THE SUPERINTENDENT AND MR REID.

Evening Star, Issue 3052, 29 November 1872, Page 4

THE SUPERINTENDENT AND MR REID.

Mr Reid’s second letter was coarse and insulting. When the short-lived Stafford Ministry were ejected from office, Mr M; Candrew offered Mr Reid his former position in the Provincial Executive. There was nothing to prevent Mr Reid’s acceptance of that offer. The Superintendent, in the interests of the Province, had passed over any slights. This was handsomely done ; but Mr Reid stood on his offended dignity of being removed from the Executive by his Honor; or, what is just as probable, was still smarting under ftelings produced by his rapid expulsion from office as a Minister of the Crown, He refused the offer, and details a host of things he intended doing. These we do not go into Mr Reid has, by his self-willed conduct, disorganised the Government. aud done that stated at the head of this article. Mr Reid is an able man. but ho is erntch'-tby, and has a peculiar facility for creating trouble and discord. We ask, bow long are the interests of the residents of these Provinces to be sacrificed at the shrine of pique, or the personal feelings of one man ? How Jong are they to submit to this petty system of Provincial Government ? How long are the people to be the victims of squabbles that one might perhaps find recorded in the proceedings of a vestry board ? . . . . Public works languish : public business is neglected; because, forsooth, a Provincial Executive has taken the huff, and resigned. The affair would be absurd, only it happens to be a costly one.— Wukatip Mall

Like many other men of great talents before him, Mr Reid has fallen between two stools, and in that unpleasant position must remain until the Council meets, when, as his admirers fondly hope, he may again obtain possession of the little one, which, in the absence of the other, is by no means to be despised. In the meantime the Province is to have a new Executive. The action of the Superintendent, in thus changing his advisers during the recess, and the grave Constitutional questions which it involves, have berti discussed with due solemnity by the Dunedin papers. To the majority of intelligent colonists, who regard the Provincial syr tern simply as a nuisance, to 1)6 abated as speedily as possible, such discussions will present little interest. The practical point of importance is whether tin l business of the Province will be less efficiently conducted by the new Administration than by their predecessors. And on this score, we are happy to say, we see no reason for anxiety. Mr Toluffe and Mr Turnbull are both men of high character, and large and successful commercial experience, quite as good qualifications for managing the affairs of the Province as Mr Reid’s liberal professions—to which he seems to owe his popularity with his own admirers —and leas satisfactory performances - for which ho deserves to lose it. Of Mr M'Dermid.we know .little, except that he is an old settler, and a respectable man. Mr M‘Arthur is well known in Southland, and possesses the advantage of a thorough knowledge of the capabilities and requirements of this part of the country. The special interests of this district will never be overlooked by any Executive of which he is a member. The new Executive, while from the circumstances of its appointment it cannot be said to represent any expression of public policy adopted by the Council, or even to command the confidence of that body, as it has yet had no opportunity of coming into contact with it, may nevertheless, by wise and successful administration, establish a claim to such confidence by the time the Council re-assembles, and, what will be evgp Letter, cjp much substantial good by the judicious and successful management of the affairs of the Province.— Southland Timet.

The upshot of the quarrel between two tpgu in .Wp.lJujg£p|i. is thgt Otago is left without a Government to carry on its affairs, to the great detriment of the public interest the governmental machinery is disorganised, simply on account of a wretched paltry quarrel between a Superb; - tendeut and a Provincial Secretary. We do not intend to express any opinion on the merits of the quarrel, but we do most strongly object that' the Province suffers because it occurred. The efforts to form a Provincial Executive have not, up to the time of our writing, proved successful. Overtures have been repeatedly made to influential members of the Liberal party, and very favorable terms offered; but an indisposition to take office appears to prevail amongst those eligible, ■ This is in a great measure attributable to the intrigms of Mr Reid’s personal following, who are making strenuous efforts to put the Superintendent in a fix, so that their chief may become master of the situation. We confess we pannot see what the Liberal party have to do with a personal quarrel between Mr and Mr Mapandrew. ' The gentlemen iute ; rested are quite able to take eare of themselves, or they ought to be. It is iu the last degree reprehensible that the formation of an Executive should bo prevented on this ground. . . . Any Government that may now be foimed can be regarded only as a Government of expediency. No political significance can attach to the conduct of any one joining b-, and it is not likely that it will umleitakc any oth r r work than actual administrative business.— Tmpd'a Timet.