The Invercargill Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1864.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 28, 11 January 1864, Page 2

The Invercargill Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1864.

It is necessary that we should again revert to a subject which we have several times brought under the notice of our readers ; we allude to the necessiry for an altered Constitution for NewZealand. Whilst the columns of a newspaper are well adapted for such a discussion, to draw up a Constitution is a work requiring too much time, research, and care to admit of its being done in a ji>u r nal. In filling ud the sketch which we have before published, we will, therefore, deal in a general manner with the question rather than < nter into details. The Lo -a! Legislature for each Island might consist of an Upper and Lower House, as is the case at present in the General Government; the Upper nominated by the GovernorGeneral, and the Lower returned by the electors of each County. Doubdt-ss, soon after the Constitution had come into operation, all the present Provincial jealousies would be obliterated. Larger and more extended views would take the place of the selfish and contracted ones, which our present form of government almost forces on us. With an enlarged arena would come quickened political life and loftier aspirations. The c.ilony as a whole would meet wi h consideration, instead of that segment of it iu which, each happened to be located. At first, however, before the old feelings had given place to the new — and how deeply they ar: 1 rooted let the squabble in the House of Representatives over the Representation Act show — it would be necessary that the representation should be so adjusted that the existing jealousies of the various Provinces should be respected, and each of the present Provincial divisions might return members in the same proportion that its Customs revenue bears to the whole revenue of the Island. One element of discord would thus be avoided, and time would so fuse all interests, that the parts would altogether be forgotten. This legislature would have for its consideration all matters connected with the internal economy ; in fact, legislate eacb for its own Island on all th.ose subjects affecting its peculiar interests. The North would naturally turn its attention to its Native, the South to its European interest. The General Legislature, fewer in number, might be chosen from both Islands, in a manner similar to that in which the local Legislatures are elected. This Legislature would require only to entertain subjects of grave importanc : affecting the general welfare of the colony. Its Acts should be those of a Supreme Legislature, — a Legislature carrying with it the weight of an impartial judicature, deliberating in a calm and unbiassed manner on the subjects brought under its consideration ; for whatever of local prejudice or local interest, one Island might bring to- bear on any subject would be neutralised by the other, and thus a full and thorough discussion be ensured. The questions to be brought before it would be the tariff, civil list, internal defence, and external relations. Such 'subjects would not, in all probability, render it- necessary that it should be called together oftener than once in five • -years.- Thus, there would bi no

great hardship or inconvenience, ; to the members in attending the "place of meeting 1 - in each Island alternatelyrIn -doing away with . ti»e Provinces and Provincial .Governments, it would becotne necessary to 'fill" their places by some form of Administrative Government, such as might be' supplied by the creation" of municipalities "under an organisation which would secure to each district that portion of the generaF fund for making and repairing roads to which it was entitled. By such a system the ' centralising tendencies of of tbe capitals of each Province would be destroyed. E<t'ch town or city would stand on its own merits. Each district, governed by its own municipality, would have the expending of its own funds ; and thus the evils of neglect and injustice to outlying districts, vsought to be remedied by the New Provinces' Act, would be thoroughly removed. Timaru would have uo cause to fear that the money obtained from the sales of her land would be spent in improving Chrtstchurch ; and OomaVU, Moeraki and other outlying towns would have some chance of. achieving that position and importance which their natural advantages entitle them to expect, as soon as they had in their own hands the expenditure of those suras which are at present dissipated iu beautifying Dunedin ; while Queenstown, escaped from tbe ligatures wh'C-h bound her to a distant and apathetic Government, would rapidly become the Ballarat of N'ev Zealand. Such is our view of the subject, nor can. we couceive thac any one would prefer a total disruption of the Islands to this phase of separation, which would, so far as we are able to judge, give us all we require, » ■ —