The Southland Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1864.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 7, 16 June 1864, Page 2

The Southland Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1864.

Tins progress of events in the various Provinces of New Zealand tends daily to the belief that the time for singing the dirge of Provincialism is rapidly approaching, if it is 7iot already arrived. A constitution, admirably adapted for the early days of New Zealand colonization, is daily becoming more unfit to meet its present requirements. The system' of colonizing the two Islands, by planting isolated settlements at advantageous points — of making them independent of each other an regards local legislation — of encouraging a healihy spirit of emulation between them, — was one well calculated to assist the progress of settlement,- the spread of civilization, more particularly in the South ' Island, the settlers of whic'h^ untroubled with the native difficulty, which has for years retarded the progress of tne North, had leisure to turn their attention to the development of the agricultural and pastoral resources of the various settlements they had adopted as their homes. In this phase of colonization Canterbury stands pro-eminent: amongst the Moutheru Provinces, partly on account of a better system of administering the public lands, partly owing to the wealth of the earlier settlers. Up to the discovery of gold in Otago, the Provincial system worked tolerably well. None of the Provinces had any occasion to bovrow largely, or exceeded, in any considerable sum, their ordinary revenue. The expenses of government in each were not of such magnitude- ; above all, the various populations had not pushed on to the frontiers of each settlement, occasioning the want of some uniform system of communication to be felt ; — some general supervisor, above local jealousies, local bias. Telegraphs were undreamtof; railways were infants in the womb of the future. The capitals were (he centres of the population of each Province. The local legislatures had not very extensive duties to perform, or large revenues U> expend. If there were local squabbles, they did not aU'ect the Colony as a whole. Did any Superintendent defy hiss Council, and assert the theory of "divine right," his vagaries did not cost either Colony or Province much. Oil the whole, Provincialism was felt to be useful and beneficial. Even then, however, one grave error was apparent to an unbiased observer. The power of legislating on the waste lands of the Crown ought never to have been accorded to the Provinces. One uniform system for the Middle Island should have been adopted, and imposed, by the Greueral G-overnment; some such system as that which has worked so well in Canterbury. Had this been done at first, much jealousy of each other would have been avoided, much money saved ; many thousands of acres yet unsold would have al lorded a substantial guarantee that the days of taxation wore far oh I . As it is, the various Provinces have tried to outbid one another. " Cheap land and farms for the people " were inducements held out for population. Following the example of advertising linen-drapers, some of the Provinces might have called the attention of buyers to the fact that the -article offered was fifty per cent, below market price. Had the purpose been obtained for which the lands were so sacrificed, viz., obtaining a settled population, it would have been different. The price at which land had been sold would have been a matter of trifling moment. Of the thousands of acrosi which have been sold in Otagq and Southland at 10s., and later at a pound, how many are settled upon — are yielding a return to the agriculturist? We have not mentioned Nelson and' Marlborpugh, where the public estate has been escheated ■ at a still lower figure. Canterbury •■ alone preserved a high price, and yet, while a less area of land is sold, a larger revenue is secured, and a much greater breadth of • cultivation. Now, after thousands of acres: of the choicest lands have been parted ; with, each Province is trying to; approach the Canterbury system as. nearly as possible. . i;. ; - .■.'-•■■ ■" >'■■- r The gold discoveries in Otago opened i up an entirely new era in the '-history j of Provincialism, one .not at all contemplated by Sir G-eouge GriiE^, who suggested, or Sir John Pakikgton, who approved of it. . ; Sir GrEoitGE G-rey, in his "despatch to Earl G-itEY, 30th August, 1851, thoroughly enters into and ably explains the .position" which the various =• settle- ; ments in New Zealand would be placed; in under the: constitution,' he "^proposes, i and, the benefits ■ they,,, would ; , derive fiioin •: it. But he ,-• invariably; 4 views them as \ purely agricultural' -and i)astoral settle- ; ments, working 1 out the problem of' self-; government slowly and steadily ; obtain- j ing population by the ordinary inducements held , put ? for colonization;- -and, ' owing to the distance! the centres of; population were from each other, the difficulties of communication, and the

:; &f]ferenji|ef j oii||fee^;i^CTes^ifh^^ii- ■ sidjcredOtjifc ;pos lii liiXit^' -p^ tneir--I!)emg la^algai^^ed^ii&r aSGfeperal|liogislature ;.to be lWliiSitafi£ v% To sh^^^f^itl^^eryused by Sir G^eor&j^&rey in advocating the system of Provincialism '^o¥tlie4>Few'^l§©alajiitl'»of-4}aat'day < rare--the i , strongest which, could be_ adduced for it^r -. abolition 1 to sxiit the wants?o£? the *Kew=; ,&ealand,^^^ from the despatch, we,,ha.ye, alluded to. In preferring tKe^argumeiits in favor of Provincialism, he writes—" In the Middle, as iii ' ~iW Northern Island;' no 'overland communication, except ""■■ for foot passengers, as yet exists betweenjthe different settlements.. For in that Island, where mountain- 'raiiges^ do' ; not* interpose' 1 a'ri almost insurmountable ; barrier between the settlements, the- wide, rapid, and dangerous rivers offer at' 'present a iio less serious difficulty ' m the .way. of any, continuous intercourse between the various towns." — •:" These 'five Colonies were settled at different times, each upon a totally distinct plan of colonization, arid'by persons who proceeded direct to their respective :; .colony,-;; either' •■ direct ; r ;froni Great Britain or_ from the neighboring Australian C'dionieSj . and who ' rarely passed through miy/, other f ,New. Zealand settlement 'previously to reaching .the Colony. whicH they, now inhabit^; jand;Wno, except in a fe\v iiistaiices, rarely .Jbravel from their own Colony to any neighboring settlement/'- ' After explaining that the trade .of? the; chief towns m: the; - various Provinces is carriecL on T almost entirely with. Great. Britain and the Australian Colonies, and^consequently' that there isnfo interchange of 'hoiiamerc'ej he'continues— " I think it must be 'clear that between Colonies so constitutedf-vlittle of what may be termed community of' interests can bo said to exist."— ''lndividuals who inhabit one col buy,' rarely have property or agents in an'othfer. ''""Personal acquaintance or intercourse bet\ve~en".thiS;inhiibitants of the ; various s-ettleralnt's'can be scarcely said to' exist, attempt, therefore,, .to, , .form; a . General , Legislature for such; a- group of Colonies, which should at present annually, or even frequently-, '■ assemble, [] and whicli shpuld be so" composed as, ..fairly.,to represent the various interests of all parts of this country, niust, l think, fail; because there are as yet no persons in these islands who have the means, or leisure, to enable them to abandon i their mvn>~. affairs, each year, for the purpose of resorting to another colony,- there to* discharge thieir senatorial ditties." * * !* ; '" I think, tliurefore, it may ' be : assumed,-' that a General Legislature, which should be required frequently to assemble, should form no part of any plan of institutions to bo conferred upon such a group of colonies." Thus writes Sir G-eotioe, little anticipating that a few years later, the electric telegraph would connect the southernmost settlement of the Middle Island with the most northerly one ; that an inter-colonial line of steamers should thrice a month render Southland easy of. access to any .of the settlements : in either island, connecting and cementing their interests; that a considerable fleet of steamers and sailing vessels employed in the coasting trade has seen the result of a community of interests, the establish- ; ment of agencies, the cosmopolitanism of the settlers in the various Provinces, ; anil that if there was one interest in common, of paramount importance, wanting, it would be found in the necessity of having the various loans of the Middle Island cousol idated before they were negotiable in the home market. We j will, at some future time, coTuunue this subject.