The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, MAY 24, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1992, 24 May 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, MAY 24, 1875.

Whateveb .satisfaction the advocates for continuing Provincialism may feel at the result of the debate on MrSheehan's resolutions they are heartily welcome to. They have made themselves ridiculous oven in the estimation of many .persons who agree . with, them that Provincial institutions can yet be made useful in carrying on the work of settlement, and the arguments.brought forward in support of their views were of the shallowest kind* /They contend that Mr Bagnall's resolution "would have ; hampered Sir George Grey, and weakened his influence in the Assembly. Mr Reader Wood denied, this, and said plainly that the resolution would not affect Sir George Grey at all We can easily understand this explanation ,of the Treasurer's. Sir George intimated clearly enough that if the Council passed the estimates for the police: service, he should takeover the control. This, after the very decided expression of opinion from the Council that the police control

should not be disturbed, ought to be to show that Sir George Grey has opinions of his own, which he considers superior to the collective, wisdom of a majority of the Council. It cannot be forgotten that in referring to the proposals of Mr Vogel for abolition Sir George Grey said that any * expression of opinion from the Council would receive his careful consideration. The Council therefore declared itself to ■be in favor of the abolition of Provincialism by a majority of four in a pretty full house. Next day that resolution

was rescinded by a majority cf one, three additional members being present at the division. The question now is which expression of opinion will Sir George give his careful consideration to, and which iguore. The first undoubtedly represents the opinions of a very large majoiity of the inhabitants of the Province, notwithstanding a declaration from a por-. tion of the press to the contrary. The Council has made itself ridiculous by the action taken on this question. They had better have left it alone than do what has been done. Their opinion either way will have little effect when the time conies for the question to be finally settled. If it should bo left to a new Parliament to legislate upon what constitutional changes shall bo made, the constituencies will be the tribunal of appeal. The supporters of Bagnall's resolution are charged with being actuated by personal opposition to the Superintendent rather than devotion to ihe cause which they espoused. The New Zealand Herald make this ridiculous accusation, well knowing that there is not the. -slightest .ground for it; and at the same tithe moralises on the folly of " fundamental questions being dealt with in any legislature not specially,;elected for their consideration/ forgetting that it has been most prominent in suggesting that this ''fundamental" question of abolition should be considered by the Council. The Provincialists console themselves with the conviction that they have attained a victory—that Sir George Grey will have his hands strengthened by this result. But' Sir George Grey cannot possibly imagine that his position as an: ulira-pro-vincialist will be one jot enhanced by the reversal of the Council's opinion, and, whatever he 'may do or say in the Assembly when the question conies before it, the less said-about the Council's action the better. As Superintendent, perhaps, he could not avoid, asking:the Counciito express their views; and as they do not agree with his own on the subject of abolition, Sir George will have to sink the Superintendent in the member for City East when the proposed abolition of Provinces comes up for discussion in the Assembly. Sir George Grey's unanimous election to the SuperJntendency does not prove that he represents the views of a majority of the inhabitants of the Province on the abolition question.