Lake Wakatip Mail. Queenstown, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 1865.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 268, 22 November 1865, Page 2

Lake Wakatip Mail. Queenstown, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 1865.

The Superintendent, in his Address to the Provincial Council has opened up some important questions. Ihey have not the interest of newness about them, but they are none the less worthy of earnest consideration. Mr Dick may be said to have boldly " taken the bull by the horns," for there cannot be the slightest doubt that, to many politicians, the Separation question will prove an unpleasant subject to handle. One can already see how gingerly some of them touch it. It is useless to run away from so formidable, but so ugly an enemy ; for there will be no peace in the arena of politics until the affair is settled one way or the other. The Superintendent was, we think, wise when he boldly leferred to the subject and took proper and high ground, and when he cast a heavy responsibility upon our Provincial legislators. Mr Dick, in his Message, said very truly '• Our present position is most unsatisfactory. On the Provincial authorities rests the onus and responsibility of advancing all the material interests of the Province, and of preserving peace and good order within its bounds, while we are disabled from promptly appropriating, as emergencies arise, the great resources which would otherwise be at our disposal. A change in this re/pect is inevitab'e, and to the means for effecting this change, I have to request your serious deliberation, for it is impossible that the Province can advance as it ought under a system of double government, whereby the authority and the responsibility are placed in different hands, and whereby the supreme government, jowerless to aid in times of difficulty, is

powerful only in its ability to prevent our helping ourselves, and in casting upon us heavy burdens, incurred for objects with which we have no direct concern." We shall await with interest the next intelligence. Will the Council that has already declared against Separation, still, in the face of such an assertion from the chief magistrate, persist in adhering to the law of the Modes and Persians, or will they recognise the difficulties cf the situation, and retreat aud occupy other ground ? In other words, will they tinker with the question, or will they nobly declare that Provincial interests, which would have been iguominously treated by the General Government, shall no longer be drawn through the mire, and declare that Provincial responsibilities, as well as those of the Colony, must be fairly and equitably treated ? There are so many channels that the matter can drift into, that it [is useless almost to speculate upon the form the subject will take, but the reply to the address is to be moved by Mr llaugiiton, who has declared himself in the House of Representatives an out-and-out non-Separationist. The goldfields are wearing fast to Separation ideas, and altogether the position is one really worth observing. The people must watch every move for a game has now to be played not witnessed before in the Colony, and which few care to take a part in. The Land Resolutions are touched upon without any positive declaration one way or the other in the speech, but the land notices of motion given by the Provincial Secretary are such as we hope will meet with strenuous opposition. They are not only of a retrograde character, but are opposed to all the examples presented for our benefit and all the advice given us by impartial friends—as witness the article in the London 'Times;' or, for exam pie and illustration, take the conduct of Victoria and America, in regard to their land laws. The abolition of an improvement clause, the reduction of the price of land in settled and populated districts, and the maintenance of a high and probably increased price in the interior portions of the Province, are not satisfactory features. We hope, however, that these two matters will be remitted to the country —Separation and the Land Question. This can be done without a dissolution of the Council, which may, a?ter asserting certain principles, leave the subject over for further consideration until after the elections for the Colonial Parliament have taken place.

The other subjects touched upon in the speech demand more notice than we can give them on the present occasion, but we trust we have said enough to draw attention to at least important matters brought under general consideration in his Honor's speech.