The Star. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1869.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 458, 3 November 1869, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1869.

<». Thk session of the Provincial Council j closed last night, and the present seems a fitting opportunity for giving a short account of the work done, without entering into details. la the first place, we may observe that the Council assarted, in various ways, its complete supremacy over the Government. Is was perfectly understood from the commencement of the session that the Government was, if possible, to be kept in office. No one in a position to replace them desired to do so. On the contrary, those who might have unseated the Government appeared to use all their influence in warding off attacks. Ac the same time, it waß made perfectly clear that the Government na.nsb consider themselves nothing more than the servants o f the Council, prepared to adopt and carry out its decisions. This view of the relations between the Executive aud the Council is by no means new. It was enunciated some two or three years ngo, and has gradually come to be considered the only practical and business-like way in which the question of so-called responsible government could be disposed of.' If it is clearly understood, in the future, that the Council is to dictate the policy of the Executive, and that there cannot be, in the sense usually attached to the phrase, *' Government questions," the r> ffairsj)£. the province will be mppg ""efficiently and more economically conducted. The Provincial Council will not become the scene of struggles for power, because there will be no such thing to fight for. "Mr Jollie and Mr ¥ynn Williams, if they are so inclined, may enjoy a perpetual tenure of the Government benches. At least, they may continue to sit there till it has Been finally decided to dispense altogether with the services of a paid Executive. The first two or three days of the session were spent in a mild skirmish over the financial position of the province. His Honor the Superintendent had adopted the somewhat unusual course of making a finaucial statement in his opening speech, and had said that a certain balance stood to the credit of the province at a certain date. It was pointed out that outstanding liabilities had not been

brought to accou&t^ aotf^ifekg^ foe view given of affairs was calculated to mislead. Ultimately, these outstanding liabilities were acknowledged, and the financial position waa settled to the apparent satisfaction of the Council. Then came the question of how the balance of £35,000 was to be disposed of. His Honor had proposed that £15,000 should be given to the Northern Bailway, that £15,000 should be set aside for an extension of the Southern line towards the Eakaia, and that the balance should be expended on a tramway from Selwyn to Southbridge. The Council was decidedly opposed to his Honor's views, and after a considerable amount of discussion, it was agreed that the Southern Railway should get £20,000, that £7500 be allocated to the Selwyn-Southbridge tramway, and that the balance should go towards the construction of a tramway between Timaru and Temuka. Mr Jollie made languid attempts, to the very end, in favour of the extension of the Southern Hue, but the Council refused to give him even £2500 " for the purchase of materials." j The next question of any importance was the alteration in the representation. That, also, was agreed to without much reference to any views which the Government might have held on the subject. Mr John Hall attempted to deprive the more populous districts of some of their representatives, but he only succeeded in taking one from Christchurch and two from Lyttelton. Mr Hall's ideas on representation are based on territory, and bear more relation to Bheep than population. He did not succeed, however, and it seems probable that the change made will have the effect of giving more power to the agricultural districts. The Timaru question was temporarily disposed of with very little discussion The chief point seemed to be what amount of loan charges the Timaru district ought to be debited with. The Government had proposed £18,000 a year as the contribution which Timaru ought to make, and the southern members tried to get this reduced to £10,000. In the end, the old and amicable plan of " splitting the diiference" was resorted to, and the sum was fixed at £14,000. We doubt whether the local magnates of Timaru will feel satisfied with the decision of the Council. What they want iB, complete independence, and it appears to ua that the Council might just as well have agreed to that while they were about it. The only other question of moment which the Council dealt with was that of constitutional reform. It is necessary to remember that the reaolutionß passed by the Council on this subject have noiegaLeffeei They simplyamount to an expression of opinion, on which the legislation of the General Assembly may be sought. We presume the chauges contemplated in the resolutions passed by the Council will not be carried out till the constituencies have been appealed to. It may be the opinion of the public generally that the Superintendent should have a seat in and be elected by the Council, but the people have had no opportunity of saying what their wishes are on the subject. When it is proposed to deprive them of a privilege which they have hitherto set some value upon, it seems only right to ask them whether the change is in accordance with^ their views.