The New-Zealander. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1846.

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 69, 26 September 1846, Page 2

The New-Zealander. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 184 6.

Be just and fear not: Let all the ends thou aims't at, be thy Country's, Thy God's, and Truth's.

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Speculation has been rife during the past week, as to the Gentlemen upon whom His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor may be pleased to confer the honor of occupying the two vacant seats at the Legislative Council Table. There are those in our community who have not been careful to conceal their dissatisfaction at the veil of mystification which is thrown over the present administration of Government. We confess, that secrecy is sometimes necessary in carrying out, efficiently, the details of the Executive, but it is not reconcileable with the satisfactory exercise i of the Legislative power. | The general principles of administration are so intimately connected with the interests of the people, that they ought to be publicly known, or a feeling of suspicion and uncertainty is created in the public mind. We think these remarks are particularly applicable to the studious secrecy which is maintained respecting the nomination of the new members ; because, the Crown nominees, or as they are incorrectly styled, Independent members, being chosen upon the eve of a session of the Council, must, necessarily, be not only ignorant of the bills which are shortly to come under their consideration, but deprived of time and opportunity for collecting facts | and data, and prevented from studying the wants of the community with that degree of , attention, which would fit them, for the proper discharge of their functions. Any one who will take the trouble to enquire into the constitution of the Legislative Council, must arrive at the conclusion, that even its non-official members are, in no possible sense, the representatives of the people. Being nominated by the Governor, to fill a high aqd honorable office, it is but natural to suppose,, that most men in their situation would be inclined to pay a greater deference to his opinions, than respect for his character as a man, or even as the head of the Government would otherwise exact. It is palpably evident that a Governor would elect from a community, such Gentlemen as would, in his estimation, be likely to support whatever policy he might decide upon adopting, without reference to their capabilities for representing the opinions and feelings, and advocating the interests of the people. Setting aside from our consideration the fact, that the Aboiiginal inhabitants (about 120,000) have not even a nominal representative in the Council, we should remember, that ;the three non-official members are supposed to watch over the peculiar interests of five large, widely distant settlements ; and to know the particular wants of each separate community, as well as what will tend to the general advantage of the country. Even if it were admitted that the Crown nominees are bond fide representatives of the people, past experience has proved, that though their support to a Government measure may be of consequence, all their opposition is futile, however clearly they may demonstrate the wisdom of their objections, or expose the impolicy or injustice of the enactments of their powerful opponents. Our own i opinion is, that the Legislative Council, as at present established, is little more than the shadow of a popular medium of communicating to the settlers the commands of the Secretary of State s—the5 — the sailing directions, which, in the exercise of his imperious wisdom, are \ issued from time to time, for the guidance of | Governors across the troubled sea of Colonial politics. It is the publication of the nostrums | of each successive Downing-street empiric, t for the removal, not of the constitutional disease of Colonial misgovernment, but of the various symptoms which the disorder has exhibited under the treatment of former doctors.