THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 130, 10 July 1863, Page 3

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[From the Auckland Weekly Neics, June 20]. There are divers opinions respecting the desirability of the General Assembly being immediately called together. It is said, “ In the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom hut it must also be borne in mind that in the multitude of counsellors there is also confusion. And when we know the party strife which will be engendered by the meeting of the Assembly at this time—the scrambling for office and place, the various political manoeuvres to oust this man and place in that, the angry cabal over the thrice-told tale of the origin of the war, the bad way in which it was at first carried on, we are rather inclined to think that Sir G. Grey, with his present Executive, can steer us through the shoals and quicksands of the present time quite as well, and perhaps better, than he could if each move and each point had to be debated and exposed in the General Assembly. One line of action is frequently better carried out by one man than by many, and as Sir G. Grey, with the advice of the noble and energetic Commander of the Forces, has shown himself quite equal to the emergency, we are much of opinion that we had better let his Excellency finish the battle upon his own responsibility. The natural consequence of the General Assembly being called together would in all

probability be a change of Ministry; and perhaps on that score no evil would arise, as there surely could be no great loss in such change-—more particularly as the present Ministry was always considered a temporary and patched-up affair. Up to the present time, we believe, there is not any regularly appointed and gazetted Attorney-general; the work of that department being done in a sort of jobbing style. The Postmaster-gene-ral, who was to have performed wonders, seems to be quietly enjoying himself in England, and certainly has not effected any great improvements in his particular line ; and one is always disposed to think that when the head of one department (representing say .£I,OOO per annum) can as effectively be carried on by one of the heads of another, that the said officer could be permanently dispensed with, and the £I,OOO. per annum saved, which would be a great desideratum in our over-ofiicialled Colony. The expense of governing this handful of people, apart from the military expenses, is really enormous, and requires a serious consideration and rigorous cutting down. Perhaps a Joseph Hume may yet arise in our Assembly, who will make it his duty to watch the general expenditure, and devote his political life to the more equitable adjustment of receipts and expenditure in Colonial legislation.