The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, THURSDAY, 3rd AUGUST, 1865.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 294, 3 August 1865, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, THURSDAY, 3rd AUGUST, 1865.

Beyond question the session of the General Assembly now commenced is the most important that has yet been held in regard to the weight of the several questions that are to come before it for its consideration and determination, and it behoves the public of the colony to follow their legislators with a keen and critical eye, in order to discover who are the true men and who pretenders;—who show the ability to grapple with the difficulties of the day, and the determination to solve them in the interest of the State, without reference to party. First of all will doubtless be the unsettled state of our affairs with the Horae Government. We have already shown the dange r there exists that the determination of our Ministry to take the charge and control of native mutters into their own hands will prove a failure from the obstructions they will find placed in their path. The Home Government, in fact, will not give up it prerogative of deciding on the question of the itay or withdrawal of the troops ; —will, in fact, refuse to withdraw them all, and be consequence will retain its pernicious control over native questions, and charge the colony as usual with the costs. Our legislature must, on this at least, make a firm stand, and refuse the burthen of a state of things kept up against our wishes and contrary to the policy of our Ministers.

The next question will probablyb e that of the Tariff. For a series of years this Tariff, although acknowledged to be unjust and partial in its operation, has, by a kind of compromise between the Customs authorities and the merchants, been endurable, but lately, from the total abolition of all these understandings, and a return to the mere literal meaning of the Act, has become unbearable* and will call loudly for a remedy. This remedy will probably consist in an entire modification of the existing oppressive and costly system of indirect taxation, and the establishment of the beginning of a more direct method. Here, however, the skill and talent of our legislators will be sorely tried, for the whole question is surrounded with difficulties, and being themselves of the class on which such a system will most heavily fall, must display a more than ordinary share of self-sacrifice in its adoption. Next comes the question of the representation of the people in the Assembly. This is now in an unsatisfactory state, both as to the proportionate number of members returned by the several districts into which the colony is divided—the proportionate population of these districts, and the method of election. This whole subject requires a sweeping reform, as it affects the provincial elections in the same way as those for the General Assembly ; —a reform which will take from property much of its preponderating sway, and place the representation upon a popular, rather than a property, or even registered electoral basis.

Next will follow the question, of all others greatest in importance to the people as provincial electors, —that of the election or nomination of their Superintendent. It is well known that the new provinces have, from the first, been deprived of this primary constitutional right, and their chief officer has been the nominee of the preponderating body in the Council Chamber; but there now exists a party who would not be content with reducing the older provinces to the some condition, but would deprive the electors of all control in the matter, malting the Superintendents the creatures of the Crown, being nominated by the Governor or appointed in some other way, without any reference to the popular wish. Happily this party is but small, and at preseut from the weight of opposition manifested to the scheme by the people in some parts of the southern island, there is not much fear of its being adopted. Yet some charge will be made no doubt. The election of the Superintendents of the older provinces is the only true model of representation, being by the whole community, each of whom has but one vote, and for the whole office. The Superintendent, therefore, truly represents the electoral body which the council does not, and have in no instance ever yet done; hence it has been that in cases of dispute which have often arisen between the Superintendent and his council, that officer could throw himself upon his constituency, confident of their approval of his policy by his re-election, while his opponents in the councilhaveheldfastto their seats, fearful of the ordeal. To make the representation therefore, perfect, it must be universal. Each elector must have a vote for the whole number of representatives, which must be for the. colony (or province), and not for this or that district only. This we believe to be the only cure for existing evils, and at the same time an effectual one, and though we cannot say we have much faith in its adoption now, we believe that it will ultimately become the ONE TRUE PRINCIPLE OF ALL REPRESENTATION.