The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, APRIL 12.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 181, 12 April 1878, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, APRIL 12.

The Akaroa County Council has now got fairly into harness, and the members will no doubt find that the important interests with which they have to deal, will necessitate patient and untiring attention, and a considerable expenditure of time and labor, in what may doubtless appear a thankless task. Already the business is of such an important nature, that they have found it necessary to agree to meet again in a fortnight, instead of being contented to meet once a month. The County system throughout the colony is as yet only on its trial, but we have every confidence that, in spite of some little hitches, it will prove a success. Englishmen all the world over have displayed a great talent for local self-government, and for working out the problems attendant upon such experiments to a successful issue.

The Press has a legitimate function to perform in relation to these public bodies, primarily in keeping the public thoroughly informed as to the proceedings of their representatives, and also, if need be, exposing any abuses that may creep in, or denouncing any flagrant attempts at jobbery that may be perpetrated. We feel sure that it will not be our unpleasant duty to have to perform either of these latter functions regarding the Akaroa County Council. We believe its members to be actuated by a sincere desire for the public good. The fact of their acceptance of a position which entails a certain amount of expenditure of time and money, is pvima facie evidence of this fact, and there is no greater mistake than to be unduly suspicious of our public men, or to be given to attributing their conduct to selfish motives. Such a proceeding has one injurious effect, apart from its injustice ; its prevents honorable men, who are on that account naturally sensitive, from coming forward to fill those positions for which they are eminently suitable ; another result is, that such positions iu>e filled by men of an opposite disposition, and we thus create the very evil, the existence of which we profess to deplore. It would be well if one Oi* two members of the Council would bear this in mind, and bring themselves to believe it just within the bounds of possibility, that a member may oppose some pet scheme of theirs, without necessarily being influonced by motives of pecuniary gain or loss to himself, or, in plain terms, using his public position in a corrupt manner. The Chairman had occasion during the last meeting, mildly, but firmly, to deprecate these personal allusions, which, if persisted in, would render discussion impossible. We trust that this hint may be sufficient, mid that we shall not have to return to this subject. The Council is to be congratulated on its choice of a chairman. Of excellent business habits, sparing neither time nor trouble to methodize and arrange systematically the various matters which have to come before the Council, Mr Latter is evidently the "right man in the right place." Besides this, he possesses in an eminent degree that mixture of firmness and suavity which will enable him, with the support of the Council, to prevent their debates ever degenerating below the level of courtesy and good breeding, which in such an assembly it is so necessary to maintain.

One hint more, ■end we have done. No doubt Big Bay and Muddy Creek are ver} r important places. Their industries are great and important, their population large, their exports enormous ; but are they severally and individually the centres of the universe, as their members would seem to contend ? To these gentlemen we commend the following remarks, of that genial philosopher The Aatocrat of the Breakfast Table :— * * * It is quite as bad with smaller places. I have been about lecturing, you know, and have found the following propositions to hold true of all of them :— " 1. The axis of the earth sticks out visibly through the centre of each and every town or city.

"2. Every collection of its inhabitants that comes together to listen to a stranger, is invariably declared to be a ' remarkably intelligent audience.' ' 3. The climate of the place is particularly favorable to longevity. '4. It contains several persons of vast talent, little known to the world."

The San Francisco Mail arrived at Auckland on the 9th inst., so that the mail will probably be delivered here tomorrow.