New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 1874.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4119, 3 June 1874, Page 2

New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 1874.

There Iris been a political crisis in Lilliput. Civil war has broken out between the Big-endians and the Little-endians. Tho struggle is likely to bo protracted, and probably not free from a bitterness sufficient to give it a tonic character. So far tho Big-endians appear to have had the best of the battle. Tho first fruits of victory are in their hands. But the Little-endians are astute and practised in stratagem ; they are ably commanded ; and wo shall bo curious to watch how tho war proceeds. Our Lillipv.tis tho Province of Nelson, where time has brought about a very peculiar whirligig. Only half a year ago that Province was in the throes of an election for the Superintendency, as well as of members of the Council. The contests for tho comparativelyhumbleposition of Councillor wore for tho most part very keen, and they wore won as a rule by those of tho candidates who most warmly protested that an end should be put to the state of things that had existed in tho Government of the Province, and an Executive elected which would be more zealous in good works than its predecessor, and should adopt openly, and support to tho fullest extent, the more advanced policy of the General Government. Old political traditions had prevailed iu the Province. It was not considered a good thing that wages should be high; and iu was not thought desirable that public works, oven of a reproductive character, should be too much encouraged; while immigration was regarded as a most dangerous policy—although it W’ould have had the effect of lowering wages, if public works had not been undertaken, with money borrowed on the ample securities the Colony affords. The effect of this long-continued adherence to those obsolete views was an utter stagnation of trade, and a depression of business which made the Capital of tho Province remarkable among the cities and towns of New Zealand, The people saw a river of prosperity running past their doors, but tho Executive had done nothing, and ap- | poared unwilling to do anything, to divert any portion of it to irrigate and fertilise tho Province. No strangers were coming in to help to give life to trade and commerce, but old citizens and settlers were departing to make now homes for themselves where a better state of things existed. The elections were taken as tho opportunity when the feeling then, becoming general should bo expressed. The effect on those for tire Council wo have already alluded to. In that for tho Suporintendency it was shown with even greater determination. The Little-endians —who were more content with things as they wore tiian tho Big-endians—rallied round their previous head, tho present Superintendent; while those who desired to see a thorough change introduced pinned their faith to Sir O’Conor. It was notorious during tho contest that had a more eligible candidate entered tho field, and tiro contest been left between two, the result would have been the selection of a new head of the Government. It was equally well known that if a third candidate entered the field he would, in reality, have been tho opponent only of Mr. Curtis, and tho triumph of Mr. O’Conor would have been certain. But the entrance of one eligible person into tho field was prevented with great cleverness ; and another, who was willing enough to bo wooed and won, was also restrained with rare dexterity. How the contest was fought will not soon bo forgotten by those who took part in it. It ended in the return of the old Superintendent, and the rejection of him who thought the first requisites for an efficient Superintendent were pigskin and buck--1 skin ; but not before Mr. Curtis had been pledged to select a new Executive, to take up with greater earnestness tho policy of tho General Government, and to endeavor to secure some shai'e of that prosperity which all tho rest of New Zealand was enjoying. Mr Curtis did select a new Executive, which was so like tho old one, in its personnel and its policy, as to make the resemblance very strong between Osesar and Potnpey. But tho engineer appears to have barely escaped for a time from being hoist with his own petard. He gave a seat in tho Executive to a now Goldfields’ member, apparently in compliment to Mr. O'Conor, whoso friend Mr. Shapter was. But Mr. O’Conor himself has since been elected as a member of tho local Council. “ When a man’s married his troubles begin.” Tho political alliance of Mr. Curtis and Mr. Shapter has not resulted happily. The Council insisted that tiro Executive should bo made directly responsible to the Chamber. Tho Superintendent and his friends resisted tho motion, but the Big-endians wore successful, and carried their point by so large a majority that the Superintendent’s friends wore thoroughly beaten. A resignation of the Little-endian Ministry was tho consequence. The late Provincial Secretary was first applied to, to form a cabinet under tho now and unrolished conditions, but whether lie undertook tho task with heart aqd hope does not appear. At all events he did not succeed. There was nothing for it but to apply to his old opponent, who, following tho proper etiquette on so momentous an occasion, “took time to consider.” The telegraph now informs us that ho assumed the task, after duo reflection, and that he has associated with him two members of tho former “Cabinet,” —his friend Mr Shapter, and tho Provincial Solicitor, .with another gentleman who during tho elections spoke warmly as to tho inertness of tho Superintendent, and yet headed the poll in the city of Nelson. Mr. Curtis has thus as .his Secretary a gentleman who spoke of him during the elections in tho most contemptuous terms; who publicly declared, in tho Provincial Hall, before a crowd of respectable electors, that ho had so little confidence in his opponent that if ho (Mr. O’Conor) were elected, he would not take over Ins predecessor’s books and papers until they had boon thoroughly examined ! The now Executive will not only bo responsible to tho Provincial Council (and not to the Superintendent), but stand pledged to support tho views of the General Government as to tho public policy of the country, which aro tho views also of tho Council to whoso action they owe their position. Whether Mr. O’Oonor will bo acceptable to the Council remains to bo soon. All four members of tho new Executive wore strongly supported during tho late elections, and Mr. O’Oonor himself was returned to represent Westport

without a contest. Ha has practically won all but the name and salary for which he was so lately a defeated aspirant, and his then opponent will probably find himself in the unpleasant position of being comparatively helpless, under the positive control of his Secretary, and surrounded by anything, to him, but “a happy family.”