THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 738, 11 October 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1870.

In our previous article on Gold Fields management we alleged that the present system of placing the chief administrative power for each Province or County in the hands of one person as the Governor's delegate was open to the great objection that it is exercised -without any direct responsibility. The Gold Fields Acts are full of provisions for giving "the Governor" various large powers in respect of making regulations, granting leases, and other privileges. Were these powers really exercised by the Governor, he would be presumed to exercise them in the same mode as is his reserved authority with regard to other legislative measures, viz., with the advice and consent of his responsible Ministers, and for his acts the Ministry of the day would be responsible to the country. But with few exceptions, the Governor's functions in respect of Gold Fields administration are delegated to the Superintendents of Provinces, and, in Westland, to the County ( Chairman. With the exception of Otago, the delegated powers are exercised at the sole will of the person who may happen to bo invested with them without the slightest constitutional check or responsibility. In Ofcago the exception was made at the time of Mr Macandrew's election as Superintendent, and only because that gentleman was in bad grace with the Ministry of the day. In that Province the Governor's powers are delegated to "the Superintendent and Executive Council," so that the responsibility is shared by the local Executive, who are directly responsible to the Provincial Council. In Auckland, Nelson, and Westland, the Superintendents and County Chairman respectively are the sole persons to discharge the important functions which the Gold Fields Acts reserve to the Governor. They are responsible to no one, each does that which seemeth good in his own eyes, and there is no one to advise or check. The result is anything but satisfactory. It is unsatisfactory to the inhabitants of the Gold Fields .themselves, inasmuch as when vexatious regulations are made, or objectionable acts committed by the authority of the Governor's delegate, they have no ready means through their representative institutions of obtainiug redress, or of having their objections fairly heard and debated. Their only channel of obtaining a remedy —xki — tsj aitwirl^ — isfstolvXvijlisi? oitliox- h\tc Governor's delegate or the Governor himself. It is not often that either course is satisfactory in its results. The delegate being unfettered by any obligation to his Executive or Council, is generally apt to dismiss the petition with a formal acknowledgment ; whilst if the extreme course is taken of asking the Governor to withdraw the delegation of his powers, it most likely ends in a mere reference of the petition to the person whose acts are complained of. In Westland we have recently had a notable example of the inconvenience that may be caused by the irresponsible acts of the Governor's delegate. The County Chairman took upon himself to issue fresh regulations for the Gold Fields which proved to be a source of £reat irritation, and would, if persevered in, have operated very prejudicially upon the interests of the miners. It is true that the pressure of public opinion and the remonstrances of the miners have induced the author of the objectionable regulations to reconsider theai ; but it is equally true that, had he been otherwise disposed, he might have insisted upon them. No one could prevent him, for without withdrawing the delegation from him altogether the Government itself could not interfere. Nov? this is not a satisfactory or proper state of things. It is a monstrous thing in these days of representative institutions that one person should of his own will have the power of seriously damaging the rights and property of miners without any constitutional check. In Auckland and Nelson the evils of this system are constantly making themselves felt. Not long ago a meeting of miners was held on the Nelson Gold Fields, and a petition adopted praying that the Governor's delegated powers should be withdrawn from the Superintendent of Nelson, whilst in Auckland we believe the delegated powers have been exercised in a most arbitrary and objectionable manner. The member for the Thames Gold Field, Mr Swan, protested more than once in his place in the House during the late session against the irresponsible exercise of the delegated powers — or rather, against the system of delegation altogether. Every session of Parliament petitions from gold fields residents are received, and until last session they received no special attention, and then it was only through a Committee of gold fields' members, and most of these petitions owe their origin to the want of due responsility in gold fields administration. The system of administration as at present is open to another great objection. The various Wardens and other officers are nominally appointed by the Governor, but they are paid by the local authorities. Not unfrequently these different authorities come into conflict with respect to the appointments, and this result is entirely destroying the unity and efficiency of the service. Were the Gold Fields service a Colonial one, we should not see, as we continually do, well-trained and experienced officers being dispensed with in one Province, and new inexperienced persons appointed in another. At present no Gold Fields officer can regard the Gold Fields service as a permanent one. Reductions in expenditure may necessitate his dismissal by the Province in which he may happen to be, but he has no hope of appointment to a Province

where at the same time new officers are required. The present arrangement is likewise productive of greater expense, for not unfrequently a Warden or other officer could share his dutie3 with two Provinces were the service a general one. To the delegation of the chief functions to the Superintendents, 'the utter want of unity of action on the part of the various local governments, and the absence of responsibility either in the local bodies or the Colonial Parliament, may bo ascribed the dissatisfaction j confusion, and want of public attention which prevail with regard to the Gold Fields of the Colony. _ As we have formerly said, the mining interests of the Colony have never received that careful and intelligent consideration by the Government which they demand. Other pursuits have engaged most solicitous attention, but with respect to Gold Fields affairs, ignorance and apathy prevail alike in the Government and the Legislature. Nor will this state of things be remedied until we have the presence in the Colonial Government of a responsible Minister charged with the chief functions of Gold Fields administration, and upon whom will devolve the simplification of mining legislation, and the conservation of mining interests generally.