The Globe. MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1878.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1514, 23 December 1878, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1878.

The question of the administration of charitable aid and the management of hospitals seems to be in as unsettled a state as ever. The present Board have been invited by the Government to perform the happy despatch, and to go forth seeking their successors. This, however, they decline to do, and hence there have been lengthy communications from the Colonial Secretary referring to the probable existence of a new Board, of which at present we know nothing. It is true that the Colonial Secretary, writing under date of December 2nd, indicates the lino of policy which the Government would like to see carried out. That policy—so far as can be gathered from the tone of the letter in question—is that private benevolence shall to a groat extent take the place of the Government in the matter of the maintenance of the hospitals and charitable aid, and a proposition made by the present Board, that certain local bodies should contribute to the cost of the hospital, Ac., is accepted by the Government; and then the writer goes on to assume that the Board to be composed of representatives of these contributing bodies will either come into being by its own volition, or will be constituted by the present Board. No machinery is provided by the Government, who are generally supposed to take the initiative in the formation, but it is left entirely to the bodies themselves to provide this Board, form regulations, and generally to relieve the Government of all trouble and responsibility connected with these institutions. How is it possible that the local bodies, knowing nothing whatever of the machinery required, and besides being incapable of setting it in motion, can bo expected to take up the work of managing these very important departments? Yet Colonel Whitmore seems to think that all that is necessary to bo done is for each body to have a copy of the letter, and, hey, Presto ! the Board will start into existence. If that is what the Government call governing the country, it certainly seems that they have very peculiar ideas upon the subject. If the Government —as they apparently have done—intend that the future management of these institutions shall devolve on the representatives of the local bodies contributing, why do they not take the usual course of appointing a day for the election of such representatives, or invite the local bodies specially to do so, giving full details of tho method in which the scheme is to bo practically carried out. But this has not been done, and wo think tho reason is plain. The Government wish to wash their hands entirely of the management of those institutions, but do not care to do so openly. They, therefore, are endeavouring by moans of a side-wind to substitute almost absolute local control, and let it not bo forgotten —local support also for the present system. Once let tho Government get rid of tho responsibility attaching to them in connection with the Hospital, Ac., and substitute therefore local control and local provision of the money wherewith to carry out the works of the departments, and they will not again bo found resuming their present position. Once tho management and expenses is vested in the ratepayers, tho latter will find that they have a veritable old man of the sea which they will be powerless to get rid of. So much as regards the future. In tho meantime, tho action of tho Government in respect to the proposed new Board is productive of the worst results as regards tho management of the institutions. The present Board not knowing the length of their tenure of office, very naturally decline to deal with any subjects but those which require immediate'attention. There is no security that regulations made by them may not bo upset by tho new Board, and therefore there is an uneasy fooling generated which cannot conduce to the successful management of the departments. If tho now Board is to be called into existence, it is time the Government took practical steps to do so, and not keep it like the bogey of nursery tales continually before tho eyes of tho present Board. To leave matters in their present unsatisfactory state will, in our opinion, be very detrimental, and the sooner tho matter is settled, either by tho appointment of the new Hoard, or tho confirmation of tho

present, the better. As things are now, it is neither one thing nor another, which, in dealing with such important public interests as are involved, is far from being desirable.

Sib George Grey met his constituents at the Thames on Saturday evening, and succeeded in entertaining them thoroughly without instructing them to any considerable extent. The speech, so far as may be gathered from the report wired, was simply a reiteration of opinions previously ventilated on nearly every occasion upon which the Premier has addressed the public. The Premier claims the right for Ministers to appeal to the country in the event of an adverse vote without requiring the sanction of Her Majesty’s representative. A privilege that, it is needless to add, would enable the rich to monopolise the right of representation, insomuch that no poor man could possibly afford the legitimate and necessary expenses of election after election caused by appeals to the country on frivolous pretexts, while the threat of an appeal could at all times be held as a rod over impecunious members for the purpose of securing their votes. Upon the Land Tax Bill and the question of Colonial Titles Sir George Grey said nothing new nor startling, while no mention was made of the Bills abandoned during the session—with the exception of the Electoral Bill—anent which an attempt was made to excuse the dual vote by the statement that it was introduced in accordance with the wishes of the supporters of the Ministry, without whose aid the measure could not have been introduced with any chance of its being carried, and to remove any feeling of disappointment that might exist in the minds of his hearers at the untimely fate of this statute, Sir George promised them a better Bill next session. The only novelty in the speech was some remarks upon the manner of selecting Governors in future, regarding which subject Sir George Grey seems to have made a discovery, which he communicates as follows :—“*l believe this will be one of the burning questions next session. I told the people of this country that they had a right to pass a law to decide the manner in which their Governor should be nominated. I have always held that they had the right to pass a law to say, the Governors who shall be recommended to the Queen, leaving the Queen to make the appointment. Now, the Colonial Department at home have come to a decision upon the point, and they say that the colonists have a right to pass such a law. But I say if the Colonial Legislature exceeds that power, the Queen has a right to reject that law if she chooses. We know that the Queen has power to reject it. You know now that you have the power to pass a law as to how your Governor shall be nominated. I think it was a great thing for you to know that the power rests in your hands, to use it as you may please.” Wo shall take the opportunity to offer further comments upon the Premier’s oration when the local reports of the same arrive.