CANTERBURY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 10, 5 September 1861, Page 3

CANTERBURY.

The Spectator thus begins an article on the proposed separation of Timaru from Canterbury : The New Provinces Act is bearing its fruit at Canterbury. The long threatened separation Meeting took place at Timaru, and was very numerously attended, and a petition to the House of Representatives was adopted which was signed on the spot by more than one hundred hand fide househohlers, praying that no alteration may be made in the New Provinces Act in order that the petitioners may be allowed to take advantage of its provisions. In vain did the Superintendent attend the meeting and offer a gallant resistance to the movement in the hope of staying proceedings, and in order the more effectually to deter the recusants from their headlong course hold our to them by way of warning the ‘'frightful example” of the Province of Hawke’s Bay. This is the picture he draws of the cheap government and disinterested patriotism of the new “little Provinces”: —

“The best illustration I con give you of the cost of the cheap little provinces, is the case of the new province of Hawke's Bay. The patriots whose zeal for the public welfare originated the agitation for separation from the parent province of Wellington, proposed to govern the model young province for at most illooo per year —the worthy Superintendent was not to be paid : and all the officials were to do all sorts of service for next to nothing. I myself happened to be in Napier at the time the first disinterested gentleman who served as Superintendent was,elected; of course he would ' not accept a farthing ; other officers were moderate in their demands, but received something. 1 ventured to predict to a few gentlemen with ■whom I had conversation on the all-absorbing topic of the day, that patriotism without salary would soon he at a discount. Within a very short time of the election of this cheap administration, the Superintendent and every officer of his government found out that their peculiar claims justified salaries,

and very [mod ones too; and She end was

that it was stated by a member of the General Assembly in his place, that within two years of the foundation of the cheap province the civil list, that is the expenses of the administration were considerably higher than were those of one of the oldest and moat populous provinces in New Zealand, namely that of Nelson. In fact, the resources of the country had, in the case of the province in question, been poured into the pockets of an entirely unnecessary staff of officials, instead of being spent upon permanent and productive improvements. I warn you that whatever may he the parade of disinterestedness exhibited by those who start new provinces, their unpaid patriotism will be short-lived. I have seen quite enough of the world to be positive on this head/ 5