The Globe. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1876.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 711, 29 September 1876, Page 2

The Globe. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1876.

“ Taking advantage of his presence in “ Dunedin ” Mr. Macandrew has addressed a public meeting of 2000 people in the Theatre there, on the leading political questions under discussion, and aided by the perfervid eloquence of Mr. Stout obtained a vote of confidence in the Otago representatives who have acted in opposition during the session. We are not going to question the significance of such a vote. It is evident that a great many of the inhabitants of the City of Dunedin and the suburbs are greatly exercised over the political situation. Headed by a skillful leader, they are numerous and foolish enough to go to considerable length in defence of their opinions. It is, of course, the duty of the Government to ascertain correctly the extent of the present discontent, and to avoid as much as possible increasing the irritation already created. While they would be unfitted to occupy the Ministerial Benches were they to yield at once to every agitation got up against them, Ministers cannot on the other hand permit discontent to grow and increase in Otago till all classes, through force of circumstances and sympathy with their neighbours, combine against the Government of the colony. That “ wretched manifesto,” as it is called by Mr. Macandrew and his party, is a proof, however, that a very large number of the electors of Dunedin have no great sympathy with the present movement. The most thoughtful portion of the community take a practical view of the political situation, and urge that the best should be made of the present circumstances. The Invercargill memorial, too, is proof that the people of Otago and Southland are far from being unanimous on the question. The people in that part of the province have had bitter experience of provincial centralism, and hail the county system of the Government as a great boon. It is evident therefore that Ministers are placed in a most difficult position, from which it requires the utmost judgment to escape. They are pledged to carry out the system of local government sketched out in their County Billjibut it may nevertheless be necessary to make important concessions to the expressed wishesof alargesection o' the electors of the colony. On the otter hand the opposition raised in Auckland and Otago may be the result of agiiation on the part of a few interested partizans, which will die out, the moment the people are brought face to face with the new system of local government. We cannot help thinking that such would be the result in Auckland. When t he people of that province found that the various duties of Government were properly fulfilled, and that their gaols, hospitals, and schools were efficiently managed, they would welcome the change with enthusiasm. In the City of Dunedin, oa the other hand, it might be different,

The people there have become so used to the centralism of the Provincial Government that they may oppose the change to the utmost. But when the outlying districts have tasted the sweets of real local self-government, their eyes may be opened to the fact that provincialism means the aggrandisement of the provincial capitals at the expense of the districts, and they most probably will refuse to listen to theeloquent though selfish appeals of Mr Macandrew and his followers to take up arms in defence of their province.