POLITICAL.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 352, 3 December 1875, Page 3

POLITICAL.

(To the Editor of the Mount Ida Chronicle.) Sib, —Now that Mr. de Lautour has opened the political campaign at Hamil ton, and declared himself an opositionist —meaning, I suppose, Provincialist—the constituency of this district have ample time to consider whether they should return a gentleman holding such views. The question asked Mr. de Lautour at Hamilton, "Would he support the Government or the Sir George Grey and Macandrew party" is a question which will be asked every candidate ; therefore measures, and not men, will probably decide the contest. If Mr. de Lautour is really a Provincialist his return will be less certain than his numerous friends would like it to be. Though he could hardly be expected to come forward as a supporter of the General Government as it is at present constituted, yet it was expected ne would be a defender of the principle of Centralism. He does not surely think that New Zealand is too large a section of the world to be governed from its centre? Does he forget that Centralism means unity, and unity strength and progression, whereas Provincialism means disunion, a number of petty states working against each other through jealousy, and so rendering the building up of a strong and prosperous nation an impossibility ? Does it not occur to him that the death of Provincialism would be the liberation of some of our most able statesmen, from sectional portions of the country to which they are wedded, and beyond the boundaries of which they cannot see to think and act for the whole colony P His tory in every age points to the curse of petty states, and to the blessings of unity. Mr. Macandrew desires to have the Colony divided into four Provinces, or ho might have said independent states, because he wishes to limit the power of the General Government. It seems indeed to be the desire of Provincialists to take all powers from the General Government, give said powers unto themselves. With such a consummation the old adage will be applicable to New Zealand, namely. " 111 fares the State where the many rule." If the niining community suffer themselves to be drawn away by the " blarney" of Provincialists they will surely live to regret it. The miners' long experience of Provincial Executives should at once decide this question ; and here a quotation from your own columns may not be amiss. " The Goldfields put under an able' administrative head—the details' locally managed by mining boards, arid the larger particulars referable to a one responsible source—'could not but- reap a great udvantnge by the substitution of Centralism for self-interested Provincialism."

The Provincial party re headed by a string of Superintendent, which, to say the least of it, looks suspicious, and though it is absurd to talk of Heir fearing the loss of their salaries it is by nomean3 so to think that they are picjudiccd against the Abolition Bill which takes away their kingdoms—their prcstigs, and the applause of men.

Mr. de Lautour no doubt spoke truly at Hamilton—though net flatteringly to Provincialism—when he said.that "the lands were originally intended for the many, and it is only by abuse that they have come so largely into the possession of the few." He means, no doubt, more particularly the larger freeholds which are lost to the people for ever. In this the Provincial Government have lamentably failed in their duties. Did they not play into the hands of large capitalists in throwing large blocks of land into the market whan they know, or should know, that there were no people to buy except large speculators ? Thus the greater portion of the best agricultural land in our Province has been lost to the people, who ruist now take up that which is inferior at ruinous prices considering its unfertility.

If this district be true, to its interests, and to that of the Colony, it will return the candidate—a local one if possible—who is most qualified, and at the same time favorable to Centralism. —I am, &c, Centralist.