The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1876.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 157, 11 October 1876, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1876.

The Counties Bill, in its amended form, and after fierce, not to say unprincipled, opposition, has got through the House of Representatives, despite the childish spite of Sir George Grey, the rowdyism of Rees, and the ponderous threats of Macandrew as to what Otago would do if not made a whole county, a separate colony or something else equally absurd. There is now every certainty that the bill will shortly become law, for though it has to pass the Council, there is little chance of .any important amendments being made by that chamber, and to any trifling ones the Government majority would no doubt agree. The only hope remaining for Sir George Grey and Co. is'that some fundamental principle In the measure will be objected to by the Upper House, that the Government will not yield to it, and that a deadlock may thereby be brought about. This is indeed a broken reed to rely upon, as will be seen very soon. It seems at present uncertain as to the date on which the bill will come into operation, but it is evident that as Abolition, pure and simple, will take effect at the close of this session, and that the business Will be rapidly wound up, much move time cannot elapse before the new system is in full swing. It has been emphatically declared in this district that the county administration proposed will be welcome; therefore, whether the Act be permissive or not, it may be fairly assumed that the Patea county will bo one of the first to embrace it, and that in two or throe months, at furthest, the new Council will wield authority within its limits. The next’ and most important question comes, as to the members of which it will be composed. The people of the

coming county must bear in mind that the duties, functions, and powers of the experimental local government now put on its trial, will be far larger than hitherto, that is to say far locally larger, inasmuch as .the whole administration of public works will be confined entirely to the people within the county—railway construction only excepted. Legislative powers are withdrawn, but power to make byelaws, which locally will have the force of ordinances, are conferred, and County Councils bid fair to be bodies that will exorcise the utmost influence for good or evil, according to the elements of which they may he composed, over the future well-being of the Colony. Under such circumstances, then, surely it becomes the special business of those whoso interests will be so directly affected to bo very careful in the selection of members of the first Council, and we wish to impress this particularly on them, whilst there is still time to look round, and to come to deliberate, conclusions before the time of election comes. There are many persons in the proposed county who are fully competent to discharge the duties of any such public body, not only with credit to themselves, but to the great advantage of their constituents, bat who, either, from ridiculous diffidence or culpable indifference, refuse to come forward at the times when, they are needed. It is to be hoped that such may not be the case in the coming county ; if it be, it will bring its own punishment by allowing some to represent the ratepayers .' who have nothing but self-interest to serve, and who for that reason alone will offer themselves. A little ring of such men will soon make their power felt and the good of the county generally will he sacrificed to their selfishness. People generally are too apt to be led away in election matters, but it will be well it the ratepayers on the coming occasion show, that in this part they know the true ring from the false, the sterling metal from the brilliant base coin. The warning cannot bo said to be premature, for already canvassing has been actively going on, and on this account we would warn electors to be careful in pledging themselves to any one, till they.see who come forward and have heard what candidates have to say. If the chief provisions of the bill, as introduced, be retained in the Act to be passed, an excellent tentative form of full local administration will be introduced, and it is especially necessary at the outset that it be entrusted to safe bands. In making these remarks we have no possible motive to servo, other than to impress on the public the necessity there is to be careful in the selections that they may make, to be slow in binding themselves by promises that they may regret before and after polling day. and, in the ample time as yet afforded, look out for men, as county representatives whose ability is undoubted, whose motives are pure, and whose character, like that of Cajsar’s wife, is beyond suspicion.