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Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 225, 24 June 1865, Page 2

The long expected resignation of J. Hyde Harris, Esq., Superintendent of this Province, has been publicly announced by his Honor himself. The * Daily Times* says the Superintendent has succeeded in leaving his position with sufficient personal popularity to obtain his re-election for the same office if he should desire it. This may be so in Dunedin, but we much doubt if it is the feeling of the country. The journal m question attributes the non-negociation of the loans at an earlier date to an error in judgment, and ascribes other failings to want of energy or want of application. We cannot join in thus glossing over the failure of Mr Harris' career as a Superintendent, but we do not at this juncture desire to criticise minutely and severely the many false steps aad actions of his Honor, He ascended to power with the good wishes of the Province, and especially that of the Goldfields. The Province was much more prosperous at that period than at present, however. The actuil position of Otago is the best test of its progress made under the Superintendency of Mr Harris, and we dislike saying more uprn the subject. The reasons given for resigning are various on public grouuds,and also because " private interests demanded it." The expressed opinion of the Council lately on the Land Act is referred to under the first-named reason as the most important. • Evidently therefore, Mr Harris does not think the late concessions to the pastoral interest have been suffirtipntljr Pvtensive. The country think otherwise ;so there is no loVe two* r„* w^on \x\o Honor says, "with many others, I have " not been exempt, during the last two years, " from severe pecuniary losses, many of which "are traceable to neglect of ray private " affairs," he approaches nearer, we believe, to the true reasons which dictated the resignation. We do not know if the disappointment regarding the Exhibition not being turned into Government offices had anything to do with the matter. We remember at the election the stake that Mr Harris possessed in the province; and that, as a one-twentieth owner of Dunedin, arguments were strongly used ir support of his candidature. Political power has not, however, enabled him to become a Dunedin Crassus; but, in retirement, we trust fortune will be kinder to him. As an old colonist, this is his due. He has not shirked the burdens of the state, but in office succeeded in exemplifying how hollow and unstable is the policy of centralisation.* It has injured Dunedin and the Province generally, as well a* the Superintendent himself. We do not think, with our metropolitan contemporary, that the citizens will ever seek him again as an Otago Cincinnatus. The gratitude of Dunedin is due to him and we can take the remarks of the Dunedin * Times' for what they are worth in that respect.