TALK OF THE HOUR.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 351, 26 November 1875, Page 3

TALK OF THE HOUR.

[CON.TJBIBUTED.] Wo do that in our zeal ~ - - Our calmer moments aro afraid to answer. Anonymouf. Considerable discussion has been rind-is going on as to tho form of government which shall supersede tho Provincial system, or what form an amendment shall tako; all parties seeming to tacitly agree that tho Provinces shalL bo either abolished or ro-divided. It seems to mo that a great deal of useless recrimination has taken place since tho question was first raised. "•.—;.,..—.. ,~.~.-.»„,_.. Thepeopleand their representatives were fully to the ovils and unfairness of Provincial .GbvornmoritS, and on the mooting of tho proposition to abolish tho' Provinces all at once jumpod to the idea and pledged themselves to assist its furtherance. So fully wore all convinced that some alteration was necossary that when such a sweeping scheme was proposed tho • country was fascinated and electrified; and with, it seems to mo, unparalleled haste covenanted to abolish its governing machinery without knowing by what it was to bo replaced. Carried off by tho enthusiasm of the moment, many, who now bitterly regret their action, promised to support tho alteration; hoping—when calmer moments succeeded their former state of mind and they had begun to regret that ' they had implicated themselves—that the deep sagacity and political power of the then Premier would extricate them from tho dilemma. But unluckily Sir Julius Vogel had to prococd to England, and tho hope that he would provo their indemnity was dashed to the ground; it being impossible that ho could have framed the. necessary measures during his short stay in Now Zealand after tho close of the session before last, and it being equally im- ; probable that he could fully indicate his views from Englaud. Thus their hope of .outside delivoranco-was considerably lessened. Their available saviours are now the dummies whom tho Premier has gathered round him in the real capacity of chief clerks, although nominally his colleagues. Their attempt at framing a constitution is virtually a failure, yet the promise of support has to be redeemed—more especially as tho onoito whom the pledgo was given is absent. Besides tho support of these able, perhaps, but hasty men, thovo are Sir. Julius' following—men who of themselves' were not capable to lead an original political life, and have therefore followed in the wake of a man possessed of superior intellect. They have been able, through his instrumentality, to lead to a certain extent a passable political career. It would have been churlish of thorn had they turned round, in bis absence, on the man who had led them for many years. Thoy, in gratitude, wevo bound to support tho Government, perhaps hoping at the same time that as formerly the talent of their leader would pilot them safely over the shoals; imagining, of course, that-,Sir Julius was the framer of tho measure which they were called on to support. Sir Julius, however, did not frame the bill, but his colleagues, who thereupon assumed tho reins of Government-?—being wideawake enough, at the same time, to keep their quondam leader one of their number, leaving it to bo implied that they had only assumed the leadership becauso'Sir Julius happened to be out of tho Colouy, and that, theugh nominally only a subordinate, he was really the head of-tho Government. Being led away by this inference, and perhaps in some instances not daring to break from their allegianco for fear of Sir Julius suddenly turning up, the following/and those who liad pledged themselves, conceived themselves bound to carry tho measure through, in redemption of their obligations. Tlieso circumstances must, I think, bo the cause of the persistcut support of the Abolition Act last session. There can bo but very littlo doubt that, had tho present Ministry, with tho measures they havo brought forward, faced the House on their: merits (the justly powerful name of, Sir Julius Vogel being absent from.the list), they would have been thrown from their benches. Tho effects of that unhappy and most unstatesmarilike occurrence of covenanting to destroy tho machinery of government without knowing what was to replace it seems likely to bo felt, arid largely, in the forthcoming elections.. Those who have followed Sir Julius so devotedly through inability to shape a courso for themselves' will probably ; not again be returned ;".iind ; til though, through following so closoly in tho footsteps of a wise man, they areyperhaps not opeu to censure, yet it is quittfprobable that in most instances the constituencies will decline to re-elect them. Thus tho elections will probably be biassed chiefly by those who so hastily pledged' themselves; who, partly from an insane desire to fulfil their promises to tholetter, and partly from that sometimes iniquitous thing consistency, will be bound to make tho battle cry vlnoumsm 1" It is. much to bo feared that in tho excitement on this question other considerations really more important will bo < lost sight of— that tho whole .. of the oloclions will be Worked.,upon tho M question of, 'ynidifwmyi%at^J^\'ffoiji^. ~ merit take? instead of, J£oio arid J>y whim shall the govcrnmcntr.be administered? After al I, tho form of. government can only bo a secondary consideration;- for ot what use is tho form if its constitutors,are not able to administer it P ,The representatives of the several sides will be sure to be primed with ideas from their leaders, and have moreover had plenty of time to study this one question, so that though they might bo ablo to treat this question most nkilfully, that fact would bo really no.criterion of their general ability. There is a • great danger of the electors being carried of their legs (so to speak) by Skilful' eloquence—on;tho one side, 0f,," Shall, tho constitution by which we have lived and become a State unequalled for prosperity in tho Southern .Hemisphere be swept uw ay by t he wave of iho "hand' Or tho crotchot 'of a worn-out politician P " and " Shall the country be ground down by expensive and cumbrous legislation; and remain a prey to the influences of cliques and parties of largo towns and cities, to the detriment of the out districts and the real advancement of the country p ".Oratory is very dangerous, especially in politics; and dishonorable men are as likely to be possessed of it as honorable. There ?an bo no'doubt that there is a great deal in"the form of. government—whether tho people shall-govern themselves or be governed by.omers—but so long as notnineoism if) eschewed theform cannot but be a secondary coneidcraLion. "'Tho''real i prospcrity.oL.av.coun.trydocs.not.exist .in the form of gove'rnmenTi, but in the manner.in whfchlhe fofnYy'wiliatover be, is carriedout! ft would bean e'xtrdmely short-sighted policy' surely'.td' rotUfii a

man as a representative bceauso lie happened to a.Ccntralist, or a Separationist in his views 1 If men are returned with determinations that the people shall represent themselves as far as possible, men that hold liberal ideas 6n all questions brought before them, and,Habovo all, men of undeniable ability, then thequostion of, What, form shall the government take P might well be left out •oF the question. There would be a far greater likelihood of its being, arrived at and administered satisfactorily by such men than by: those who have simply been returned because they hold extreme views of cither party J who perhaps-cannot treat any other subject skilfully—who live and move and have their being~inTorm of government alone.' ;Iftheconstituenciosreturn for their representatives men whose only recommendations are their clever disquisitions on the form of government they will have cause afterwards' to bitterly regret their action. The destiny of the counfrf is now being shaped. People are. being brought into tho country at a very rapid' rate, money in immense sums is* and expended, and gradually the results of this policy will begin to make- themselves known. These, immense sums of money will have worked their ends eitHer forevil or:g<jod ; and.should a.crisis. come about, what will the' Knowledge of the representatives on;,the -question of Centralism or Provincialism avail them then? Undoubtedly constituencies m the present crisis should the of those who seek to represent them, let them be either Centralists, Provincialists, or Separationists. ■ ' ■, ;.••.••-•--,.. . . , . ANXTOB.