The Westport Times. TUESDAY, MAY 24, 1870.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 662, 24 May 1870, Page 2

The Westport Times. TUESDAY, MAY 24, 1870.

The retirement of Mr Gallagher from the representation of Westland North in the Colonial Parliament should awaken the electors to the necessity of looking around for a suitable successor to the largest constituency in the Colony, and the fact of its limited representation, so inadequate to its importance and population, renders the task but more incumbent to select one who shall most fully possess the necessary qualifications. As a general thing, the people, no doubt, feel grateful to Mr Gallagher that he should have devoted the time and attention, which he could ill spare, to fulfilling the duties of their representative, and that, if unsuccessful in the introduction of measures specially calculated in their operation to benefit the goldfields, he had at least acted with consistency and integrity, and in accordance with the wishes of his constituents, find supported any endeavors to obtain an unification of the Colony, a central administration, and the substitution of numerous local boards to take the place of the Provincial system.

That the introduction of such a policy would have proved most beneficial to the advancement and development of all portions of the Colony ia sufficiently patent to the inhabitants of these goldfields, as also the outlying districts throughout the Province, and it was therefore but natural, that Mr Gallagher should have supported a Minis'rj, who proposed to apply this extended measure of reform. In short Mr Gallagher's political career has been characterised by a faithful adherence to the professions made to his constituents, and he retires with the honest conviction, that he has at least faithfully discharged the trust that had been reposed in him. Though nominally defeated on the Native Question, it was his hostility to the existing form of Provincial Governments which led to Mr Stafford's overthrow. Too large a proportion of the Assembly were interested in the perpetuation of the Provincial system, with all its evils, to render its extinction practicable. Superintendents of Provinces and the recepients, of their patronage, either in the present or in expectation, outnumbered those who desired to substitute a more efficient and less expensive form of government, with concurrent reductions in the enormous taxation of the Colony and the gradual abolition of the gold duty. What hope can there be of amendment, so long as the General Government is embarrassed by a second system of government, which is directly interested in maintaining a high tariff, as furnishing the means of continuing a long list of highly salaried officials, and the expenditure of large sums in public works of a local character, not calculated to benefit the people generally ? It were too much to expect from the political morality of members of the Assembly, representing portions of the Province outside the goldfields, that they should vote the extinction of a system, which furnished the means of applying the revenues of large and prosperous goldfields in any direction a Superintendent and his Executive might think proper. On the Other hand, what more likely, than that the most zealous advocates of Mr Stafford's measureshouldbefoundamongmembers representing constituencies similarly situated to Westland North. A system must, indeed, be radically inefficient that admits of the abuse that has characterised the government of Mr Curtis. Of what value can be that representative institution, under which it is not only a matter of frequent occurrence thatthe works, for the execution of which money had been voted by the Council, should be left unattempted, and the expenditure applied to a purpose without the consent of the Council, but that also, in the face of every constitutional maxim and precedent, sums should have been expended in a direction which the Council had refused to authorise. The insolent taunt of Mr Curtis that, in direct opposition to the wishes and votes of the Council, he should apply certain revenue to a certain purpose, furnishes a striking illustration of the monstrous injustice that may be enacted under the present form of government. Mr Stafford desired to apply a remedy, and therein laid the animosity, witb which his Ministry was opposed by all interested in the continuance of Provincialism. At the present time a petition is being circulated for signatures, praying for increased representation in the House of Representatives ; a similar request will be presented from the County of Westland ; so that the joint agitation may result in the Coast returning five members in place of three as at present, and the former number, it is reasonably expected, will in future be allotted to the Coast, if the Assembly evince an inclination to acknowledge the justice of the request. With a likelihood therefore of an increased voice in the Parliament of the country, it surely behoves all to cast off the supineness and apathy which has hitherto obtained, and direct our energies in a resolute endeavor to emancipate, not ourselves alone, but the various sections of the Colony from the thraldom of Provincialism. Two gentlemen well-known have been spoken of as probable candidates— Mr Donne and Mr O'Conor. Mr Kynnersley is also spoken of as likely to solicit our suffrages. Of the two former, it is needless to speak, while of the latter it may be said that, while to a certain extent compromised by the shady conduct of his friends, in his official connection with these goldfields Le has always displayed efficiency and diligence, and consistently urged the desirability and necessity of assisting the development of the goldfields by improved means of communication. We have still a hard battle to fight with this centralisation question, and our chief care should be to return one who is completely disembarassed of all Provincial tendencies.