THE WAIRARAP STANDARD SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1876.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume 6, Issue 509, 2 December 1876, Page 2

THE WAIRARAP STANDARD SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1876.

Ik an article under the haadi"g “The way we are Governed” the Lyttelton Tunes has soma excellent remarks which are well worth being re-produced for the benefit of our readers. “ Few persons ” •aya onr contemporary, “can describe the form of government during the last twelve months , fewer still can explain onr present Constitution ; and no one is bold enough to prophesy what it will bo a year hence. We are not, even yet. in full enjoyment of the Provincial Abolition Act. Out of tenderness to our fallen nature, it is given to us in instalments. Otherwise, unprepared for its sudden splendour, wo might have suffered the fate of Semele. On the first day of January next we hope to be able to gaze on its glory, as the eagle on the sun, Last year wo lost representative Provincial Councils: this year we have lost elective Superintendents and the name of Province. There is, however, for the present, balm in Gilead. The Crown presents us with its nominees, who combine in their persons the functions of elective Superintendents and representative Provincial Councils ; and the law kindly still allows us to live in “ Provincial Districts. ” It is one of the things not generally known that, until the end of next month, the Provincial Appropriations Acts are extended, and theur deficiencies, which are many, as the appropriations were made eighteen months ago, are supplemented by the decrees of the General Government and their Provincial Agents.” That is to say, whenever a new office has to be created, or a salary increased, or a public work not provided for is thought desirable, the Nominee and thb Minister appropriate either out of Provincial revenue or by means of Treasury Bills whatever they think desirable. This accounts for the second bridge at Tau“oren^*,,i the - second bridge over the Kangitikei, the new bridge over the Waiohine, and the numerous other public works which are now being proceeded with in this Provincial district, and all of which will have to be paid for out of some future Provincial revenue. This will neceesrrily prevent any means from being available for future public works Moept such as the ratepayers may feel dupesed to undertake under the legisla-

tion of last session, and for which either Special rates will have to be levied, or those works will have to be postponed for an indefinite period. It will thus be seen that things will not go on so swimmingly as they do now when the new system has been fairly inaugurated, and when advances by means of Treasury Bills will be no longer available. ‘ But,’ observes our contemporary, * with the commencement of the new year another phase of Government will appear. Provincial Agents, who are members of the General Assembly, except those who are also members of the Executive Council of the Colony, are required by law to resign their appointments before that date under penalty of Parliamentary disqualification. That is obviously the effect of “ The Disqualification Act, 1876,” and of the 36th section of “The Financial Arrangements Act, 1876.” Buc if the 12th section of the Provincial Abolition Act of 1875 is sufficient—we contend that it is not sufficient, and Major Atkinson in 1875 contended to the same effect —to authorise the appointment of such agents, there is nothing to preclude the Governor, if he is so advised, from appointing other Agents who may have no shadow of claim to our confidence. ExSuperintendents have at least about them some trace of elective character; they are ‘like the vase in which roses have once been distilled; but our new Agents may be men of a different stamp, and not in such good odour. Be they who they may, we protest against the continuance of a system of Provincial Prifets Parliament never contemplated that system ; the House of Representatives in 1875 rejected the clause which authorised it, and only passed the 12th section on the distinct assurance of the present Premier that that section would not give such authority." It is impossible, our contemporary thinks, in the present epidemic of abolishing constitutional land marks to predict exactly how we shall be governed, but unless wiser counsels prevail and a more prudent policy be adopted, there can be little doubt that we shall be governed worse and at greater coat than we have been governed hertofore.