THE WELLINGTON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4435, 7 June 1875, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

The Wellington Provincial Council was prorogued on the 13th May. Although the session was an unusually short one, the work done was important in its nature as well as considerable in quantity. We are therefore justified in congratulating the province upon the business-like way in which its affairs were conducted through the Council. So long as provincial institutions exist it is the interest of the public that they should be conducted with prudence and judgment. This result, so far as we can form an opinion, has been attained in a general way during the past year ; and the accession to office of Mr. Robert Pkaeazyn will go a long way towards confirming public confidence in the provincial administration. Of course, it would be exceedingly easy to find fault. It requires little wisdom or ability to enable one to criticise, in a spiteful or ill-natured way, any act of any Executive. That, however, is not the function of an independent journal; and opposed as we we are on principle to the provincial system in New Zealand, as unsuited to the present requirements of the country, we should be doing an injustice to our judgment, as well as violence to our sense of fair play, did we not acknowledge that the Superintendent and his Executive deserve the very best thanks of the inhabitants of the province for the substantial proofs they have given of a desire to advance its interests. In other words, as provincial administrators they have been “true to their salt,” and we admire and respect them for it. Had they been lukewarm, and permitted affairs to drift as has been done in other provinces, they would have made the task of the political party with which we are allied much lighter than it will be found to be when the pinch comes. Nevertheless, they deserve all the more credit for “ pulling hard against the stream,” and endeavoring to make progress against the current, of an adverse public opinion. By their exertions, if Wellington has not shot ahead, it has not at all events made lee-way ; —a remark, by the way, which can be applied to no other province in the colony at the present time. And this brings us to another matter bearing directly upon the relations subsisting, or which should subsist, between the Provincial Council and the Superintendent. These should be based upon mutual confidence and respect. The Superintendent represents the entire electorate in his executive capacity ; the Provincial Council, in conjunction with the Superintendent, represents the electorate in its deliberative capacity. As a branch of the Provincial Legislature, the Superintendent is the head of the Coun•cil, which cannot act contrary to his will ; in the discharge of his executive functions, however, so long as ho obeys the law, he is independent of the Council. Hence the necessity for the most perfect understanding, and the most implicit confidence, between the two branches of the Provincial Legislature. Now, we are not going to say that this relation between the Superintendent of Wellington and his Provincial Council does not exist at the present time. We think, all things considered, that there is a very good understanding between them ; but unhappily there is an exception (shall we say an individual exception only,) to this satisfactory state of things. We refer specially to the action taken by Mr. Andrew on several occasions during the late session, but notably to his attack by motion and speeches yesterday. Having been present during the proceedings, and being acquainted with the facts on which Mr. Andrew based his motion attacking the Superintendent and Provincial Secretary, wo are bound to condemn the action taken by the hon. member for Wairarapa. It was a wholly uncalled-for and unjustifiable attack upon the elected head of the province ; it revived a dispute that had much better be buried in oblivion ; it irritated without cause, and condemned without discretion. Indeed, wc question whether, in strict order, such a notice should have appeared upon the paper, or having so appeared, whether it should have been put. No doubt a great deal of latitude should bo allowed to members; but really, considering the relation of the Superintendent towards the Council under the Constitution Act, wo think the discretion of the Speaker to decline to put a motion affecting his Honor, which is not couched in respectful and proper terms, would have been wisely exercised on this occasion. ,We do not say this in the way of censuring the Speaker, because although the Council would have sustained him in his ruling, it is always an unpleasant thing to have to do to reject any motion on the grounds of its impropriety ; but'candidly speaking, Mr. Andrew provoked it. There is a time and a place for everything, and if that gentleman is displeased with the public utterances and acts of the Superintendent, ho can challenge him on the floor of the House of Representatives, where they both meet on equal terms, and have it out there and

then ; but we feel; it our duty to protest against the public records of the province being used as a vehicle for, the abuse of the Superintendent.