Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY MAY 15, 1863.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 115, 15 May 1863, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY MAY 15, 1863.

One of the sharpest weapons brought to hear against the system of Provincial Governments by its detractors is the weapon of— Expense. In discussing the merits and demerits of the plan, the opponents of that plan immediately floor the supporters of it with the irresistible argument—the cost; but although there is much truth in that, still in comparison with the expenditure of the General Government, even viewed in the light of relative proportion, the expenses of Provincial Governments sink into unmerited insignificance. We have, for example, merely to look at the complication of machinery set going for the administration of justice, and which has to be paid for out of the funds of the country at large. We may judge of the enormous amount annually spent in New Zealand upon what is called Justice by just for one moment glancing at the noble army of officers who receive comfortable salaries for the purpose of administering that refreshing article to the hungry people in this Province. Such is the love of the people for law, that we find a-Rcsident Magistrate supplied to every five hundred Europeans, including women and children. Each of these Magistrates, with their accompaniment of interpreters, police, and what not, costs the country say .£IOOO a-year ; consequently, for the five Resident Magistrates in Hawke’s Bay the expense is exactly M2 a head to each white settler, irrespective of age or of sex. Gratifying reflection that, is it not ? We must not, however, forget that the ostensible object had in view in placing such a strong force of stipendiary Magistrates at the disposal of the people is to secure a fair and impartial adjudication of disputes which may arise between individuals of the different races. This, however, we need hardly say, is only a quiet joke over which we make no doubt but that good Sir George and the Colonial Secretary often have a quiet little chuckle, for up to this date no man living has ever heard of a case brought before any one of these gentlemen, in which the plaintiff was a European and the defendant a Maori, but that the defendant got the best of it. Supposing, however, that the case is really too flagrant to admit of such a one sided view being recorded, and that judgment is accordingly given in favor of the pakeha, what happens ? Why, that unfortunate fellow is rather worse off than ever, because though a Magistrate has power enough to give judgment, he has not power enough to carry that judgment into force, and by consequence any reference to the constituted tribunals in mat-

ters of difference between the European and and the Native is merely giving countenance to a ridiculous farce.

: Added to the sum total of all these Magistrates, comes the little matter of the Civil Commissioner, which office we need hardly remark is a greater absurdity than all the others put together. It is nearly two years past since the solemn institution of this remarkable officer into authority, but although we have carefully watched the supposed course of that individual’s line of conduct, we have been entirely unable to determine what on earth he had to do, excepting perhaps to administer small bribes and other corruptions of a like nature to the Maories.

The case was bad enough when Colonel Russell held the office, but it strikes ua that the defective state of matters which then existed is to be attributed, not so much to any failing of that distinguished officer in the discharge of his duties, as to the total inutility of the office itself. No man can deny but that the Colonel was a man of business, and a man of experience and sound judgment, and who from his age, and known standing in the army, was at least entitled, if upon no other score, to respect upon that. Russell, finding that he failed in carrying out successfully the duties imposed upon him by virtue of his office, and in fact seeing, what was plain enough, that the scheme upon which the Civil Commissionership was founded was entirely rotten and would not stand, very properly resigned the onerous post, before it came down and smothered him in its ruins, leaving it and the probability of realising this disagreeable climax to some one who cared more for the pay and less for the responsibility than he did.

Colonel Russell was succeeded in the Commissionership by Major Whitmore, a young man whom nobody knows, whom in fact nobody ever heard of, and whose name certainly has not yet been put down amongst the list of heroes; nor are we aware that he has distinguished himself in any other walk than that afforded by the light comedy line in regimental theatricals, or in such as may be found on the turf, in both of which highly intellectual pursuits, we believe that gentleman has earned imperishable laurels. But we must confess that we never before heard of considerable comical powers being rewarded by the promotion of the owner to the Bench of Judges ! We shall no doubt next hear of a successful imitator of the great Grimaldi, in distinguished circles, being promoted to the Bench of Bishops. But, excepting the Major’s much-admired performance of the celebrated character of “ Downey Bill” or “ Bill Downey,” we don’t exactly remember which, we are not aware that that gentleman has rendered himself specially worthy of acting the infinitely more intricate but not less funny part of Civil Commissioner. The great advantage which Sir George Grey derives from his “ policy” is to be found in the fact of its affording him ample means of supplying the little circle of the admirers and supporters of that policy with gratifying marks of his appreciation of their good conduct, by the gift of a Commissionership or a Resident Magistracy, or some such trifle. It is a most remarkable circumstance in connection with almost all the gentlemen who hold these offices, that they are either retired army officers, or are exploded members of some representative Assembly wanting a berth and that there their qualifications end.

If the Maories, for the benefit of whom all these fine offices are created, had to pay for them, then, so far as we should be concerned in the pecuniary part of the business, all would be well, and we could not, under that arrangement find any fault with the institution itself. We should then be left to discover how far it was successful in attaining the object had in view upon its installation. As matters stand at present, we have not only to contend against the mere sordid monetary question, but we have to object

altogether to the use to which that money is put, upon the very just ground of the entire failure of the scheme, in the carrying out of which it is supposed to be expended.