LORD LYTTELTON A CENTRALIST.

Southland Times, Issue 1133, 31 March 1869, Page 3

LORD LYTTELTON A CENTRALIST.

Since the return of Lord Lyttelton from his tour in New Zealand, he has been giving an account of his travels in the form of addresses in England. His Lordship also treats of our politics, and from the great interest he has always taken in the welfare of this country since its first colonisation his opinion will be read with interest. He says he found the political relations of the numerous colonies were a subject of great local interest, and the general movement of opinion was towards a greater consolidation and concentration of political action throughout the colony. In the early days of such settlements, with their numbers few and the means of intercommunication very imperfect, it was almost inevitable that each separate settlement should have its separate government. But with the progress of population and intercommunication it would be a sign of weakness rather than strength that such independence should continue in a country of less size than Great Britain. It had been ably pointed out by Mr Grote that among the fatal causes of the decay of ancient Greece was the jealous exclusiveness with which so many small States within its limits asserted their separate self-governing existence, and there could be little doubt that the ultimate aim of New Zealand statesmen, now generally stated (for v the details would require the most careful adjustment), should be the establishment of a strong central government surrounded by municipalities. Such a government, indeed, there was, but it would need further development.