Canterbury Views of Colonial Politics. [From the "Lyttelton Times,"July l9th]

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 559, 23 August 1851, Page 3

Canterbury Views of Colonial Politics. [From the " Lyttelton Times," July l9th ]

Tt has never been our tnsk to publish so much material foi the anxious thought oi the bettlers at Canterbury as that which appears in our columns to-day. But the subject of the most pressing importance is that which is brought before us in a correspondence between Mr. Godley and the Governor-in-Cbief, 1 plating to the erection of this settlement into in independent province. It would seem that Mr. Godley has beeu advised by the Association in England, that Lord Giey Las left the decision of this important question wholly to the decision of the Governor; he therefore writes to his Excellency, to urge the falfilment of the expectations in which we were led so confidently to indulge, that our settlement should be peimilted to manage its own affairs. Sir George Grpy's answer is distinct and satisfactory. Tlis Excellency " can only say, that it will in this case, as in nil others, in which he can propez-ly do so, afford him great pleasure to confoim to the well-ascertained wishes of the settlers in the Canteibury block; and therefore, if the power is left m his hands, his Excellency will, if they desire such a couise to be pursued, rait>e no objection to the block of land, at piesent vested in the Canterbury Absociation by Act of Parliament, being erected into a sepaiate province." We believe no sentence could have been penned by the Colonial Secretary which would have been read with more entire satisfaction than this, by the settlers in this distiict, because, of all the important questions, upon the satisfactory adjustment of which the future prosperity of the settlement will depend, jlhere is; not one of such moment as the establishment of a local legislature. Our readers will have learnt that a good deal of discubsion ha& arisen upon the subject of Provincial legislatures. Lieutenant-Governor E^re, in the able bpeech which he delivered in the General Legislative Council, has stated, that the opinion of most of the inhabitants of the Southern Province of New Zealand is opposed to the multiplication of Provincial Governments, and is in favour of one General Parliament for the whole of New Zealand, each settlement composing a sepamte municipality, with extensive municipal powers and privileges; and he supported his opinion by a memoriiil from the inhabitants of Nelson. We speak with great diffidence in differing from the Lieutenant-Governor and from our friends at Nelson, on this point; but there seems to us to be too much stress laid upon a name. It is not of much importance whether the Local Governments are called provincial or municipal. The real question is, what powers are to be placed in their hands? and, without appioving entirely of the line of demarcation proposed by the Government to be drawn between the General and Provincial Legislatuies, we think the latter, call them provincial or municipal, ought 10 bave all the povveis,at least, which the Government proposes to give them. The only valid objection raised to the Provincial foim of Government is, that it is extravagantly and needlessly costly. But is it necessarily so? Let us take our own case. Suppose our settlement were declared to be a separate Province from this time. What necessity is there that government should be in any single respect more expensive than at present ? The Govemor-m-Chief says that he does not contemplate a Lieutenant-Governor in each province. That a Superiutendant would be s>ufficient. If this means that the head of government should not have an extravagant salary, we cordially agiee in this view; otherwise it is of little importance what title is fixed upon. It is quite true that there are as many departments of Government necessary in a small as in a large Btate, but the seciet of economy in a young settlement lies in this —compelling one official to do the duties of several depaitmpnts, as long as there is not sufficient work to occupy his whole lime in each. In Lyttelton the duties of Collector of Custom 1!, Treasurer, and Postmaster were for some time all performed by one gentleman. When the colonists arrived, the work became excessive, and the Post-office department was separated. So it may be in all departments of Government. The increase of official labour is invariably co-ordinate with the increase of revenue; so that as the necessity for increasing officials arises, the means of paying them is provided. The only error to be avoided is the creation of a large number of officials at the heads of departments, eacii with little to do, and a full salaty to receive. Foi example, it would be monstrous to erect a Supreme Couit at Canterbury, and to appoint a Judge receding £800 a year, whea there would not probably be half-a-dozen causes tried before him m tlie year. Would it not be better to pay the Judgo at Wellington a certain sum for holding two or more circuits in the year at Lyttelton, until the business in the Supreme Court here should require the whole attpntion of a residpnt Judge. We cannot conceive any necessity for increasing the cost of Government one farthing, by the election of our settlement into an independent province, farther than the simple machineiy of the Legislative Council itself would demand. On the other hand, the advantages we should derive fiom tliis airangement it is suroly needless to enumerate. '1 he light of expending tho suiplus revenues of the settlement would alone render it an immeasurable benefit, —the mere removal of the chance of our surplus funds being spent at Wellington, Nelson, or Auckland. Add to this the appointment of the officials of the colony from amongst ourselves —the being enabled to pass local laws for ourselves, suited to the character of the country, and the wants of its inhabitants —the removal of all the delays, misunderstandings, and vexations which inevitably arise from a distant governing power in local matters —and last, but not least, let it be remembered that under the Minute of the Managing Committee, dated May 26th, 1850, the Association have undertaken to resign all interference with the local and municipal affairs of the settlement, as soon as a j local legiblature shall be legally constituted. ] His Excellency has virtually called upon the settlers at Canterbury to express their views on this subject. All he desires is their well ascertained opimons } and the matter will be settled, it would be superfluous in ua to suggest even what we ought to do ; we have no fear that our fellow colonists will lemain silent to this appeal, coming from the repieseutative of her Majesty. Constituent powers are placed in our hands, to accept a machinery, at all events paitially satisfactory, for managing our own afTairs, or to leave them entirely to a distant authority,