The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 1879.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5736, 18 August 1879, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 1879.

Mr. Macanukew is a most fortunate man; his electoral address, which in Otago would appear and would be paid for as an advertisement, has been published gratis by a morning contemporary in Wellington as a part of the reading matter intended for the general public. We have read with interest the unusually lengthy declaration which occupies nearly three columns- of space, and! can only describe it as a manifesto in favor of insular separation. A long and dreary laudation of provincial ism occupies the’ first half column. In it ■ we learn that “even the great “ Imrnigratio n and Public Wo.rks Policy “ itse If, and its expositor, Sir Julios “Vogel, wexe emanations of Provincialism.” We assume that M.r. Macandiiew also may therefore be considered an “ emanaf ;ion ” of provincialism t, and i doubtless the- emanation has taken ,a very solid form, and is evidently still the-

roughly imbued with the old local spirit of Provincialism. Mr. Macandkew declares that until the public works expenditure is regulated by some general principle, and is no longer chargeable against the Consolidated Revenue, “ the essence “of Colonial Government will be the “ obtaining of a culvert here and a rail- “ way there.” For our own part we incline to the belief that the Otago people would much prefer to reverse the order set forth by Mr. Macandkew —they hope to continue to multiply railways there, and allow the culverts to go elsewhere. The Minister for Works admits that the public affairs of the colony have drifted into a very unsatisfactory state, and offers the following explanation of the causes :

Thereareof course many causes to which may be traced the present unfortunate position of public affairs. I shall only allude to one or two. First, there is the constitution of the Legislative Council. Had the Constitution Act, as drafted by Sir George Grey, been adopted, the Legislative Council, instead of undermining the constitution, would have been its greatest bulwark. It would have consisted of men elected by the various Provincial Councils, in which case, it is my belief that the Colonial Legislature would have confined itself to its own proper functions, as specified in the Constitution Act. In all probability it would have assembled only once in every two or three years. There would have been no Maori wars, and an enormous amount of Civil Service and Legislative expenditure would have been saved.

Mr. Macandkew bemoans the repeal of the proviso of the Public Works Act, which entailed upon the separata provinces the necessity of making good any loss which might follow the establishment of a railway within their districts. He thinks that £ ‘it is deeply “ to be regretted that in consequence of a “ blind and unthinking centralism work- “ ing through the unequal distribution of “ the representation, this idea had to be ,£ abandoned, the whole administration ££ being centered at Wellington, and one ££ single purse provided for all.” Fortunately all these and many other evils are to be remedied by the introduction of representation by population with a redistribution of seats, manhood suffrage, and triennial Parliaments. “I am persuaded,” he says, ££ that if this country is to be “ properly governed, the administration £1 must be greatly decentralised.” This reform is said to be sure to follow without delay when these <£ three cardinal points,” which are to prove a panacea for all local jealonsies,have been placed on the Statutebook.

Mr. Macandkw offers no defence whatever for the illegal Grahamstown railway, nor for the falsification of the map which he ordered. He simply denies the charge, and says that : “ Were there “ a shadow of truth in those charges, I “ should be as unworthy of a seat in the “Legislature as are my accusers.” The facts in this case speak plainly for themselves, and we are quite content to accept a verdict in accordance with them. Mr. Maoandrew entirely misrepresents what took place in regard to the treatment , accorded by the House to the proposal which he made that the question of the establishment of a direct steam service with Europe should be referred to a Select Committee. He says:—“The subject was made a “ party question by the Opposition, and “ was shelved. It might have been ex- “ pected that common courtesy towards “ the Agent-General, and towards the “ Glasgow firm which had taken so much “ trouble in the matter, might have “ secured for it at least a hearing.” Now what really happened was this :—According to “Hansard,” Mr. Waketibld said that “he did not like absolutely to “ obstruct the motion, but he should ask “ the hon. gentleman to let the matter “ stand over for a week.” The Government declined to accept the suggested adjournment for a week so temperately offered, and made it a party question ; a division was taken, and the Government were defeated by a majority of ten. We submit that on reference to “Hansard” it will be found that the above is a perfectly fair summary of what passed ; our readers may judge for themselves how far Mr. Macaudrew’s version deviates from the truth.

Mr. Macandrew’s lengthy address may be summarised in a few lines. He declares himself in favor of decentralisation, and would advocate representation by population, electoral reform, and triennial Parliaments, with the object of securing separation. He denies, but does not attempt to offer any explanation of, the many acts of maladministration and corrupt practices by which they have completely forfeited the confidence of the country and of Parliament. He does not sayhowsoon he proposes that the new measures of reform should come into force ; or whether, if they should be carried this year, he thinks that they ought to come into operation at once, and another dissolution take place, in order that Parliament might be framed in accordance with the amended laws. He altogether omits to mention whether he hopes to have the pleasure of again ruling Otago with or without the aid of his present chief, whose yoke has hitherto been very light. Mr. Macandrbw has only had to falsify a map and to call for tenders for one mile and thirteen chains of illegal railway at Grahamstown in ’order to secure a practical independence of action, with leave to manage his own department as seemed best to him.