The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1872

Dunstan Times, Issue 514, 23 February 1872, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1872

Beneaththeßuleof Men entirecv just tho pen is M.IOIITIER than the swnan

Tkeiie ia an evil flie affairs, ])olitical and social, of all Now Zeal-and-colonists. which, as each succeed ing year revolves, the more impera--1 ively crys out for reformation. Political enthusiasts are fond of telling ns that New Zealand is tiie bright particular star of the Southern Hemisphere, the most rapidly advancing colony within Her Britannic Majesty’s -- dominions ; the future Britain of the j -South, the source of wealth and prosperity to fast increasing population, .'lie centre from which emanates a wisdom and .intelligence Hat shall shed a halo of glory o’er the pages of Colonial history. . All this,-and much more of a similarncture, an enlightened public good naturedly listen to, accepting, such flowery laudation cum . grano sails, and comparing the ideal i picture with-the stern realities of every j day experience. But the evil referred | to, the stumbling block of which our Sulims of- the south are the hold originators yarn! over which they are themselves for ever incontinently tripping and staggering ; is a self evident argument against the correctness of theirglowing assertions, and detracts in no slight degree from whatever mo- ' dicutfiofreason'maybofoiindthereiu, The Statute hook "of Sew Zealand will hear ’the palm aS-trmodel specimen of clumsiness and inutility; and, under the present development of legislative functions, bids fair tp. rapidly expand into abnorjnal’prop options. Nor, can .such a contingency excite, wonder, if -wo consider the source of inspiration, the ruling-powers and * contending iritorcsls, all helping to wrench in endless distortions the statutes ofNew Zealand Tn the early days of colonial legislation, . when rule and precedent were deemed - of mere importance than the embodiment of new ideas ; a largo portion of the statute layy of England was •sulo.pted, almost at random, hut with amplifications,- curtailments, and amendments, suited to the time, place, mid' .Bumumdiug .circumstances of pissing events, rather than subject to •any compri hens’ve scheme for the ”'genera'' goverunco of a hew and expanding colony. ’ And, as legislators become accustomed to office, and more ■ • ipTfilig'iif tlr6iv' flights of fancy, law succeeded liiwAvith ominous rapidity. "Wide,-to -the- - General Govornment was ontnistccHhe passing of statutes, ..••pyi'smn.e'dljufi-ahied for the benefit of Tie entire community; each petty -—PiWitrcial" Cdinrcih acting independ- • *.eiuly of-lhc re.st,-- knowing little and caring less for ulterior -contingencies, ao kihg-rfs they'-wbre permitted to try theiypren.tifglhini.d.s.at, .iayv.Jnaking, ; v <lidVf<t.their.’o\Vh swcfttavtll's-jii'ilii-oduce a multiplicityu>£ ordinances, crude,--ijnsatislactory, ~amj, unworkable, in * fact, fi liniltitude of hiingting and oftentimes chiklieh abortions. So much'so 11 1 -biiii<'-giftgßcm this ]ioifit.ofj vidw, life if-tyt Wd'oht supi m«rter of 'proVi n- j c.iaijsni must KoTufft' ’tliWt - the gy is ' 51 n th-- true progress;of eoloi.iz.hi--n, .Laws of great public r impo&ar.ce arc —varied every- ’few kandr -d ml es .-.tlK.r.yfl’ut the 1

1 edtinhy, and if in crossing tho-boun-dnry of one province wo leave some absurdities behind, it is' only to find others spi in" up, equally glaring Tiud mischievous, Thus has the Statute > 4,:f. K c\y • Zealand become a stumbling block in the path of ad vanoemenf, and as e‘*c!i succeeding Session of Parliament, General or Provincial, concludes its periodical , duties, ihe burden is increased, the . voluniesbf the law became more null. erous and unwieldy end finis causes .“confusion worse confounded.-’ In the multitude of counsellors tlieii may ho wisdom, but in our multitude of laws wisdom finds no abiding place; inasmuch as no mortal genius'has yet been fouud.lo act as her interpreter. It would puzzle a legion of Philadelphia lawyers and their familiar spirits, to plainly set forth where New Zealand laws commence and where they end, what is subject thereto, and> what has yet escaped the mekdling de. vices of zealous but ’imprudent law mongers. The why and wherefore of this is but too plainly evident. Our House of Representatives and Legislative Council contain men of talent enough, in all conscience, to legislate judiciously; but a simplification or a modification of the machinery, of Government, and a regard for uniformity in laws; is thought of less importance than th“ support of party interests or private projects, and the main reason for the vagaries of Provincial legislation is that those who occupy seats in the various Councils, while emulating the intrigues cf their peers, on a humbler scale, are not, in plain unvarnished tiulli, capable of performing the duties they have been, by favoring chance, called upon to fulfil. Not that talent and good common sense are rare among the community, but that the owners have their own business to attend to, and will not, or can not devote time and energy to the public good." Provincial Councils have so fallen ’n repute that few good men care to take their places in the Council Chambers, inasmuch as their most strenuous efforts therein are but too often nullified bj the in, herent stupidity and narrow-minded-ness of those by whom they find themselves surrounded- Still, from oinong the chans of contradictory laws a- d the clash of opposing statutes, it is possible, by-patient research and ; caroful manipulation, to reveal much ■ that is good ;"and tho task that awaits ! all legislators earnest in their country’s cause is, riot the devising of new laws —heaven forbid !-"but the amalgamation- of existing Ordinances into some intelligible form, patent to the perceptions of ordinary mortals, and adapted to the general Government of tho Colony. The task is a difficult one, no doubt, and, in many instances, it Will be found injudicious to abandon .special- legislative. enactments ; but some broad and general rules may bo devised whereby the majority of laws . owning individual paternity, nv~y be amalgamated,.and made equally applicable to every portion ot the colony. We are evidently on the eve of important Constitutional changes in New Z“aland. The battle ot “ Centralism versus P.ioyincialism’’ will soon be fought with vigorous intensity. It has, fn fact, become, not only desirable, but absolutely necessary, that some well considered changes should he make in our governing institutions ; and we opine that no comprehensive scheme of action will ultimate in success, unless minor details are first satisfactorily adjusted, lienee the codification o‘ th° New Zealand Statute Book is evidently of no slight importance. Uniformity in legislation is not so practicable as may be popularly supposed, and even when practicable; not at all times advisable—but it is a sub)ect fraught with importance to every individual colonist, and hence, now that our legislators are preparingfor the coining Struggle, and, if leal and loyal to their constituents, concentrating their thoughts and energies upon the question how best to do their duty; it is a subject worthy of all earnest contemplation.