THE PROVINCIAL COUNCILS.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 648, 30 June 1852, Page 3

THE PROVINCIAL COUNCILS.

Copies of the following leiter have been addressed to His Honor the Superintendent, No! -.on, and the Resident Magistrate^ of Canterbury and Otngo, on the biibjoct of the Proclamation of 3rd June, 11352, relating to the divibion of the Piovince of New Minister into Electoial Districts :—: — Civil Sccrctmy'« Office, Wellington, Crd Jure, 18.52. Sir, — In forwarding to you a copy of a Proclamation which lias just been issued to constitute Districts for the Election of Members of the Provincial Legislature, to be established under the provisions of the Provincial Councils Oidinance, Sess. XI. No. 6, I am directed by His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief to furnish you rath the following explanations connected therewith :—: — You will observe that the Proclamation makes no provision for the number of Members to he j returned by each Electoral Distiiet. 'flic circumstances under which this omission lias boon considered advisable arc these : — Tuo Pi ovincial Councils Ordinance was originally framed in contemplation oi the .subdivision, at an eailier date ] than the present, of the Province of Now Minister into several Provinces of minor extent. The ex- I pediency of such a subdivision was recognis xl by Lord Grey as long- ago as Febiuary, 1851. And in ti despatch of Lhat date from his Lordbhip to i the Go\ernor-in-Chief, his Excellency was in- j formed that he would be empowered to create such new Provinces by fresh 1 loyal Instructions to be issued in that behalf. The instructions alluded to have, however, not yot been received. It appeared then to Ilia Excellency and the Executive Council, that the utility and efficiency of Institutions like the Provincial Councils, flamed with .special reference, in the words of Lord Grey, to their subordinate character, would be so greatly augmented by their applied >on to districts of a comparatively limited extent, that, it was deemed desirable to defer, if possible, any decision upon tbo miml) n i' of Members to be chosen in each Electoial District, until such decision could be so made f-s to .\t.jord with the establishment of the several Councils intended to be created. This, of cou.ii 1 , could not be dune until the- number of Piovinoe^ was dctoi mined, and the powers to establish them were received. The latter may now be daily expected to niiive. The present Pvoelavrsp Lion, therefore, h. 1c < been confined in its object to the division oi Uu- c\i-.L-inp. Province oi New Munniev into Electoral Districts, which may be available after the eve: tion of the Provinces it will eventually comprise. But | while this object haw been strictly kept in view, all that was necessary at pro-cut appeared to be t^ include only the inhabited portions of the Province in such Districts leaving th" Electoral Division of tlte almost I'ninhnbUcd t.ads of i country lying between Ihe SoLtlwronts to f.e determined upon when the houudaiioE) or the Piovince^shnll have been detiiuVly .settled.

As moreover •(Ik so Provinces me to be constituted according to Hie received intimation of the intentions of Her ?! \Kty's Government without reference to < o ny i>ai\k'\i\,iy 3 filiation m',<<rdLi£ the sale oi land which n,.iy pi^vuii in some I portions of them, it i, hn"dly neecssuy Lo state | th.it the Proclamation docs not preclude the ext tension of the limits of the Province of Cartcr- | bury, as it may be ultimately d 'fined, beyoi.d those of the Electoral Districts now proclaim '.I fur th it Settlement. On the receipt of the ins>tjiicti'/!.s above allndod to, His KtcclLncy v, ill proce ><i to fr.z tho boundaries of the Canterbury, os well as those of the Nelson and Oti\»o }'rovineeo, in a rnamic-r whit-Ii he h a i it r - may he siti ffi'lctoiy to t!>e ;>roat majority of pciv,ont> into/csted in tho ({uestion. II ju> bo-Mi further foiled ns.c°^rTy, within tlii-. iVo.luee, to v^tond zlu period at Wiiui r.o iii.ido ivtnvi chit to A ivty d->\s, in order ti) it duo time i.vjy ]>c i" >>^d io'c their coir.vy.-K'-o to i.vuo d'-,!*:ion tl/uuvuto, such as OL. m), and fvi" tho .adoption th^ieln of the btevb naccos'uy io be ti'ken ujo.i their he hi" received. By the al i ovc anvnv^ments you will pivreivo tliat the only object at present eontcnij)lated, namely, to secure the formation of tho Mleetoral .Roll, and to &ivo all pevbons in each Setiiement enlitled to such a privilege, an oppoitunity of !ia\inr; tiicir mmes pi^cd upon such Roll in time ior tho a])pvoachin^ liilecLions, liao I ecu tn?urcd ; i-inle\ -y i\ -ni v. ill have been made, to pu^ lvI; dchy ii the introduction, on the .'iTviviJ. of i he in- .ll Lions hcibie alluded to, of Hcj-:-c o-»t i h h o l;'oiituL ; jivj in tlie piechd li'i'in v,'h'cli L-\ulument \dli ha\o decide^ vpoi> tliem. it liOw only xeroains for ipc to rerp.'-si that you will be (',ood enough to btato for His Fo colloncy'j infounation vvhether you consider additional Polling Places recces; 1 ly in my of the Electoral Districts niCiiLioncd in tho Proclamation. I have the honor to be, Sir, Yoiu' most obedient humble servant, Aiiruro Domett, Civil Secrettuy. The Resident Magistrate, Canterbury.

