Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 3055, 3 December 1872, Page 2

If it were, possible to believe that Messrs Duncan, Hutcheson, ami Stout were sincere in the reasons they adduced for desiring to convene the Council, people would give them credit for a desire to do good, although they might not admire their method. But it is abundantly evident that the veal object of those gentlemen, and of the other twenty-four members who signed the requisition presented to his Honor last Tuesday, was very different from the professed one. Ho doubt it is very desirable that every Act of Parliament and every Ordinance of the Provincial Council should be administered in the spirit in which it was passed, and that no impediment should he thrown in the way of giving full effect to the intention. That is the duty of an Executive. When the Council has agreed upon measures to be adopted, their duties are completed. The rancour and bitterness of party conilict are past, at least so far as the discussion of the questions is concerned; and it is well that it should be remitted to independent hands to see that our laws are impartially administered. It is to be regretted on some grounds that Executive changes have occurred just at the moment when the new Land Bill is

to be brought into operation ] for although we believe that the present Executive will be less liable to be influenced by party considerations than the men who have put themselves out of oflice, we do not believe it possible 1 even for an archangel to give satisfaction to the faction, whose only object in wishing for a meeting of the Council is to bring such pressure to bear upon the (Superintendent as to compel him to appoint rabid party men. We do not believe that in this course of proceeding the Province sympathises with the deputies aud memorialists. In fact we believe we express the conviction of all thinking men when we say that it will be an evil day for the Province, should official appointments be subject to the dictum of the Provincial Council; and clearly this is the expiessed intention of the deputation. When this takes place, there is only another step —the Council must declare themselves sitting en permanence, and supersede all Executive officers by themselves becoming the Executive. But the real object of the memorialists is kept out of sight. It is to express an opinion on the recent changes in the Executive —in fact, to snub the Superintendent. We cannot help thinking that much misapprehension exists regarding the late changes. Some very absurd theories are abroad respecting them, which should carry their own refutation with them. We leave out of the question altogether the consideration of. the motives that induced Mr Reid to act as he did. Rightly or wrongly he refused to occupy the position of leader of the Provincial Council, and virtually compelled the Superintendent to appoint another Executive. In the exercise of his undoubted constitutional right, he has appointed others, who, as members of the Provincial Council, are responsible to it for their actions. It is a mistake to imagine that the appointment of an Executive rests with the Council. It is quite possible—nay, very likely—that that sapient Legislature may not approve of the Executive as at present constituted, but they, like all other Parliaments, must wait their time for making a row about it. The affairs of the Province will go on very well, if they will only be patient; and by and by they will have the opportunity of pouring out their bottled-up venom, and of letting the world know all about their notions of constitutional law in a constitutional way. There is really nothing requiring their advice at present pending. A great deal of nonsense has been talked about the changes having been made during the session of the General Assembly while the affairs of the Province were conducted by a DeputySuperintendent. It is assumed that the appointment of a deputy deprived him whose representative he was of all Executive power, and so on--hair-splitting theories too childish to need exposing, but sufficiently plausible for faction to make a handle of. Then another grand point is, that Mr Reid’s resignation was accepted, and Mr Bathgate’s was not, and thus there is an imputation of personal animosity towards Mr Reid. We are not in the secrets of the Superintendent, and judge only as plain men do. Looking at the matter, therefore, as it appears, it stands thus: Mr Reid refused to be reinstated, and therefore, perforce, his resignation was accepted; but his withdrawal from the Executive left the Superintendent with the legal number of advisers. When, however, Mr Bathgate resigned, had his resignation been at once accepted, the constitutional number would not have remained \ it was, therefore, a necessity that he should retain office until a successor was appointed, or a new Executive formed. We believe this to be the simple solution of the matter. It is to be regretted that party spirit is allowed to distort and warp men’s judgments so that anything rather than the true cause for these apparent anomalies is accepted ; and on this ground we are glad that the meeting of the Council is deferred, for it gives the public time to enquire and learn the truth.