The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 138, 11 June 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1874.

The Council is prorogued, the members bave returned to tbeir homes, and for some months the affairs of the province are to be left entirely in the bands of an Executive newly come into office, Bnd holding tbeir seals under tbe conditions imposed by the now Act. A merchant cannot band over the sole control of his business to an untried man without some doubts and fears, neither can a province or country entrust the macogement of its uffairs to a new set of men without feeling some little anxiety as to tho result of the experiment. It is quite possible that a change for tbe better may bave been effected by substituting the present Executive for tbe gentlemen who recently occupied seats on the Government benches, but as yet we have nothing to assure us that such is the case, and consequently their every action will be carefully watched and keenly criticised by tbe outside public. The head of tbe new Government is, of course, Mr O'Conor. Ho it was who formed the " Cabinet," if it may be so called; he it is wbo is looked up to both by the Council and his colleagues as the leader of the House. He then is the individual to whom the credit will be due should an improved state of things be brought about, he is the one upon wbom tbe blame will principally rest should a change for the worse ensue upon his advent to office. That Mr O'Conor is a man of unbounded zeal and untiring energy not one can doubt, but whether he has the judgment to use that energy in the right direction has yßt to be proved. From what we have seen of hira since he took office we are a little inclined to fear that the desire to be doing something is so strong within him that he does not take time to cousider what it is tbat should be done first; what question should bave tbo prior claim upon his attention. So long as he is up and doing he is perfectly happy, and fully convinced that he is acting in the interests of the province, no matter what he may be engaged in. Perpetual motion appearto be the object of bis ambition; what that motion is to lead to being quite a secondary consideration. That he may eventually steady down and proceed with his work calmly and judiciously is quite probable, but in the meantime the energy with which he is bubbling over may lead the province into r many a scrape unless some restraint be placed upon it. Zealous, well meaning, and desirous of advancing the welfare of the province, but head-strong, and wanting in discretion; such is the estimate that we have formed of Mr O'Conor since we have- seen him in authority. With characteristics such as these he must, to be successful, be to a great extent influenced, ii not guided, by his colleagues. Of Mr Shapter we as yet know but little. He may have considerable administrative abilities, but if so, his great modesty has hitherto prevented him from making them known. He does cot impress us with the idea that be is a stateman, but, as we said before, we know but very little of him and consequently are not iv a position to form an opinion. He appears to possess tbe confidence of tbe goldfields members who should know him best, and that certainly is a point in his favor. Mr Rout, like his chief, shines more in opposition than in power. His abilities are of a destructive rather tban a constructive character. Among those wbo interested themselves in building the Tower of Babel he never have would risen above the humblest position, but at the siege of Jericho he would have gained for himself a name as one of the lustiest of the blowers of rims' borne, and would have witnessed the downfall of tbe . walls witb the utmost satisfaction. Still, however, he may yet prove himself a useful member of the Executive when he has learned that his duty is to suggest and to build up rather than to find fault and destroy. Were tbe Executive comprised of these three gentlemen only we should look forward to the next twelve months with no little fear, but to the Provincial Solicitor, Mr Pitt, we look to restrain tbe superabundant energy of bis leader, and to direct it in a way that may prove beneficial to the iuterests of those whose welfare has been placed in bis hands. Mr Pitt has for some past time displayed an ardent desire to secure the progress of the province, and since ho has occupied a seat in the present Council has made himself master of the details of bis olfice, and has always been ready to give a sound reason for any line ot

action he has adopted. He should, and we believe will, bave considerable in>fluence over Mr O'Conor and his other colleagues, and, difficult as is bis position, we fully anticipate that he will prove equal to the occasion, and bo able to temper the zeal of his chief with judgment and discretion. The coming year will form an era in the history of Nelson. Tbat there will be a change in our condition and circumtances under the new regime we feel convinced, but whether that change is to be for better or for worse has yet to be ascertained. Meantime we can but watch and bope.