The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 356, 29 March 1856, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times.

Saturday, March 29, 1556. That the public of this Province has at length begun to recognise the absence of " wisdom in practice," that has been to many of the more sensible and quietly thinking portion of our readers so long apparent, is a fact that we cannot avoid regarding as very significant of the future solidity of our Provincial Government rational.

We hail with satisfaction the kind spirit in which the many honorable men to whom we have entrusted the affairs politic of this Province have listened to the imperative reasonings of common sense; and we'trust to see their talent and industry (the disinterestedness of which .we cannot sufficiently admire) employed, in putting into form and living process that harmonious combination of principle and expediency which can alone ensure the production of a sound and effective polity. In referring to the probable future, it is natural to ask what are the cardinal principles, and what the quality of the expediency, that is to vitalise our Government? In these days, our answer might be found in the mouth of the merest tyro in political economy The pi; i i answer is : Do what is right, do rijfht at the proper time, and let right be done in its proper place ; " and right considered legislatively is adaptation and fitness." The basis of legislation in all constitutional governments, more especially under constitutions like ours, should be the bias of the people. That bias may, to a certain extent, be exerted after their delega. tion of direct power to freely chosen representatives. We have long entertained an opinion which we have reason to suppose is widely shared. That the safest method of ruling this and the other Provinces of New Zealand, ai this period of their growth, is to secure a watchful and faithful administration of all those laws already in existence,without seeking to add or amend save under the piessure of ■\ery onerous necessity. We apprehend that the wisest expediency and the safest principles would, in t is, and perhaps the other Province?, be best ass(:ru.*u in restraining the present rabid tendency to tear up and destroy what would be but very questionably amended or reproduced by the inartistic touch of—we were going to say—Provincial Quackery. we have vury unrnistakeable evidence that the more thusi avernire intelligence of tiiis Province looks wish consid r able distrust upon tlieatlempl.fi tlwtfrom lime to time are made by the Piovincial Council to transact business, which it is no disparagement to its irembers to characterize an too difficult. And we are not afraid that any honorable member of the Council can possibly fee! himself hurt because he is not recognized as a jurist. Or in limn; one ty he found, who in his heart of hturis believes himself a finished political economist; or we

ask how many can refer to any period of their lives wherein they were engaged in settling political theories into serious actual practice, previously to their efforts in the Provincial Council, which Council never was meant by the august enactors of our Constitution to be the field for such operations. In referring to the Constitution of New Zealand, we find that there exists two separate and distinct classes of legislatures, on the harmonious working of which equally depend the undeviating limitation of each one to its proper functions. Considering the fact that to the one is appointed the discharge of the highest and most intricate employments, we may naturally expect to find that body constituted of the most wise, most learned, in fact the best and ablest men, from all our"! provinces, And to such a body therefore, we maj r most safely refer a good deal that has been assumed by the Provincial Councils.

Despite the plausibilities of our correspondent " A Farmer,'* we are in no way disposed to retreat from the position we have assumed in reference to the Roads Bill. We still maintain that the good policy of the measure in its original form, was exceedingly doubtful, introducing as it did a system of voluntary taxation, so called; and because also the present and probable future state of the province does not warrant the infliction of so wearisome a method of putting those " stitches'' into the 'roads and ditches that our friend "-Farmer " talks of. Certainly the majority of Canterbury farmers will bitterly repent their being invested with the voluntary powers thrust on them by the Roads Bill. As to those portions of Farmer's " letter having reference to the defective features of the measure now under discussion, we once more emphatically protest against the " Roads Bill," which in its amended form especially is dangerous and uncalled for.