THE SUPERINTENDENT AND PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3058, 6 December 1872, Page 2

THE SUPERINTENDENT AND PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

His Honor the Superintendent has forwarded the following reply to the memorial signed by several members of the Provincial Council requesting him to convene the Council Superintendent’s Office, Dunedin, sth December, 1872. Sir,—Referring to the request signed by yourself and twenty-six members of the Provincial Council, to the effect that I should convene an immediate meeting qf the Council, f have now to express my regret that, after clqly considering the reasons adduced by yqu for such a step, I am unable tp concur with you in the matter. The considerations which influence me in arriving at this decision are embodied in general terms in the correspondence which passed between two of the members of the late Executive and myself a. copy of which is hereto annexed, As regards the specific reasons urged by you as demanding an immediate meeting of the Council, I observe that much stress is put upon the initiation of the new Land Act, which, it is presumed, means chiefly the appointment of the Waste Land Board, I venture to submit, however, that the appointment referred to is an Executive function, and does not require the action of the Provincial Council. You state that you are ignorant of the views of my present responsible advisors as to the administration of the Land Act. I have much pleasure in expressing my assurance that these gentlemen are fully alive to the responsibility which devolves upon them in this matter, and that in advising the appointments in question the grand aim will be to select those who are most likely to administer the Act unbiassed by party feeling- - men who will administer it in a spirit of fairness, equity, and independence, without favor or affection to any one particular class in the community more than another. The following extract from a letter of the Provincial Treasurer, defining the conditions on which he agreed to join the Executive, may be taken as an expression of the views of his colleagues on the subject. Mr Turnbull wrote as follows - “To give the new Land Law, which will shortly come into operation, a fair trial, and to endeavor to get the Waste Land Board composed of competent and unprejudiced men likely to administer the Act fairly and impartially towards every interest throughout the Province.” As regards the setting aside of land for occupation on deferred payments, which requires the joint action of the Provincial Council and Executive, it is obvious that no action on the subject can be taken until the statute comes into operation. You may rely upon it that no unnecessary delay will intervene before bringing the provisions of the Act into force. Should it be found expedient to place land in the market on deferred payments before the Provincial Council meets, there is an'express provision In the 47th section of the Ait whereby this can be done. 1 ' I am not aware that there is any such urgent necessity for bringing the Highway Board Empowering Act into operation, as would warrant tlie convening of a special session o.f the T*rovincial Council for that purpose. It was competent for the Council at its last session to have passed a resolution bringing this Act into operation. With regard to altering the date of the annual session of the Provincial Coqucjl, so as that it shall be held immediately aftef the session of the General Assembly, I am nqt prepared tq say that such an arrangement might not be advantageous. At the same time it involves many important considerations, both pro and eon, and I should pot feel warranted in altering the existing arrangement, excepting upon a deliberate expression of opinion on the part of the Council.

As respects the distribution of the money voted (by the Assembly for subsidies to Bo*d Boards, the “Payment to Provinces Act, 1872, provides for this. (See Section XI.) It i* P*®' Cd during the present year to subsidise rates to the extent of two pounds to one, under similar regulations, with certain modifications, to those which have hitherto been in force, a proposal which, I venture to think, will be generally acceptable. I have only further to express a hope that, on reconsideration, my action in this matter may commend itself to your judgment, and that it will be conceded that responsibilities attach to the Superintendent ns well as to the Provincial Council —responsibilities which, in the present case, lead him to the conclusion that it is inexpedient to convene the Council much before the usual time, unless some unforeseen emergency should occur. (Signed), J. Macandrew.