The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, MONDAY, 13th NOVEMBER, 1863.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 323, 13 November 1865, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, MONDAY, 13 th NOVEMBER, 1863.

Although we have already, on several previous occasions, given our views on the question of separation—a question that is at this present time occupying no small share of the attention of a numerous party at each extremity of the colony—we feel constrained once more to refer to the subject, in order that we may, if possible, elucidate much that is obscure in connexion with it, and indicate the direction in which we see reason to believe the coming changes or modifications of the constitution will be developed. And first of all it will be as to state our conviction that any scheme for the actual division of the colony into two or more independent portions will of necessity fail, that such a scheme, if not insane, is altogether impracticable and hopeless—will never receive the sanction of the home Government, nor be consented to by the great body of the colonists, or indeed approved of by more than a class of short-sighted and time-serving politicians, who prefer a mere temporary and local advantage to the permanent weal of the whole public. The colony is one geographically and physically, and it is as essential to its good that it be kept politically one, as is the case with the British Islands.

Whatever are the changes‘that will be made in the constitution of the colony, and wefirmly believe that changes must shortly be made, will not be such as to affect its political integrity. They will, beyond' doubt, materially modify the existing system, and result in an entire re-distribu-tion of the powers of. Government between the General Assembly and the Provincial Councils. We see good reason to believe that the; provincial system as originally conceived by its authors was the best that could be devised for the peculiar circumstances of the colony; at that time, and that it would have been found to work well, had it been permitted a fair trial. It was adapted to the well-marked geographical divisions of the Islands, and was intended to meet the needs of these divisions by granting to their respective gogovernments legislative and executive powers for all local purposes, and to reserve for the General Assembly only such questions as were common to the whole. These were principally the the Representation, the Revenue, the Judicial, and the Postal; —and bad that system been suffered to develop itself, there would not now have been any call for separation. It is probable that the tendency would be rather to union, for as the inconveniences and drawbacks of isolation were gradually overcome by steam communication, roads, railways, and telegraphs, the centralizing principle would have been developed, the number of provinces gradually become reduced, and the true unity of the colony been strengthened and confirmed. But at the first meeting of the General Assembly, the jealousy of that body was permitted to show itself in a kind of antagonism to the provincial system, and this antagonism has continued to appear more or less down to the present time, and constitutes one of the greatest evils of, and objections to, our present constitution. It is, moreover, a principle that has not been checked, —a sort of rivalry having existed between the Provincial and General Councils, instead of that harmony that ought, and must yet be made to prevail between them. This rivalry was strongly exemplified in the late Assembly ; and was the ultimate cause of the resignation of the Weld Ministry, as is well known. Before the present state of things can be remedied the whole constitution must be remodelled. The Provinces, as they now stand, will have to be abolished. A system of annexation will be brought to bear, by which their number will be reduced from nine to three or four —the latter in all probability. The wishes of the separation party will receive some fulfilment by more extended powers being granted to the new provincial governments, and most of the vexatious legislation of the General Assembly will be s prevented by its being shorn of much of its present power. If these alterations be well and wisely made, we see no .reason why the party who now cry out for separation should not be abundantly satisfied .with a change that gives them the full con-‘ troi of their own affairs while the true unity of the Colony will be preserved and established on a more firm and satisfactory basis .than has ever hitherto been.