POSSIBLE ECONOMY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 722, 30 September 1869, Page 4

POSSIBLE ECONOMY.

(Evening Post.) A. STORT is told of the great Napoleon that when he was General Bonaparte, in command of the army of Italy, his correspondence from France and other places accumulated to such an extent that it became almost impossible to attend to it; at last, fairly worn out, he gave orders to his secretary to retain ali the letters he received, unopened for three weeks. At the end of that time, when they wore opened, it was found that the matters to which the greater portion had reference, were disposed of, and the letters required no answer. A somewhat similar course seems to have been adopted with reference to the eleven Governments, with which this favored island is blessed Each of the Provinces possesses a Superintendent and an Executive, as indispensable requisites to their existence and the carrying on of their business, and yet all che Superintendents, with the exception of one, and most of the members of the Executive Councils, are members of the General Assembly and absent for four months in the year from otlicial duties, which seem to be equally well carried on by one or two clerks. If clerks can do the work for so large a portion of the year why not for it all, and so save the Provinces a large expenditure ? The case is similar with the General Government. In the time of the late Minis try Mr Fitzherbert, the Colonial Treasurer, went off to England, leaving his office to be filled by Mr Kail, who was also Postmaster-General and Telegraph Commissioner. Mr Hall in his turn went off to tinker up Westland ; Mr Richmond, who was Commissioner oi Customs spent nearly all his time in the field ; sometimes acting as an amateur Generalissimo, and at others as Commissary-General. Mr Stafford alone rem lined to carry on the whole business of the Government, and seemed to be able to do it, too. The system of the present Government, though differing in detail, is similar in principle to that of their predecessors. Mr Fox, on first meeting the House after his accession to office, pleaded pressure of business as an excuse for not having a complete Cabinet; but the offices remain vacant to this day. Mr Bell holds no portfolio, and is about to take his departure for Eng land. The Canterbury Press, says thai "his special function as a member of the Cabinet, so far as we could gather from a perusal of Hansard, was to scold the Op position ; and now tiat the Assembly is prorogued, his occupation is gone. We must admit, however, that he fairly earned his repose." M' Vogel during the session to )k occasion to complain of the multif'ari ous offices he had to fid, and the difficulty he labored under in getting through so much work. He was Colonial Treasu er. Postmaster-General, Commissioner of St imps,Telegraph Commissioner and Com inissioner of Customs; yet now he seemnot only able to fill all these offices but to edit a daily newspaper in ad iition. Tin Premier and the Governor have gone on their travels, and the lion, Native ami Defence Minister is going immedia-ely, leaving only Vlr #isborne to do the whole work of the diff. rent Governm ni depart ments If Mr Gisborne can manage to carry on the Government bv himself, there seems little use in having four other highh salaried officials to do the work of one. If these others are requisite the affairs of the country must suffer by their absence —an addition to our burdens which we-have no right to submit to. Tue * olo.iy has a right to expect that its responsible .Ministers (in number sufficient to carry on the administration of the country with successi will remain at the Seat of Government and pay the closest attention to its interests—not trust their duties to subordinates, and follow divided counsels because unable to consult together on a.unauimous course oi action.