The Evening Star. DUNEDIN, THURSDAY, NOV. 2, 1865.

Evening Star, Volume III, Issue 778, 2 November 1865, Page 2

The Evening Star. DUNEDIN, THURSDAY, NOV. 2, 1865.

It appears to be generally accepted that Separation will bo the great question at the forthcoming general election. The cordial political union which now exists between Auckland and Otago, the two Tjrovinces most largely interested in the question, is significant, we hope, of future co-operation in the effort to bring about a satisfactory settlement of the relations of the North and Middle Islands. It is important also to notice that piiblic opinion in Canterbury is undergoing a great change with regard to this subject. "The-Lyttelton Times, which was at one time one of the bitterest opponents of separation, has now become one of its strongest advocates. Mr Stafford, the present Premier, although not a declared Separationist, is at anyrate pledged to a policy of retrenchment, which will depend greatly for its possibility of working on the placing the relations of the two islands on an entirely different footing to that which at present exists. ]No doubt he is prepared to accept the verdict of the country, and if a Separationist majority be returned, he will most probably frame his policy accordingly. There will xery likely be three parties—one in favor

of absolute separation ; another in favor of some medium course ; and a third opposed to' any interference -with the existing condition of the colony. There are many difficulties m. the -way of obtaining.comple separation, and it is urged by some politicians that all its benefits can be obtained much more easily by a medium course, and one that would still preserve tbe unity of the colony. Mr Maftandrew is one of them, and bis resolutions on the subject pretty clearly interpret the opinions of the middle course advocates. He proposes first to repeal the " New Provinces Act," and to restore those provinces which have been dismembered by it to their | original limits. That is to say, Southland ! and Marlborough in the Middle Island, and Hawkes Bay in the North, are to be merged into their parent Provinces. He proposes also to add the Taranaki Province to Auckland. He would abolish the Executive offices of Postmaster-General, Native Minister, and Defence Minister, and baud over the administration of Native affairs to the Provinces concerned, the cost to be borne by them, and they to have the benefit of the sale of any confiscated land. The legislation of the General Assembly he proposes, should be strictly confined to the purposes specified in the 19th section of the Constitution Act; and further, that " all public revenue, from whatever source " derived, shall be held to be the revenue " of the Province within which it accrues." With regard to the past liabilities of the Colony, he proposes that they should be a first charge upon the revenues of the Provinces of the Middle Island: the annual amount of interest and sinking fund to be paid by each Province's pro rata to its Custom's revenue. But this charge is to be shared by the North Island Provinces as soon as the Native difficulties are over. Each Province in the Colony is to contribute towards the maintenance of the General Government, in proportion to its Customs revenue. The executive functions of the General Government are to be confined to matters of purely federal concern, and the administration of those functions within the respective Provinces to be delegated as far as possible to the Provincial Governments.

The scheme sketched out above has xtiany points in its favor, but its greatest fatdt is that it would not settle the question. Ardent a believer in provincialism as Mr. Macandrew is, he must feel convinced that Provincial Governments must, at no very distant day, be swept away. His plan, if carried out, would certainly strengthen them for a time, but we question the wisdom of placing such large powers in the hands of so many petty governments. "Why not include the whole Middle Island into one Province, with a strong and powerful Government. Such an arrangement would secure to the Middle Island the advantage of actual separation, and yet preserve our federal union with the North ; and would, we believe, tend much to elevate the tone of government throughout the Colony. We regret that, owing to the withdrawal of his resolution, we have not the advantage of learning Mr Macandrew's arguments in their favor ; but we trust his constituents will soon have them from his own lips.