GOVERNMENT POLITICS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 194, 7 June 1860, Page 3

GOVERNMENT POLITICS

The following extracts from th&addseits.of Mr. F..A.Weld to the. Electors of the-Wairau on the prospect of his accession to:th&. ministry at the beginning of next session, 'of the Legislative Assembly may be considered, as showing the policy of the government-, on the important questions lie refers to. f . . . “The presentdifficulty at Taranaki is not a question in any way of ownership to land; it is this: Can a_ Chief who assumes tribal authority forbid the exercise -jof.. .rights of ownership by a native ,owner hold that quasi-sovereign as claimed by Wiremu Kingi, in attempt to prevent the .sale of did not belong to him, to be,incompatjlßwith the authority of the Q:sVerted'by an act of open aggressjpn, it could neither be ignored nor condoned. v J,; r

I hold the exercise of. sucli assumed powers , chieftainship, to f advance of civilization tbemselvos.;' if. is'antagonistic to^the;rights, of private property, and leads to .tlie'perpetuafion of communistic habite;. apcT to .the-prepon-derance of mere strength social qp legal order ;asit is also clearly detrimental 4o good relations and’union between the races.* sand to the present interests, and the- fulfilmenfe/Tof the high fultycdcslinics of New, Zealand.

I yet doubt not but that the most , humane as; well as-'the-wisest cquj§e, ai|l Op? evei’^if^ly tqjestablish the supremacy ofllm Crown ; a m l £am sure that the whole O' -ony will unite,»&t any'd#!#,: to - support-i his 'rr^celleuC3r. : the .Governor in the manly and decided course lie . has fajren, and willraccojd djiaj^dvisers f in circumstances en'iaiiing & amount reSflbnsibihty pd a of discretion. “[/ will to the lewShd subject of fikl inte)«p-it is that of the whole future jSfjlitical of'.this country. Is New M-'inshijp’ned into a federation'of potty with arbitrarily fixed yet uncMhg&iblt?' boundaries f ; each state possessing its dependent districts? Or, ou. the other hand shall we allow the free action of the people of the country to enable' it to fulfil the conditions of a healthy growth, by altering «tVd geographical and political boundaries in %Mcurdanc6' with - reqnireraQiitST-t|iat^mayfrom time to time arise ? Thus creating new ‘ provinces ’ or districts, with large powers of seif-government-in purely local matters, whilst the progress of the colony will more and more enable the one general legislature efficiently to represent and effectively to deal with all subjects that are common to the colony as a whole.

The tendency to the former system has grown out of the mode in which our constitution was launched adrift by Sir George Grey, whilst the latter system was no doubt the ideal formed by the minister of the Crown who proposed, and by the Parliament that granted our constitution. In the former system I see. necessary expense?; probable confusion from current powers; six or eight legislative bodies doing badly the work that might be well done by one; a multiplicity of laws; and no real self government for outlying districts. On the other hand, in the latter system see, a very possible reduction of expense ; a simplicity and unity in laws and administration lor purposes common to all ; one legislative body, in which the most competent men in the colony might meet; and full local selfgovernment, legislative and administrative, in

all really local matters. The time is now come when we must choose in which direction our political machine is to move ; the New Provinces Act has guided its tendency-aright, and given freedom to the natural course of events. For my part I shall maintain its principle to the utmost. In intimate connection with this subject, is that of representation. The members of the House of Representatives must be increased ; several districts want members or additional ones; new interests (such, as for instance, as that of mining) are springing up and need representation. — this snoTiiir"Ce effected by a measure carefully framed with a view to represent all classes,' interests, and opinions as fairly as j ossible.