New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1875.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4368, 20 March 1875, Page 2

New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1875.

The telegrams have not done justice in any way to the comments of the Southern Press on Sir Georqe Grey's candidature. It is not every man who can condense into a sentence the pith of a column leader such asappeared in the Daily Times of the 9th instant. There is little room for condensation in such an essay ; and we regret the Press Telegraphic agency essayed the task. The agency failed, but that is hardly their fault. As far as it wont, tho telegram was correct. It is quite true that Sir George Grey and the Daily Times are agreed on one point;—we refer to provincialism; and it is only on this point that our Dunedin contemporary has got one single word to say in his favor. After making fun of Sir George Grey's address in a general way, the Daily Times says : —'' There is "one exception to the somewhat rusty " and unused appearance of his opinions " and sentiments. Concerning the pro- " posed abolition of theprovinceshespeaks " like a statesman, and we are mistaken if " the country willnotcordially endorse his " views." Now, this is the sentence which was laid hold of by the Dunedin telegraphist as embodying the general opinion of the Daily Times. Nothing, however, could be farther from the truth. It is correct as far as it goes, but it does not go at all far enough. Our contemporary approves of an appeal to the country, and thinks that full details of the proposed constitutional changes should bo submitted to the electorate. The practical inconvenience of such a course does not strike either our contemporary or those who think with him; neither does it once occur to them that the general election would not, in any case, turn on a hard and fast constitutional question. To ask the Government for the details of the proposed constitutional amendment, before submitting the measure to the Legislature, is like putting the cart before the horse, although the Daily Times alleges that is a statesman-like proposal. The following observations embody our contemporary's view on this subject. He writes: — " During all the discussion that has " taken place in view of the contemplated " chnnges in the Constitution, far too " little has been said as to the details of " the- scheme which is to take the place " of the present form of local self-govern- '' ment. While men of all bhades of "opinion have joined iu the expression "of a desire to sweep away the Pro- '' vinces, hardly one has made their aboli- " tion even nominally dependent upon " the excellence of the scheme to be sub- " situated for them. And yet it is quite " obvious that upon this the propriety of " abolition must largely depend. Sup- " pose that we grant that Provincial ad- " ministration is excessively cumbersome; " or say, in tho somewhat exaggerated " language of oratory, that it is almost " impossible to conceive a worse one. It " is clear that abolition is not the only " conclusion, but that its desirability " must be altogether dependent upon the " alternative being acceptable. The devil '' we know, prima facie, is to be retained, '' rather than that we should throw " ourselves into the arms of the " fiend we know not. After all is said " and done, and while we are aware " that the time is ripe to set about " forming a closer union of the various '' parts of the colony than is at present " possible, the actual step in destruction " must be delayed until a completo and " aoeoptablo aohomo-io-prraented for the '' local government of the country, to take " the place of the institutions to be swept " away. We, therefore, cordially thank " Sir George for his expression of "opinion, 'That he believed it was the "duty of the Government to state in " detail the nature of the institutions " they propose to take the place of exist- " ing Provincial ones, and to allow the " people of New Zealand ample time to " consider them, and express opinions on " the subject. It is hardly too much to " say that he is first and alone in ex- " pressing the sound common-sense view " upon the matter—viz., we quite think " provincialism is cumbrous and at the " present time unnecessary—we shall " gladly put an end to it if the method " you propose to substitute seems pre- " ferable."

It is very remarkable that our contemporary should advocate, as he does, an appeal to the country on the details of the proposed constitutional amendment, while ho permits the weightier matter of principle to go by default. Why appeal to the constituencies on a question of detail—whether a local governing body shall consist of ten or fifteen members, for example—instead of on the important question of whether Provincial Government should be abolished or not 1 To do so, would appear to us to trifle with the constituencies ; yet it is this trifling the Olac/o Daily Times designates by the name of statesmanship. Perhaps we may be wrong. It may bo altogether a joke ; —one of those grim pieces of humor for which out contemporary has become celebrated. But if it bo meant in sober seriousness, we do not hesitate to say that our contemporary has lost his head. The time to take the sense of the Assembly was on the abolition resolutions, which affirmed a principle ; the time to revive the question is on the second reading of the Bill to give effect to those resolutions. The House may listen to an argument on a question of principle; but if the debate be narrowed to a mere point of detail, it will manifest its impatience and sustain tho government. Wherefore, wo say, that Sir George Grey's argument, founded on tho suppression of details, is not by means an evidence of statesmanship, butisratherevidencoof a pettyfogging nature, which we should bo alow to attribute to the great pro-consul. Whether tho Government be right in refraining from gratifying all the local governing bodies in tho country, by publishing the details of the Local Government Bill, is quite another matter. Our Dunedin contemporary thinks that a grave error has been committed ; but we do not regard it in the same light. A great deal of practical inconvenience might arise from tho adoption of that course, while no practical advantage can bo anticipated from it.

Municipal bodies may rest assured that their powers will bo enlarged, and not abridged, by the Government ; whence it follows that they are not likely to object to the Government measure whori it has been submitted to the consideration of the Legislature. What they want is increased powers, and the moans of carrying out local improvements without increased taxation. Wo confess that wo do not understand the Government resolutions if they do not cover these points. Since writing tho foregoing remarks, wo havo recoived tho telegraphic summary of Sir George Grey's speech at the Thames, but he doos not throw much additional light on .tho great political issues before the country. He is

apparently displeased with the way in which the Home Government advises her Majesty to dispense her Royal favors. There may he some degree of truth in this objection, but it is hardly material. By-and-bye, when Royal favors have become too cheap, as they certainly bid fair to be, a distinguished colonist may adopt a new badge of. honor, and write "C.M.G.R." after his name, which being interpreted meaneth " Companion of St. Michael and St. " George Refused ;" but we hardly think a general election should turn upon such a trumpery point as that. Sir George Grey, however, attaches considerable importance to this point, as he does also to the honorarium of the members of the Legislative Council. It is exceedingly cruel of him to speak of the nominated Chamber as he does, because if the members of that august branch of the Legislature were deprived of this dole, it is certain that many of them would cease to honor the country with their attendance. But all th'S is only skirting the question which Sir George Grey will have to face in the General Assembly.