The Globe. FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 1874.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 59, 7 August 1874, Page 2

The Globe. FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 1874.

Mb Vogel, by the permission of the House, made a statement yesterday with regard to the future policy of the Government in the case of the provinces of the North Island. It appears that the battle royal between himself and Mr Fitzherbert, which had taken place the day before, had induced the Premier to examine more closely the facts of the expenditure on the Northern provinces by the General Government, and he expressed himself as having been quite surprised at the amounts which had been spent in this manner. But it was plain enough, from Mr Vogel's speech on the Forests Bill, that he meant to give the members for the various provinces warning, that next session he should attack the provincial system, and that they must expect the North Island to be made one province instead of as it at present is, four. No doubt the question is the most important one with which Mr Vogel has yet grappled ; and we cannot believe but that, while proposing to sweep away the provincial institutions of the North Island on account of their general impecuniosity, he has his eye on the large revenues which at present are enjoyed by similar institutions in this island, and that he would gladly take over the management of the North Island, if he could only manage to lay his hand on the land funds of the South. For this reason, we fancy 'that the members from the provinces of Canterbury and Otago, will make common cause with the representatives of the North, and that they will show such a bold front to the proposals of Mr Vogel, that that astute gentlemen will probably delay the attempt to sweep away the provinces he has alluded to, until a more convenient season. We do hope that before long some member will be found to raise his voice, in order to call attention to the present rate of representation of the South, and that next session we may see (lie island in possession of the power of

returning more members to the House, whether, by addition to the number who now possess seats, or by the redistribution of the seats already represented, we care not. Mr Vogel stated, that he did not intend that the Government should proceed with the important question of the annihilation of Provincial institutions in the North Island, during the present session, as there had been an understanding that the session should not be unnecessarily prolonged, and so honorable members will have ample time to give their attention to the study of the various bearings of the case, during the recess. Mr Vogel is too old and experienced a Parliamentary tactician, to be baffled at any imputations made by a political opponent, or we might fancy that he had been stung to desperation by the reiterated expressions of Mr Fitzherbert, during the previous debate, that there was no truth whatever in the statement as to the financial condition of the province of Wellington, and had consequently exposed his hand to his opponent. But it has been pretty clear, from the tenor of Mr Vogel's speeches throughout the session, that an onslaught on provincial institutions was to be expected from him as soon as the ground seemed clear for an attack, and now that the Premier has thrown down the challenges to the provinces, to show cause why they should not all be swept away, his opponents can take their own measures to defeat the impending destruction. That the end must come, sooner or later, most people are agreed, and it will be a mere matter of opinion with many of the gentlemen holding seats in the House of Kepresentatives, as to whether that time has not already come, and whether it would not be better to do away with the over much governing, which is one of the characteristics of the colony of New Zealand. The opposition to Mr Vogel's measure will of course be headed by the Superintendents of many of the provinces, who happen as well to represent some district in the house, and their numerous following, and this opposition will be a formidable one, but Mr Vogel will probably trust to internal discussions in the enemy's camp, to enable him, when the time comes, to pass the measure of which every one must do him the justice to say, he has given the colony fair warning.