The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1871. AS YOU WERE!

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 104, 4 May 1871, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1871. AS YOU WERE!

O?H©\Vrniuchi simpler and more easy is the ...demolition....than,..thati,of.;construction 'Wats clearly- proved in the Council, last night, when a couple of hours suffice.^, practically .scatter, to the winds ; jtne '-work 'dmjjwffi^ %ij¥?uß *4 n P session ofjjretyfcaf. . The; Executive" A'c't' has been tried* found wanting, and. jCpUr! , and we'ca'tinbt : gky that' } we shall .'.^he anioijg; ; ' tlie^nidufnevs', abound' its : bier. We entireljC^rep^witlii'jwhat fell - from the Speaker^ who gave as his reasons^ ji.'ibrtvotmgif&j? ithe repeal pX)|he^Ac|;, first, •f-»that ai; ''its ( > '^effect-' 1 - : wasiuq'to " Kemove , ,the. - Tesponsibility-from the shoulders of ihiin on 1 vi abneatrshauld' i3Jea^« t a^d |secondly, ■ >fi tlfett aHrefepoii^blfe ministry Wa'^ Entirely.. out ofplace, in '''si'SmM^ountir' like ours. Further, it has always appealed- tp^Ußir&f Batigerolis eiscperitiaentitol place to th&'gift' jof the Councjl twtf-well^larfea appoint'4W V J Wiield by gentleM^n 1 to^ti6'

selected from among themselves. It was but natural r{ to supppse that such. an arrangement wpuld j|>rp>e a | very; apples of discord, and;; fead to Ifmueli jealousy pis bitter feeling mhere '% wu's to the'";aS-' vantage of thVprovince that the business should be conducted amicably and with a view solely to the advancement of it's interests. Another, and a very grave*.' objection was that the choice of two officers, whoso appointments were looked upon as. among "the most" important in the province was confined to the very limited area of the Council chamber, it being .taken for granted that amoug the nineteen men who there met for the despatch of ' business, there was always to be found one who was in every way qualified for the post of Treasurer, and another who was perfectly, competent to undertake the duties of Goldfields' Representative. This in itself was, to our thinking, sufficient to condemn the Act.' . There was an opinion very generally expressed amongst those who took part in the debate ; : last night that under the. present Act there are too many heads of departments, and with this feeling we, to a certain extent, fully sympathise; more especially' .so far as regards the, Goldfields' Representative, for we ' could never understand why any necessity should exist for such an. officer, or why the goldfields should require to be:- specially .represented in the, Executive any -more/ than the other portions of the province. ■ If the mining interests arc to be advocated. in the Executive Council !by a gentleman, specially appointed .for the purpose, why should not the same privilege be accorded 1 to the agricultural, and the manufacturing interests ? The very fact of the existence-of srch an office' is calculated to give rise to, and foster, a spirit of jealousy between the settled and the mining districts, a feeling which should rather.be- discouraged, by every means in our power. There is one man in the .Executivewho should study, and represent, the interests of all classes, and that man is the Superintendent. He should be the true goldfields' representative, and it should be quiie sufficient" to leave it to him to see that justice was done to miners and agriculturists alike, but in ! order to be in a position .to 'give such satisfaction, it is absolutely necessary that he should, by occasional visits to the various districts, make . himself acquainted with their re: quirements, and show the people that lie is not indifferent .tq. their frequently expressed wish that he should come amoug them more, and judge for. himself of the progress or otherwise that is being made throughout the Country. Let him but dothis — -and we are but asking him to fulfil the promises "Tnade by 'him prior to his last election — and we shall hear no more outcry from the goldfields' about being specially represented in the Executive. With regard to the amalgamation of the offices of Provincial Secretary and Treasurer,' to which reference: was made last night, we • doubt very much whether such a plan would work, or whether the very, slight saving that would apparently be ' effected by ' such a change might, not be purchased at too ;dear. a : rate, for ;tbe . work of ' the Treasurer will, in all probability, be largely increased daring the next twelve months by the additional corn plications that will arise between the General and' Provincial Government- accounts from the contemplated" public works. In such a case it would possibly ■be found that the work of the twp departments could not be performed by one marij even with the as- , sistance,; of .an ...ex'tra .clerk. . ; _„ . As. matters at present stand, we are very .much as we.were previous to .last session, except= that nothing in, the shape of an": Executive -Act lias* yet been prepared. We presume that those who last night adj vocated the repeal of the present one are prepared ; to. follow up, their victory by substituting for- at' some more desirable "measured " ''" •■ /■• •■ '■''"'■' ' '