THE Thames Advertiser. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1875.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2124, 18 August 1875, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1875.

Mr Rees is a gentleman of varied attainments—legislator, financier, and naturalist. He is also gifted with a playful fancy, a sublime faith in his own "facts,"(l) a.ready delivery, consummate assurance, and a faculty for making white appear black, seldom exceeded. All these distinguished "qualifications have no doubt combined to make him an ornament to the profession he follows; indeed, his speech at the Provincialist meeting in Auckland may be taken as counsel's address for the prisoner—-the old mendicant Provincialism being on his trial. Accept* ing it .as such, we may pardon the exuberance of his fancy, and the audacious inaccuracies of Mb speech, He no doubt felt himself much iu the same position as the learned sergeant who, having his client's confession in his pocket, called Heaven to witness the innocence of his friend at the bar.

As a student of constitutional law, Mr Rees must kuow tbe Local Government Bill does not contain a olauao which threatens the liberties of the people, No Government, however corrupt, would dare to introduce such a measure in a 'British Senate House, though even a good form of adminis-

tration may pass an Act identical with that wlrioh cautod tho revolt of tho American colony. When such has occulted the people themselves sought and: obtained tho remedy,'and -the sooner the inhabitants of this colony aro brought face to face with a central Government, and are permitted, to administer their own revenues, the sooner will our political and socinl s'atus bo worthy of this largo and important possession of tho Crown of England. Mrßeos, as tho ardent diaciplo of Sir George Grey, should not forget tho estimate that was placed upon the value of an opinion expressed by " those people who held up their hands at meetings." Wo have no doubt tbo able and astute knight has often analysed these heterogeneous gatherings, and discovered tho most blatant in the crowd are those who expect (or possess) Eomo personal-and pecuniary blessings to flow from the continuance of Provincial institutions, and it may bo that Mr liees himself would on this account view thoir dissolution with alaim. Cne charge against the proposed reform in our Coustitution is the Bills " hold out bribes to tho people," We are at a loss to discover in what way. Are every concession made, evoi'y additional liberty granted, every step in advance of an effete form of Government, to bo considered as bribes ? Once passed, into law they become so to speak the property of the whole community, not pertaining to an integral portion thereof, and wo havo abundant evidence to prove that where the interests are identical the people know how to preserve and protect them. This is denied us under the present; Constitution Act. We are governed by a sort of" middleman" Byßtem, and tho people suffer tho rack rent. It assumed legislative instead of purely administrative functions, and instead of one image demanding adoration we have ten to which wo kneel; and it is this sort of debasing and dependent worship Mr Eees professes to follow himself, and unwisely and selfishly seeks to mislead a small section of tho community to a profession of tho same idolatry. We ask in what this" new measure" which Sir George Grey gravely promised in a memorable telegram to the Chairman of tho public meeting at tho Thames, is superior to and more liberal than the two Bills now under consideration of the House 1 Surely tho Opposition are not so inconsistent as to offer larger" bribes" thaii the Government? We have heard of one or two pet schemes, i.e., creating four colonies in the North Island, separation, <fco. These aro nothing but political chimeras, which could only serve to prolong a debate and fill the wasto paper shelves of the House. Or if unhappily passed into law and admiu istered by the promoters, we should indeed find ourselves landed in tho arms of tho octopus, with whoso habits and power Mrßees is so intimately acquainted.

A. profound feeling of disgust is felt by a vast majority of tho colonists for Provincial institutions. This feeling is particularly strong in the out-distrlcte, not, bo it understood, confined to the uneducatcd or unthinking portion of the community, but entertained by tho well educated and reflecting as well. It is this dominant cry for Reform which must be felt and acknowledged by tho Government which will sustain them in the struggle, and which will eventually offer to tho colonists of New Zealand one Government, and a perfect form of administration.