CORRESPONDENCE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 22, Issue 277, 22 May 1873, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

OUR POLITICAL POSITION. {To the Editor.) Sir, — The time has come to us emphatically when the words of Ephraim •JenkinsoUjL "Measures, not men," ought to be made our rallying cry. Iv the Provincial Council, his Honor the Superintendent has been loudly accused of acting unconstitutionally in dismissing Mr. Donald Reid as Secietary for Lands and Works after he had accepted office in the Stafford Government. But who is. his accuser? The man who was chief of the responsible advisors of his Honor — not above him, but subordinate to him. Well, this man accepts an ollice which himself acknowledges to be incompatible with the proper discharge of his duties as Secretary for Lands and Works ; and yet he never gives his Honor the least hint that he has accepted such ;\n office. According to what clause in the Otacjo constitution is such conduct defensible ? According to what usage in any Constitutional Government does this accord? 1 I luve never seen the Otago Constitution Act, and there limy be something in it which shows that the chief adviser of his Honor may. in matters affecting the efliciunfc administration of the province, thus virtually act us his chief and not as his subordinate ; but this would be the strangest piece of blundering I have ever met with in tho apprentice legislation of the province ; and I must say my reading of history has not yet brought me abreast of such a usage. By Air. Reid, we are not permitted to iufer that personal feeling had anything to do with his conduct, though, be it borne in mind by Mr. Reid's friends, personal feeling is made to explain every thing in the measures taken by his Honor. It is true Mr. Reid does nofc boast of his patriotism ; but plainly he wishes us to infer that his patriotism move dhini to hold on to office until the Council should meet. Men might be appointed to office who would not administer with fidelity the new land law. Well, I ask, was Mi\ Reid so essential to the Stafford Government that he could not abide by his office of chief of the Otago Government to prevent this? If these were hi* convictions, why not manfully abide by his post 1 Was nothing clue to the people of Otago, who very largely supported his candidature to the Superintendency? He justifies himself by saying that lie had a substitue in his place. But during the months thai should elapse before Mr. Reid could divest himself of office, according to his views of the constitution, we luusb have been at the mercy of. the nominee. Is it constitutional that our chief adviser of his Honor should have the power of appointing such a nominee in such instances ; if so, it is time the constitution was amended. But whilst in duty bound we accept Mr. Reid's assertion thai personal feeliug had nothing to do with such conduct on his part, his friends will not permit any other construction on his Honor's conduct but that of political personal rancor. It was a fine opportunity of paying off Mr. Reid, and he comes all the way fjom Wellington to Dunedin to- do it. Well, as his Honor choose to, act out of regard to the interests of the province, and called upon Mr. Reid to resiga; and then Mr. Reid mounts his lmg*> Clydesdale charger, armed for the tilt not with

way flail, and, in attempting to do the dignified, acquits himself like a genuine member of the ackward squad. But what is the moral of all this 1 Is is simply that there is nothing easier than to call out against unconstitutional action ; but those who raise such a cry ought to square their own actions to con, stitutional usages. Further, this contemptible playing at Parliament and pretence of vindicating the constitution on tho part of our Provincial Councillors ought to hasten on the doom of the Provincil Council. I have been disgusted at the waste of money involved in it. In all fairness, Mr. Reid and his supporters, who are so heroic over the constitution, ought to forfeit thoir honorariums and defray most of those of the opposition, whose time they have taxed for a mere quibble — no fault having been, found with his Honor's interim advisers. I would not close this without glancing at things which have been said in Mr. Reid's vindication. We are told that his Honor has a substitute during his absence in Wellington, and free use has also been made of the name of the Hon. J, Bathgate. But this is mere idle play. We have to do at present with the men who come forward us the real Simon Pure, in reading us lectures on our constitutional history. Let those be dealt with on their merits. — I am, meanwhile, A Stone for Mr. Reid's Glass House.