representation is so split up and divided, that it may almost be said to be practically no representation at nil. In nine Provinces there are Provincial Councils and Superintendents, all elected; und in each Province there is a ministry and all the form of responsible government. In addition to this there is the General Cauncii composed of representatives from all the Provinces, and sitting in Auckland, and upon the parliamentary action of this body the General Executive Government is supposed to depend; but over all is placed the Governor, whose position does not depend upon popular favour, and who is virtually endowed with almost the powers of a dictator, or, at least, of a proconsul. The numerous representative bodies, acting independently and inharmoniously, neutralise, in a great measure, each other's influence, and thus the power is thrown into the hands ofthe Governor, who alone is capable of avoiding it. residing in Auckland, and only receiving news from the Southern Provinces once in a month, it is not surprising that the Governor and his advisers should be impressed with undue notions of the importance of the North, as compared with the South, and that in fact they should regard the Southern Provinces as mere dependencies, rather than as important portions of the same colony, possessing eqnal rights, and entitled to equal consideration. We have said that it is not surprising that the South should experience a rather cavalier treatment, and while the relative positions of the Provinces are maintained as at present, we see no probability of a change. The only possible remedy appears to be the separation of the Northern Island from the rest of the colony. With two separate colonies, one ofthe Northern Island, and the other of the Middle and Southern Islands, there might be some proba-

bility of a simplification of the machinery of government. Whether the s} stem of Provincial Government should be altogether done away with wouk l be an after consideration ; all that we now argue for U that the South should bt released from the bonds which now compel it to hear more thin aa equal share ot burdens, although exercising less than an equal voice in the government.