To the Editoi of (he " Lyttcltuu Times" Sir, —l think it due to the peopio of this settlement, that I should make public the reason which induced :ne to tender my resignation to the Managing Committee of the Canterbury Association, and tlio grounds upon which I have now determined to retain my office foi the present. When I firjt accepik! that office, I was un'lrr the impression (hat ll»p L.udon Managing CcmmUtoe, though of coutr.c foii.i Jly paramnuiif, ivouKi piactically leave the a'lm nutralion of alLns iti the colony to their Colonial A^nnt, coulidllcl (as he u contioiled to a ceilam extent) by ihe paM.c opinion of the colony. I nml haidly say tint 1 iie-ver lljousht this would Inv been a good airar.germ nt, but 1 did think tint, however defective in tl)*ii\, it would have been just to'emble a3 a. m.iko-ohifl, until better institutions could be established. As soon, ho^t-Vk'r, as I found t'ril the Committee took a diubio'it viow of thovi du"es and responsibilities, and thought t^ny naturally anil piopevly, no doubt) that the mauagem nt of .lil.uij ou^ht practically to be kept in tho bands ctl (.Lose who wore anhweralie foi it to the Ciov n and ihii public, I thought it necessary tilher to obtain a pledge tfiiit there khodid be a speedy jind r<'d/c,;l charge in tbe system, oi (if tb.it weie not contiuiplrted) to di-icoanool myself fio-n it altogether, I did not choose fo be an in tiument in cawying out plins oi v\hvh I i/ijoht or mi«bt nol approve; which, at any iatf>, m idier the colonists nor myself could have any effectual means of influencing , and of which wo could larely become co^izint unul they were finally settled. I theieloio tendeied ray resignation; at the saiae time offeung to assist, so far as i could, in carrying any cli.inge which nu<:ht be deteunin^d upon into effect, aad e.vpreshing nty belief tb.it. ui.d^r Cie cticum-tancsb, I could make myself as usafiil to tho colony in an uuofficial as in an oiheial cajiacity. 1 have ju&t rcct jicocL the Committee's Reply to my letter of lesignation, f»nd 1 am bound to say that nothing can eJ ceed the hankness and good frelin^ nith which the questions raised by me h ivr bf'eu coubi<l'-i -u Juid riot. \Vi)ile tile Con-iniltc»Mu<-ii.% tliTiiiinji and extent of thru intcifejr.ice wiili local ail.virs 7 they espie^s in the stiongeht UMiis [ their con-ciousness of the exiiome evils attencLint on I distant Govenutu-iit, and then- regiet at having been i (as they co icwve) compclludby their position to fitciura and inflict lliera. The most important pait, however, of the Committee's romn'unication consists in the I announcpinunt that it is their iutention fo app'y, dnri.ig ilic pte^ent s>esbwn of put liument, for an Act which shall tian^fer (heir fuuctious to iLj Piovibional Goveinment about to be constituted. Scne constitutional l.'giblation for Mew Zealand theie must be this session, a:id there is every lenson to heno that it may confer upon us tolei'ublj coi->[/leto pow.i- ")fJoca! seli novernment, Ac .my iatp, the Cuntorbury A&«.ooiation >a pi J^ecl to an immediate abdication of its anomalous j.owei'-, if Paihament will allow of such abdication, upoa proper terms. The CosniT'ittee have requested ! that ju- ing the inteival wbicL ny >t elapse b.fore the piopofeod change can be effected, 1 hhoulil continue to hold the office of their Agent, and it is impossible under the circumstances which 1 have stated, I should ieius,e to comply with that lequest; a request which is the more giaufymg to me, and the more creditable to them inasmuch as it is made notwithstanding the existenceof a diffeicnce of opinion between us upon many points of detail connected with the management of the luud iund. I sun, Sir, Your obedient servant, John Rodlixt Godlcy. Lyltcl.'on, May 25, IBjJ. ;

An Ecceniric G"'cidi:. —iJio fallowing paragraph appeals in the Eiench papci^.—On p. well dressed body, disccveied this moinin^ hanging from a tiee on the ro<sd fioiu A'o-"ailles to Sceaux ,the following letter was found : —" Those uho shall discova 1 my body swaying lt-aoif at the unpuhe of the winds, as did those foinwly suspenJod to vhe gibbet at Monlfaucon, will, no doubt, feel either U^ior-stiucK. or moved with pity, ' Behold they w ill exclaim, ' anoiher victim of vviechednoss or grief.' They will bo mistaken. I liava always been perfectly hpppy. I feel that with old figo will come in/iimities, and it is to avoid ihe slightest pain, the most petty annoyance, fhat 1 liave detenmned to put an end_ to my lift?. This may appeal absurd, but I am of opinion that when one iia& lived comfortably for more than sixty jears one ought to ba/e had unou"h°of life. lam alone in the world. I was not an inhabitant of Paris ; I tbeiefoio think it will be impossible to know who I am. 13esideb, I have taken every precaution for insuring this ; ami, if the last wish of a dying man commands any lespect, I intie.it thnt no inrjuiiies may be made on the subject. I left my homo after soiling every thing, and giving out that 1 was <stai ting for a foreign country. My property is all leahzed, and the bank-notes which it has produced will have yesteulay reached the hands of in honest fatbei of a fam'ly, whom it will render happy. I Imo so managed thM he should bo ignorant of their source. Having no fu. ther business in tlm world, lam going. Good by ! (Signed)—An Original."