LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 182, 29 February 1868, Page 3

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

(From the J¥ew Zealand Herald.) The result of the late discussion within and without the Provincial Council, on the existing relations between the General and Provincial Governments, is one almost of unanimity. Eew go any further with Mr. Carleton than that a change is needed, but, as we have said, oh that one point nearly all are agreed. The majority, however, of the people in this province join issue with the remainder of Mr. Carleton's resolutions, and instead of throwing the province into the hands the centralising power at Wellington, would fain accomplish the object of reform by increasing the local powers of administration, and retaining a subcentral power on the spot, whether it, be called Provincial Council or County Council. As the colony is now situated, one strong central power for both islands is a matter of absurdity. New Zealand is really not one colony, but many colonies, and will remain so until population has very largely increased, and steam and other appliances of civilisation bring districts wholly dissimilar in feelings into one common bond.

Undoubtedly the best substitute for the present government which has ever yet been proposed, is the scheme from the pen of Mr. Munro, one of the members of Council for Marsden, and which has already appeared in these columns. We regret that Mr. Muuro did not bring forward his scheme in Council, as it was quite as relevant for discussion as the resolutions either of Mr. Carleton or Mr. Davy —amounting like these, in fact, to an expression of opinion and no more, but serving to indicate the tendency of popular feeling, and to enable the people of the province generally to form an intelligent opinion upon so important a matter.

The powers of the General Assembly, not even kept within the limits prescribed by the Constitution Act, were originally too large Tbey need to be as few as possible to be applicable purely to colonial questions, and to be sharply and distinctly defined. In lieu then of Provincial Governments with their "departments and staffs," the system propounded by Mr. Munro — and which works well in the colony from whence he came, Nova Scotia — provides that a province, taking Auckland, say, as an example for all, should be divided into some nine counties, and those Avhen cumbrously large be divided into two or more districts, accordingly as population or extent of territory might demand. Each county would have the management of its own local affairs, such as public works, education and the like, which would be regulated by courts and officers, appointed by the electors of the county, and be independent of any action of the executive, having such privileges ! secured to them by Act. These county J courts would be composed of the magistrates of the county, with a grand jury of twenty-four electors drawn yearly from a list of persons between 21 and 60 years of age, possessed of property qualification to a specified amount. AVe will, however, leave Mr. Munro in his own words to tell the further working of the scheme of Government as prrctised in Nova Seotia.

" These sessions," he says, " meet in each county once or twice a-year, as circumstances demand, and are entrusted with all powers for transacting and regulating all county matters, such as appointing all township officers of every grade—supervisors of public property —for voting monies to be assessed for county purposes —erecting public buildings—managing roads and bridges, and laying out new roads, making regulations regarding cattle, fences, thistles (Scotch), and all other noxious weeds —ferries within the county —poor rates and paupers —statute labor on the roads, and everything else connected with the internal affairs of the county, publicans' licenses, &c. The magistrates and grand jury form the court, assisted by a clerk, who is termed « the Clerk of the Peace.' The court has a president called the Custos (Rotulorum), nominated by the Government, but with power in the session to displace him by a vote. " The Custos appoints the Clerk of the Peace, who gets a salary, and who takes down all proceedings of the Court, and enters them in a book of record, and is the principal acting officer of the county throughout the year, and is the depository of all the municipal proceedings of the year, assessment rolls, office returns, &c. ' The magistrates in session decide by a

vote of the majority, and any disputed questions, the Gustos voting equally. " The grand juty present all township officers for selection, generally double the number necessary, from which the magistrates in session select the number required. The grand jury present all sums necessary for county purposes, salaries, buildings, paupers, criminals, witnesses, &c, which are accepted by the court generally, or modified and again presented to the grand jury for approval; the magistrate cannot refuse or add to the amount of the presentment. There is also a county treasurer, who gives bonds for execution of office. The Custos or other magistrates have no fees or emoluments, but grand jurors who represent distant districts are paid. Every county has a Sheriff annually appointed by the Government out of three nominated to be selected from."

What a contrast the following sentence from Mr. Munro's original letter to this journal presents to the present extravagant system of government pursued throughout New Zealand. " In Nova Scotia, during my time," he says, " there had been none paid connected with the sessions, but the Clerk of the Peace; the County Treasurer had merely a commission on all the money he received, and the collector of county rates had also a commission on all the money to collect. The Sheriff had a nominal salary, and as head of the other constables with his fees made out a living ; all the others connected with the sessions had no pay, as they had only their yearly turn out in rotation." We are also informed that in Nova Scotia, with a population of 350,000, the working of this system of local government costs only £15,000 per annum colonial currency, or less than £15,000 sterling.