New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4820, 2 September 1876, Page 2

New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2.

The programme of the new Ministry will bo proclaimed on Monday evening. In some respects little novelty can be or should be expected. Through the Premier the Ministry are on some points, and those the most important, pledged to the policy of their predecessors. We expect that there will be a straightforward adherence to this pledge. Major Atkinson is not given to disingenuousness, and his colleagues are remarkable for plain sailing. The House and the country then may feel confident that the Ministry will fairly and honestly set themselves to carrying out the abolition policy. We believe that we are stating ho more than the absolute fact when we say that so, soon as the intended -resignation of Sir Julius Vogel was known, overtures were made from more than, one. part of the many-sided Opposition ta form ! a coalition Cabinet, on the condition siat the settlement of abolition should, if possible, be delayed for another' session. That nothing has come of these overtures may ■ be taken as proof that no delay such as that .mentioned is contemplated by the Government. Should there be no hindrance thrown in the way by the Opposition,. no reason exists why the business of the, session;.should, not even now be got through within tolerable limits. Mr. Macandeew ,to be sure has t a notice of motion for discussion, which concerns Otago alone, being in fact neither more nor less. than , a proposal that that province should 'be permitted to set the 'legislation of; the .colony at defiance. And it is quite possible that a vote of want of confidence may be proposed, though if the proposers will only take the trouble to count heads they need be at no loss to see the uselessness of their procedure. But if the House will, get really-to work on the Counties Bill in committee,! instead of wasting time debating, the two previous subjects, there is, as has been said, ho reason why the session be prolonged to within extraordinary limits. And touching this same Counties Bill, not A few members have a decided opinion that abolition might be carried into effect and the Bill made a purely permissive measure. As a matter of fact, for all practical and immediate :purposes, the country is quite provided with, means, for local self-government it the provincial machinery were abolished this morning.. The various municipalities throughout the colony could of course carry on;quite as well without provincialism ; as:- witl*, it, whilst the road boards could do the same; Those portions of New, Zealand outside of such local : administration 1 might be taken in-hand by the General Governs ment with just as little difficulty as, and with much greater benefit than, they have been previously cared for under the provincial system. Some intermediary (form of government would, however,, ipa short time be required the _road iffla r tfes cbukCfed provided foT by a Counties Bill, making the road district the unit, of-local, self-government, ,arid permitting. any number of such districts, on petition'frdm a certain number of their ratepayers, to be ’ agglomerated into ja county. In-time this would provide: the whole colony with an acceptable county system—one in which the’ boundaries ofcounties would be fixed according to the 1 wishes of those who, were the best judges of the most suitable, , And as all legislation must, for years to, come be tentative, there should be similar provision for the division of counties, the local government of which might have become cumbersome by greatly increased settlement and population. For ourselves, we are not disinclined to think that the mode of adapting the county system to thecoloriy as indicated above would be, perhaps the best. But if, as some say is likely, the representatives of the different provinces can agree upon the number of counties they would wish to have each divided into, the Counties IBill could ;'bd;‘ shapedin ; c'omtiiiUee to meet such agreements^-and would contain provisions ■ for further- subdivision by the desire of districts themselves,' when such 1 would be required in tlie ‘future. We are informed that the Government will be pledged to an immediate and extensive,departmental retrenchment. As! a rule we do not place much faith in the ability of any Government to retrench to a serious extent, though Oppositions always pledge themselves to db so if put in power. But there is no shutting our eyes to the fact " that there is room for large, retrenchment in the cost of administering'government in New ZealanJ, and : as we ; 'have' every ‘ confidence in the, thorough hona fides of Maj or Atkinson arid his colleagues, we may fairly expedt to see the necessary retrenchment effected.; And it iS hot ■ improbable that this policy of .i’etrenchirient will- cqmrrierid ,' itself so much to all sides of the,. House, that even the Opposition may become, willing to re-! cognise that abqlitipn, r js .in .effect an accomplished fact and that provincialism is past. If they .would but clo so,' and by proper criticism help to shape the Counties Bill, arid to take bario" that the Bsti-j mates are kept within dub bbunds, they would perform One' of-the'-highest functions of party government, useful legislation; .and enable the session to be got throughin reasonable time.; ;; !