PROVINCIAL COUNCILS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 183, 15 July 1864, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCILS.

(We extract the following from the leading article of the' Nelson Examiner ' of July 2.) Provincial Councils will in time, be composed of persons either of such notorious incapacity, or low standing and character, that they will become utterly discreditable. So that, from Government being confessedly carried on by a Superintendent, nominally acting in compliance with the wishes of the Legislature, but practically ignoring it, it will be seen that another course

will be rendered imperative, and Provincial Councils be abolished altogether. This is a course which hasbeen frequently advocated, and there is a consistency and an amount of reasonableness about it, which is obvious

enough. We will not hesitate to express our own candid opinion that such a settlement of the very anomalous state of things from which we are now suffering, would be far better than the present form of Provincial Government. It would be simpler ; it would be much less expensive ; and it would possess the great advantage of fixing responsibility —a matter which must be keenly felt by those members whose better judgment is thwarted and overruled by the majority. Between a Superintendent acting openly upon his own individual responsibility, and a Superintendent acting really on his own authority, but nominally by the authority of a sham body, there can, in our opinion, be no choice whatever, and we confess we very much prefer the former alternative. If Provincial Legislatures are to be continued, it is obvious that their powers must be increased ; unless this is done, they are utterly contemptible, and should, therefore, be abolished ; the sooner the better. It is, we conceive, impossible to pourtray a more pitiable sight than a Legislative body completely under the control of the Executive. We trust to see this question properly ventilated in the General Assembly in the hope that some satisfactory legislation may result therefrom. It is, however, only part of a much wider question. We put aside from the present consideration of this subject, all the miserable heart-burnings and pretty jealousies which have been called into existance by the system of Provincial Governments ;we need not look around us for illustrations of the mischiefs, nay, the positive detriment which the colony has received from this source, for they are patent to all, and have been the subject of universal comment and reprobation for a long time past.