The Invercargill Times. FRIDAY, AUGUiST 7, 1863.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 79, 7 August 1863, Page 2

The Invercargill Times. FRIDAY, AUGUiST 7, 1863.

It may perhaps he considered " ungracious" on the part of a newspaper to scan too closely tho public actions of a gentleman who has done so much for this Province as the present Superintendent. We are aware that in certain quarters such an inspection may be even called impertinent, but none will deny that, though ungracious and impertinent, it is nevertheless interesting, at all events we will risk the? wrath of our local Jupiter Tonans, and write ouce more of Governmental obsiructiveness. At a recent meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, the Secretary read a certain memorial addressed by that bodyto His Honor the Superintendent of Southland on contracts for public works. The subject to which the document relates is oue of peculiar interest to our mercantile community, and we will, in the first place, enquire whether the Chamber stepped out of its proper sphere in taking the course that it did. No one who knows anything about the matter will feel disposed to deny that a Chamber of Commerce, whose members rank as the first business men of a Province or Colony, as the case may be, is a useful institution. The past has settled that part of the question long ago, and the Chamber of Commerce is a recognised institution in British communities. What then are its duties as far as they relate to what we are writing about? The answer \s as follows : — " To use every means within its power for the removal or redress of grievances, and for the promotion of the trade of the colony ; to commuuicate with the authorities and with individuals thereon.' 1 Here we have something intelligible to go upon, and the fact that so many first-class commercial men in different colonies have agreed to the same general clauses, must 1 lead us to suppose that those clauses embody what is right. It is scarcely worth noticing that in the rules of half a dozen of the Chambers of Commerce, the words used arc precisely the same. We will beg that part of the question, and go on to enquire how it happened that to their memorial the luvercargill Chamber of Commerce could not get a more satisfactory answer than they did. There was a fair amount of civility on one side, and an extra amount of " red tape" on the other. The first part of the answer that His Honor the Superintendant returned to the Invercargill Chamber . of Commerce is worthy of notice. Paragraph number two suggests that it might perhaps be considered "tmgracious on the part of

?ihe^ Provincial Government to scar the value of the advice ;-th\is^ freely given." The Inv'ercarpfill Chamber of Commerce wishe: to know whether our Provincial Goverr • ment will ahoays invite tenders foj public works, by, fairly advertising foj them, and the memorial to which w« have above alluded, affords proof e'no'irgt that Southland people begin to fee] unwilling that any two or three men, whatever may be their social position, 'should usurp an authority which oi right does not belong to them. Briefly the case stands thus: —The Chamber of Commerce fel s the Superintendent that it is displeased with the manner in which he has hitherto "fixed" the giving of the Government contracts and suggests a few amendments. The answer denies in plain terms the existence of the grievance, and almost as plainly tells the petitioners to " mind their own business.'' It is the distinctly expressed opinion of His Honor the Superintendent of Southland that a Provincial Government should not be bound by any fixed rules, in re the letting of Government contracts. We do not wonder at His Honor entertaining such views, because he has always, since taking office, shown that he considers himself the only person capable of judging of such public questions as may arise from time to time. He has built a temple, and the god who occupies the pedestal ib "himself." But whilst not surprised that a Southland Superintendent should hold such an opinion as the one we have quoted above, we must nevertheless coincide altogether with the sentiments expressed in the memorial by the Chamber of Commerce. It is necessary that certain strict rules should bo laid down about Provincial contracts, and no Government or Government agent should be able to give belter terms to one tenderer than another. The Superintendent says that had the Chamber of Commerce taken the trouble to inquire, they would have made themselves acquainted with the fact that all public works in the Province of whatever nature have been fully and fairly throw open to public competition. We are told there have been exceptions but they only go to strengthen the rule. That is the statement on the one side ; on the other side (without in the present article mentioning instances) we beg leave to say that on sevtral most important occasions the Superintendent acting nominally " with the advice Sec," lias acted in a manner diametrically opposite, and the Province has been the sufferer in consequence. Our space compels us to bring these remarks to a close, but we cannot do So without prophecying to our Superintendent about his chance of success should he ever again tax the patience of Southland electors by one of those Hustings orations for which he is so well noted. , For political reasons a certain amount ! of General Government confidence has been reposed in this gentleman, and ou the strength of it he has; taken to a very high pair of stilts. Now we will tell the present Superintendent of Southland that, at any future election in theProviuce at which he has suflicientcoiih'dence(we had almost said impudence) to come forward, he will be defeated and the stilts cut from beneath him. We are content to let the future prove whether we are true or false prophets. i