The Evening Star MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1871.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 587, 27 November 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1871.

For Ike cause that lack^assistaiici., For the wrong that no.-.ds resistauc For the fntu/c in the distance, And the good that we can do.

i-- ~~ ■ . , , ,> i i wo memorials at < i-t. prey._, ; , <;r-v ■■.<in;i around fciu- city with refercui (he division of the city into wai- - the oiie being _in favour of, the oi ■ buin-frin opposition to (hv1 change. V* I'-'-ve repeatedly given expression to our congratulations on the absence of the ward* system from the Municipal Corpora-j lions Act, under which the affair;, of ! tlie city arc at present administered In fact to this one feature in the >■ order of things, there is a general [disposition to attribute the tendency jto a bigher tone in proceedings than j that which ' oimraofcflrfaed tho late i City Board. The last; election ; was conducted by the city as a united , constituency, and we think the resull has afforded much general satisfaction. | while the old member." wiio were j ! elected under the old constitution, ; I havo riouune^ i lively sense ox the ' ] fact that when they conic beibi-u their : constituents the little influences of. coteries and puity local partisanships | will not avail th >. 'Huh wholesome ' influence hats unquestionably Ix-en ■•x----ercised by the principle '••fa larsrn ..v-ii-stituency. Bui (u > iv is a medium in ;i.l! things,and .■ ; '•• ;■■ ■nc aijTerencei/ci vv'i-i'i the aggregate of' some twelve thousand residents being represented by every member ofjCouneil, and the same constituency being broken up into six separate divisions, each electing ita j local member. The movtjvs ;n iho , present agitation foe the subdivision I of the city have, wisely, for ;ho hopes ; of the movement, struck the mean j between.these two extremes, and con- j 1 template the creation of three wards \ in the city; one being the present constituency of City En»t, the other | two cousisHng. as \x? .understand, of i the two halves of City West It would certainly bo difficult to find j much objection to this moderate pro- ;

posal. The present arrangement is; really a cumbrous one, and the fact ot the whole city being thrown into the., excitement of an election whenever a member of Council may take it into his . head to tvsigu, would m time make ■ municipal affairs become a positive' bore co citizens. The result wo\:' Ibe that apathy would reign in relation to Ike civic administration of affaire, and : die consequences of mii ha stale of j thin "■»■> r»re too familiar >o require j illustration, Each of the throe con-; tern plated sards h rrnKy oi respectable dimensions, and it- can only be the ' prejudice naturally arising from t-b-J ;1;-:t ■■■;■- 'ifoble proceedings of . the oast, that ere-uto an obstacle in the -vay of buc'i a reasonable proposal as the people of the city are warranted in feeling* with reference to the abuses and discreditably proceedings of the past, it would be a pity W this feeling should o;h-;-«', .v»; -^ the arloptiou oi a modification chat would unquestionably work to the benefit of the city. Under the present sysirfia it is quite as possible as under the old, for a system of cliqueism to prevail —different indeed in character, bat possibly even more injurious in results. And although ye quite admit that the intelligence «nd north of the city may converge in Queen-street and its immeuiatfe- :miTounding3, we yet believe that a tyranny arising from the ascendancy oi Queen-street [might be established over the administration of civic affairs against which it would be utterly impossible for the outlying districts of the city to make any successful resistance. The proposal of a division of the city into wards is reasonable and fair, and whik likely to confer much benefit, cannot be attended with those, evils which were so conspicuous from >

minuter subdivision in the days'of tin City Board.