POLITICAL.

West Coast Times, Issue 277, 13 August 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

POLITICAL.

The General Assembly still continue its sittings at Wellington. Mr Moorhouso the Superintendent of Canterbury, whose election to the Assembly bpth for the district of Westland, and for the small constituency of Mount Herbert, we have already notified, has taken his seat for the former electorate. The vacancy thus erefor Mount Herbert has been filled up. Hitherto, the attention of the Assembly has been principally engrossed with -the question of the separation of the colony. Auckland has never forgiven the decision by which the central seat of Government was removed to Wellington, and has made a claim for its erection into a quasi-inde-pendent colony, holding certain financial and other relations with the General New Zealand Government. Mr Whitaker, the Superintendent of the Province of Auckland, and the representative of the city of Auckland in the General Assembly, pro-* posed a series of resolutions, the effect of which would have been to make the Superintendent a Lieutenant Governor, to .elevate the Provincial Council into a Provincial Assembly, or local parliament, with plenary powers, except on certain reserved points, to localise the Customs revenue, and otherwise to establish the privileges of a.separate State. As a set-off, the resolutions proposed to throw upon Auckland the charge of the native and military expenditure within the distiict. Mr Whitaker's first resolution was one declaratory of the expediency of making temporary | provision for the better government of the Province of Auckland. Upon this, Mr ! Dick, one of the Otago members and the Superintentendent of that Province, moved au amendment, omitting the word '' temporary " and substituting for the words '' Province of Auckland " the "Colony of New Zealand." The object v of the amendment -was to secure to other provinces, aud to Otago in particular, a participation in auy privileges incident to au "independent" Government, that might be conceded to Auckland. An issue was thus raised wider than that moated by the Auckland members, and an opportunity afforded for the expression of a decided opinion on the part of those who advocated an insular, as well as those favorable to a provincial, separation. Mr Dick's amendment naturally received the votes of the Otago members— that province going in for the same position in the South Island as the empire State, that Auckland aspires to in the North. Both are equally opposed to the location of the i Government at Wellington. The predominant feeling of the House was, however, strongly against an}' disturbance of the present unity of the colony ; and although the issue, in the form in which it was put, disencumbered the Separation question, pure and' simple, from any embarrassment arising out of l^cal pretensions and jealousies, Mr Dick's motion obtained the support of twenty-four \ otes only, whilst forty-two were recorded against it. A subsequent amendment, raising more definitelythe substantial meritsof the question, resulted in a vote of forty-four against, to eighteen in fivor of the Separation principle. Whilst, however, it is admitted that these divisions practically dispose of the question of Separation for the present session, it 13' understood that the form in which it has been raised has not led to any conclusive solutio.i of it. It is still an open issue whether a scheme of a modified character, providing for the financial separation of the two islands, without any disturbance of the political unity of the colony, may not meet witn a more favorable consideration at- the hands of the General Assembly. The plan of settlement to which the Middle Island provinces genera'ly would bo content to assent, is the recognition of all the engagements and responsibilities of the past as a colonial debt, to be lome in fairly adjusted propor'.ions between the two inlands, and the release for the future of the Middle Island altogether from responsibility for war and native charges. No doubt such an ar- | rangement will form the basis of an adjustment, if not during the present, in some early, session of the General j Assembly. So much time has been occupied by these Separation debates, that little attention has been paid to more practical work. The Government have announced their intention, very much to. the disappointment of the mercantile community throughout the colony, still longer to defer the introduction of a comprehensive measure to amend the law of Insolvency. They have submitted a Bill to extend the jurisdiction of District Courts ; but the House of Representatives have negatived the clause all giving District Judges power of trying felonies, with the exception of the most serious class. The financial measures of the Government are not yet before the public. Wednesday last was appointed as the Budget day, but it was doubtful whether the Treasurer would be in a position to make his statement, in consequence of delay in the preparation of public accounts. It is announced, however, that the scheme of an income-tax has been abandoned ; that . some system of stamp duties is about to be proposed ; and that it is contemplated to impose a penny posjal duty upon newspapers. Both these propositions are extremely unpopular throughout the colony ; and when the Budget debate comes on, Ministers will no doubt be challenged, not only to defend the new fiscal burdens they purpose to impose, but to establish the necessity of imposing any new taxes at all, in the present circumstances of the colon}', when it is popularly understood that the war is at an end, and when it is a fact, established by indisputable figures, that the trade and Customs returns of New Zealand are largely and continuously increasing. It would, however, be unwise and premature to say more of the financial proposals of the Gov'-rooient, until they are fairly be- 1

foro the public in the statement to bo made by the Colonial Treasurer. In local-political matters, the month has been one of comparative suspense. The Provincial Council will not be convened until the General Assembly has terminated its sessiou, in consequence of the presence in Wellington of man)' members of the Council, who also hold seats in the Assembly. The elected members of the Provincial Council for the several electoral districts of Westland, are waiting the opportunity of rendering some public service to their constituents. Since, their return, and since the brief visit of the Superintendent to the district, no visible change whatever has taken place in the system of local administration here. The Commissioner is still the "sole' 1 authority, and his exercise of authority continues to be, as it has ever been, wholly irresponsible to public opinion. In a community numbering thirty thousand people, there is not one man who has the slightest potential voice in the administration of local affairs, or the appropriation of local revenues. The Commissioner is a mysterious power moving in our midst — with us, not of us. ' He is solely the subordinate of Christchurch officials, and as- exercising an authority delegated by them, holds in his own hands every string, the pulling of-which affects for good or for ill, the great interests 1 of this populous and .wealthy district. The project for the establishment of .municipal government in Hokitika, has for the present fallen through. The district having been proclaimed a municipality, according to the provisions of the law, a meeting was duly convened to re- j ceive the nominations for Councillors, j The citizens, however, being desirous of some amendment of the Act, in order to extend the privilege of voting to a large class who were found to be .disqualified by technical objections, it was determined to adjourn the meeting, in the hope that during the interval the actiou of the General Assem -■ blywouldsupply a remedy. The subject has not yet engaged the attention of that body, and as on the day fixed for the adjourned uneeting to take place, the legally appointed chairman was absent in Wellington, whither he had been summoned to give evidence before a Parliamentary Committee, there was no opportunity of effecting a further adjournment, and the movement has, therefore, for the present lapsed, and all the former preliminary steps will have to be gone through anew.