THE NEW PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. (From the DAILY TIMES, April 16.)

Otago Witness, Issue 803, 20 April 1867, Page 1

THE NEW PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. (From the DAILY TIMES, April 16.)

The elections ?re now over, and the Provincial Council is convened to meet on the first of next month. The spectator will have no room to doubt that he sees a newly-elected Council. The Hall will be equally noticeable for the many new members who will be present, as for the absence of mnny members who, for s»ome time pa*t, have been intimately identified with public affairs. The Speaker, the Chairman of Committees, and the two. gentlemen who were in the habit of respectively acting as their deputies, are amongst the missing. In all, there are twentV-tfhree new members— that is to say, who did not sit last session, or th^lession preceding, although two of them Mriere in the Council previous sessions. Fifteen only of the members of last session will occupy seats this time. Apart from the Executive, there will be very few members who have previously held office. Altogether, there may be 3»id to be as great a change as it is conceivable a general election could effect. We are not tip in statistics ot the. kind, but we should fancy there are few examples of a general election of a Legi*latire body producing in proportion so large a numerical change as in this instance. It need scarcely be added that the great change is not owing to indifference ota the part of candidates. On the contrary, though some of the old members failed to come forward, in most instances they did so, and generally the elections have been keenly contested. A seat in the Provincial Council, if not more desirable, has at any ra:e become an object more desired.

The technical difficulties a new member of such a body as the Provincial Council has to overcome are not of a for amiable nature, so that it is not likely that any inconvenience will result from the number of new members. On the other hand, it is to be presumed the new Council, through its component parts, will be able faithfully to represent the wishes of the country — an ambiguous point, it may be remembered, during the last few sessions. It is a long while since any half- dozen members have been able to agree as to what the country desired ; if ever a speaker pretended to be able to explain the wish of the people, he rarely escaped being followed by a speaker prepared with a different version. One remarkable change there will be about the new Council. There was always the insinuation thrown out during the last few sessions, that the Council contained so many members of the Assembly that there was a desire to play over igaia the Wellington proceedings. The Assembly ceases to be heavily represented in the new Council. Six members of the House of Representatives, who were in the Council last pession, have ceased, to belong to it. We nny anticipate, therefore, a discussion upon the Assembly proceedings which affect the Province, free in a great measure from the personal tioge which has lately been apparent. Members of the Assembly fighting over again their fights, can hardly fail to give a considerable attention v to the personal politics in which they have mixed, whilst at the same time, their intimate knowledge of details is rather calculated to deter others who have not enjoyed equal opportunities from discussing the same measures. The Assembly element in the present Council is but slight, and we may, therefore, hope, apart from any consideration as to who was right and who was wrong in the Assembly, to hear the unbiassed opinion of the people expres.«ed unreservedly by their representatives in the Provincial Council. It is,

of course, not to ' be lost sight of, that the Assembly members absent will leave a srap in the completeness ot the discusoion. Their knowledge will be wanting. But at least we may exnect the real question to be decided. Do the people dedre Provia* ciil institutions to be " swallowed up" by a General Government at Wellington? or do they prefer that the swallowing up should, at any rate, be postponed until the two Islands of New Zealand enjoy separate Governments ?

There need be no misapprehension as to the fact that an issue of this kind is pending. The General Government are bent, on forcing the Provinces into a fight, and a fight it must be, unless the Provinces are disposed to tamely submit. The policy of the Government, as far as during a recess it is possible to discover a policy in a number of gentlemen roaming about in different quarters and rarely meeting, h*«! pointed to one end. that of exalting the power of the General Government at the expense of the Province?, and of creating as many obstacles as possible in the way of the Separation of the two islands. There is little room for doubt that, once more, the attempt will be made to bring the Provincial Police Forces under the control of the General Government. The enquiries which are being prosecuted by the latter, which have come to our knowledge, point to this as one of the measures, the working out of which ia being attempted. The Colonial Municipal Bill, again, there is little question, is meant to be an insidious agency to fetter the Provinces. • The..Bjll introduced last session rV^ef| ths^wliate administration in the^-^kiads. of the Superintendents. The GriJtvernment will substitute the Governor,' with & power of delegation to be exercised or withheld at pleasure. There are many other signs that the " awallowing-up" process is not the embodiment of an idle joke, and it fc sincerely to be hoped the Provincial Council will regard it as a serious threat, and strengthen Otago's representatives in the Assembly, by proclaiming, firmly and intelligently, in what direction the body chosen by the people considers Otago's interests point. At any rate, let there in future be no mistake as to what Otago does or does not want.