The Lyttelton Times. TUESDAY, DEC. 13, 1881.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6488, 13 December 1881, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. TUESDAY, DEC. 13, 1881.

Thebe is one of the results of the elec* tions which ought not to be lost upon public opinion. It concerns the position occupied by the extremities of the Colony. In tbe South, Otago out of 24) members returned 21 not pledged to tbe Government, of whom 14 are pronounced Oppositionists, Auckland, at tbe other extremity of the Colony, has returned 13 out of 19 unpledged to Government, of whom 10 are pronounced Oppositionists. It is safe to say that in this Province the majority against the Government would have been greater bat lor the disturbing influence of Sir George Grey. Sir George bas been the best friend of tbe Government from the first. Had he elected to go out of Parliament when the vote was carried against his administration in 1879, wo should never have beard of the saviours of the country. In that case finance would not have known Major Atkinson, the Liberal measures would never have had to depend on Mr Hall, Mr Eolleston would not have received "benefit of clergy” at the hands of the Bishop of Neleon. All these things have happened simply because the Government party frightened the country nearly to death with their figure of Sir George Grey. The baneful influence of these tactics has long waned elsewhere in New Zealand, but in Auckland it lingers, weakened, but still, being in tbe actual presence of Sir G. Grey, real. Even there tbe Opposition managed to secure anti-Grey candidates for two scats, viz., Mr Dargavillo (since our article of yesterday we have ascertained from an Auckland source that this gentleman is a most pronounced Oppositionist) for Auckland West, and Mr Sheehan for Thames, defeating that faithful benchI man and talking nuisance, Mr Speight.

Tbo Bay of Islands, on the otb«* baa*, and Auckland North, accepted Mini** terialiste instead of those thoroaghgoing Oroyites. Mr London and Mr Roe®. It i« quite on tbo cards that bod tbo Grey bogie been out of tbo field, Auckland would not bare returned more than four Ministerialists. Wo may then look at tbo extremes of tbo Colony as having declared a# emphatically as possible under the circumstances, against the Government. Another fact is that nearer homo the Government has been mor® successful. That Canterbury baa returned as many an ten Ministerialists is due no doubt to the personal intiuenco of the Canterbury members of the Government, which is considerable. The Canterbury representation has been divided because a large proportion of the doctors insist on regarding men not measures, while tbo balance look at things political exactly in the reverse fashion. But whatever the reasons Canterbury has given the Government a majority, and Canterbury is nearer to Wellington n»mfi Auckland or Otago. Wellington on the other hand is the eeat of Government. There wo have almost a block vote for the Government. Out of eleven there are but three unpledged to Ministers, of which but one is an Oppositionist. Napier, further off, gives two out of three to the Opposition, and Taranaki being in the heyday of a Native policy, organised entirely for its benefit, is too obviously Ministerial to have a place in the comparison of districts. Judging by distances then, we find that wherever the sense of distance is unbroken by special considerations, the farther a district is from the seat of the more and pronounced is its opposition, and the nearer it is, the more declared is its support of the administration. From this we see at a glance the effect of the Centralism of the past few years. This is the writing on the walk Ministers have told ns that the cry for local Government is a myth. They and their supporters have informed the public diligently throughout the recess that the present system is nearly perfect; and very happily so, because change is absolutely difficult, and, by reason of the conflicting views put forward by most of the candidates for the seats, most difficult. They might as well argue that there was never any Black Hole at Calcutta, because the unhappy wretches confined there all proposed different methods of getting out. The parts of the Colony most effected by Centralism would have put as much faith in such an argument as they did in the one actually employed. They have shown very clearly that Centralism does not suit them. That is the warning which this Government will have to bear in mind, as will every Government that follows, until something in the way of local government is devised which is satisfactory to the people. It is no use to talk of realities as myths. It is bootless to bring down fresh schemes of Centralism under cover of local government. The time has gone by when, under pretence of complying with a popular cry for local government, Ministers can construct permanent forcing houses of Ministerial support. The majority of the electors have announced that they really do want local government. They are not likely to be put off with any counterfeit, or with any plausible talking.