The Star. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1868.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 24, 10 June 1868, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1868.

Tim annual soflnion of thp ■' Gonoral j-HHomhly will ho opono<V ; on July o,' or about ono month hence, : an'd it i« gonorally nndorHtood, 'or oxpocto-d', thajt quoHtionn of'fjreafc impprfcaneq, ifiqmbu tutio'iihlly and financially, wiUuho brought .formmh M& .relatione! 'botwoon tho Gonoral Government arid tho Provincoa will, jtyrliaptf, bo settled

ono way, or anofchor, and tho bosb.oii altogether; promtee^ to -bo iof much moro than ordinary, iiitbroat.' '« Afrno period intho hiatory of tho colony haa it boon' moro noooßaary for the people to know, distinctly and unmintakeably, the opinions of their roproHontativoß.in tho Gonoral Assembly. On tho ono hand, wo have politician*! who advocate the abolition of tho provinces, and on the other, thoßO who maintain that a judicious reform of Provincial iiißtitutions ia all that is uoasasary aud as much aa can bo dono with nafoty to the political froodom of tho colony, Between thoHO oxtremos thero is a class whoso opinions aro not vory woll defined, and who may bo, with tho bost Intontions, tho cauao of much evil to tho colony and tho provinooo, Thero ih, also, tho question of financial ro. form — movo important in somo respects than all tlio others— and the question of separation. It con not bo forgotton that tho Provincial Council of Canterbury, which may bo taken aa expressing the voice of tho people, very rocentiy docidod that no satiafaotory solution of tho points atiauuo botwoon Centralism and Provincialism could tako placo till separation from the North Xaland was obtained.' Aro tho representatives of fcho provinco in. tho Gonoral Asaombly of tho aarno opinion ? Wo havo roally no means of judging, We know what Mr RollostoiVs opinions are, foi. he has oxprossod thorn moat frankly ; wo havo a gonoral idoa of tho policy Mr Stovena is prepared to advocate j and Mr Francis Joi lie, tho member for Gladstone, has loffc hia constituents and tho provinco to infor what lino ho will talte in the Afloombly, Mr Hall in a member of the G-ovornment, and it is fair to aupposo that his opinions a«roo with those of his oolloaguos. What thoflo aro, and what tho policy of tho Government ia, Mr Stafford vaguely fbroshadowod in his speoch at Nolson, JDo tho olootora of Chriatohurch know what eourao their reproanntativo is! likely to pursue in the Asaombly P If nob, do thoy think it prudont, in tlio prosont position of aftairs, to remain it»norant P Thore ia a apodal roaaon why, in thia case, information i«S desirable, Mr Travel's <loos not rosido horo, and his opinions may bo influoncod by circumstanceo of which hia constituents know nothing whateTor, Lyttolton and Kaiapoi, and all othor districts tho representatives of which havo not doclarod thoir political crood, have a right to know tho opinions of thoir numbers, ( When, somo years ago, tho quostion was wholhor it should bo war or peace with the natives, tho representatives of Canterbury attondod a mooting in Chrißtohurch, and frooly oxproaaod thoir ideas. It is now a question whether groat changes Bhall ue made in tho Govornmont of tho oolony and provincos, and tho pooplo ought to soo that thoir wiaheH aro clearly understood by those whom thoy lutwohosen to represent thorn, ■ . , ' ' „ ,.. a 'ii', 1 ,"!,. ■=: