The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1876.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 144, 26 August 1876, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1876.

As might naturally be expected, the ultra-l’rovhmial party, including especially those tragmo-uts of it who find place and power .slipping away from them under the Abolition Act, are in the highest degree dissatisfied with defeat after defeat in attempting to gain a reversal ol the verdict ol last session, and to oust the Government ivlio.se pol'ey is being carried out. Knowing full well that active antagonism is liopless, they have fallen hack .an passive obstruction, apd by that moans endeavour to thwart the Ministry in carrying out views -winch have been nmnistakeahly endorsed by Hie country, as shown by the commanding majorities, composed of representatives of every province of the Colony. Such language as has been used by some of the infuriated minority, in very recent times would Lave consigned its uHore rs to (be custody of the iSorgeapt-at-A-rms, mid much that Ims been said by members outside lias as nearly approached .‘-edition as need ho. Wo refer eh idly to A neklaud members, who, so far, have done the chief gasconading business ; hut Mr Macamlrcw, who for some decade now, and for a long time previous to his present term, lias been nominally ISnperintendeut, but really .Dictator in Otago,

seems incited to waive his usual good sense, ami don the motley in company with Grey, Kecs, Swanson, and other political players of .like calibre. Mr Macamlrow’s ideas -apparently jump with those of royalty of old, as to divine rights of succession and power with those of Mahomet, in dooming Otago groat, ami that ho is its prophet. Seeing that there is every certainty of the Counties Hill being passed this session, despite ihc exertions of hunse;!' and his followers, he has taken refuge in the somewhat barren comfort, that at least it is only permissive, and that lie can still retain the shadow of sovereignly in his southern realm. Mow he can twist it into a Permissive Hill, w cannot well .see; hut assuming that it. lie so, how lie. eaji gather consolation theiehv is more inexplicable. As to the balderdash about “coolest. edVourtry ” am] Abolition he,iug “ the death kn.dl of the unity .of the Colony,” we cannot help being surprised at such stuff Ping uttered by a really intelligent man like him. Had it been spoken by Mr Pwes, it would hayo been in keeping with the usual froth and folly of the member for Auckland East. Presuming, for the sake of argument, that the mil, when it has passed through both Houses, is of as permissive a nature as its wildest .opponent could make it, the main conditions being insisted .on by the Government as they have already declared, what position would any portion of the Colony that declined to come under its provisions bo in? It is true that the Hoad and Highway Hoards, and the Gity xnul Connells within its boumlaiics would he intact, hut that would be all, and these would prove very insufficient, as well as unsatisfactory. The third clause, and one that will assuredly he maintained, states that “ This Act shall come into operation on the day upon which the Abolition of Provinces Act comes into operation.” The latter becomes law immediately on the close of the present session, at which date even the fading relies of Provincialism at present existing will he utterly swept into extinction. There would he no one, excepting the bodies ■ above mentioned, to carry on the ad- , ministration of the county, and a chaos ■ would he quickly created from which i the poonlo within its limits, despite Mr Macandrcw’s predictions, could not help being speedily glad to emerge. Were there such a No-man's land, nothing hut anarchy on a small scale conk! exist. There would he no body to discharge many of the duties hitherto pertaining to Provincial administration. The surviving Boards or Councils would not be able to meet cases that would constantly crop up,, and appeal on appeal would have to be made to the General Government, it is hardly likely that the latter would he greatly concerned at any tribulation that recalcitrant people, who refused to avail themselves of the county remedy offered, might bo subjected to, and these would very quickly find their isolated condition so intolerable as to compel early recantation and repentance. It must he very clear then that, no matter of how permissive an alloy the proposed county coin may emerge from the legislative mint, it will bo the interest of all parts of the Colony to endorse its general circulation, and that the inhabitants of neither Auckland nor Otago will find it to their interest to remain isolated and exceptional. If they do, on their fnvii heads will vest the blame, and their own acts, or rather omission of acts, will carry their own penalties. As far as Patca is concerned, its settlers and public generally will hail the measure as the boon it is, and ilia

people ol the ■whole Colony will, in a very short time, fully and gratefully recognise its high value., .as a most satisfactory instalment of local selfGovcrnmcut—a tentative measure, it is true, ami one that may require amendments that experience will point out, out one, as a whole, that the altered circumstances of the Colony at ;the present day imperatively demand.