The Southland Times SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 1864 SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 8, 18 June 1864, Page 2

The Southland Times SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 1864 SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

/7 y EOLITipAL-tGENERAL. ■ ..Nqihisto. of any. consequence, so far as^^K can learn, has occurred. of late in the gei^^B ral politick of-New Zealand.! ' The questioj^B as to th|" seat of. Government is likely \J^m be decided 'sliortiyVt^ Governors of Tj;.^| toriay New South Whales, and Tasma^H having, it ; is reported, complied with tl^Bj request ofrtheAsaembly,; that they wouljH appoint commissioners to determine tl^H knotty- point. The gentlemen appointtjH r have anything b/ut-a pleasant task befo^H them'; not only will it be impossible tol fix on- any place without causing muchijM feeHng and jealousy^ among,the settlementsH of the' North!' Island!,' but tine task will£H rendered doubly ungrateful, by theknpfcH ledge that it will 7 ii'6t answer its desire^M end— that of preventingthe' eeparation rfH the two-Islands, orgiying satisfaction totliel settlements of the Middle one. That it wim hasten the separation of the two Island^ ■ causing the' disruption to be violent, anil embittered- by feelings excited by the! strife,'iß but too probable:" , ; ,;There neednoiH have .been a disruption ; a total financiaM separation, and, to a' certain extent, a I legislative" one, was" all "that was reqiiH site, ; -and ; indeed, . pne ;];which circum.H stances daily force us to conclude ■ is imperative. In our issue of the I 16th inst., we entered at, some, length into I :the : argument that the 'days L of Proviiß cialism are doomed ; that current eventa I are hurrying on the various' IProvinces to ■ positions never contemplaf ed by the I originators of the : present, „'constitution; I that a .state of "affairs' is being rapidly I brought about which -calls for an entirely ■ different, handling^to - that-whieh they haveß hitherto receiyedi or can, under the exist- 1 ing system ; that,^qupting,froni.ouivi«irticle l B "a constitution, admirably, adaptefJAfoHß the early dayt^of "-New" Zealand coloi|}zaß s^a^y^i unfit™ to m^t,^itS') present requiremeiikl "We ' stated ' that " r the, system of I colomzmg>''&e ;: twb Islands, by planting I isolated,, settlements ' at advantageous I points — of making them independent of I each other as; regards lpc|lUegislation— I of encouraging a liealthy. spirit of emula- 1 tion . between themrr-was 'X';6n& well cal- 1 culated r to assist, th^e; progress of settle* I ment, the spread ,of civilization — more I particularly in .the South Island." I W ithin a short period, however, an I entire change has. taken placer Erom I a. purely agricultural and pastoral Colony, I New Zealand , has suddenly i become a ; gold-producing one. Goldfields, with their advantages, „ have,^brought the usual train of evils Whicn' follow closely on their : diseovery--^6rdinary industries, for a time, forsaken — a disarrangemenj; of the social" alad"" r p'6litical fabric} — x feverish spirit "of gambling —^property at one time raised to a fictitious value — at another,,, .correspondingly ' depressed. AboVe all, a sudden pressure \o bear oil the ; * Government, 1 nbVbnly of the Province in which the , ore is discovered, but on its neighbors, which forces them, one and all, to an expenditure not dreamt i of but ■ a " few mpums' previously — not ; merely for pubHc works and. roads, but staff of officials, till .the expenses merely of - Governmeht assume sucKl gigantic proportions as might .well, startle an impartial - observer,- :■ taking; eachr ?Province separately, but which in; the aggregate are something appalling, in comparison to the population to be governed.' * Thejneeessity, also, of the large ipublic works liridertaken :by each :C Proyincey ; being 'directed^ for the benefit of r the^w|iole Island,' iuther than for each part |_'(_tlie i aboliiion loif Provincial jealousies, anH that fe.eling : whicli is hourly .gainibg; 'ground, of detraciingl'ifrom the merits uipf// one /another, heedless as to the injury inflicted' to the whole, so long as the -integral part .is. -tempoiarily-benefitted — Hbhe .- thirßt ,to outbid : one another for population, by L every device,- which will ultimately -tell-disastrously on~fche ' Colony ,at ; larger-r^the ; difiiculty rjexperieHced by ; the various Beetibns iri 'bowowiiig, money for the construction of th6se ? works whicn circumstances ~ compel^ each^Gov^i^nment to imdertake^TTtiKe;' n&e^sity^oF a /general arid : strict superv^iqnjvtb^t'tb.e,, money is 'properly and' 'legitimat^lyj; expended y — all call for a__dYfferent ;_ system than'-v that pf,^ exaggerated^ -.municipalities, r; vv%K;;-i^^; ( l r^6mal6usViV expensive g^jv^rnmenfetji ,and^ Jdo^abtlessj in the fullness of time, a partial' separation of- -the- two-Islanda ""WotM^BiLve^ been effected, whicli^ would still &tye left theO as one colimyj ;ai^^raise^-ug^ feelings ■•: of: ill-will^^ei^lhem;^>^The removal of the seat; of Government .to Co Straits .jsdUJiasten-^^ a phase not^e^h^^^tag 60118 - c can only hope tj|*a^oif tfe©- commissioners be"coming practically, acquainted' w^th. their missio^jand'after^ °* -a^ej|a^ i( tl^wiidwidfi^^^^ L in^o6k^:J.S^t^^axL^ be governed , with s?,tisfactiqn J» their or justice^ tcy; their: interests. Should such be the case, doubtless

. erelong jSTew Zealand will see a strong "' Gdntral Goveniment for each: Island, - havingi theY entire administration of its /i jownraffairs; &nd a General Government :-: > pres'^rviiig tHe unity of the Colony. It: ;is;';';a;M6 : i3t'"Vc(Brtain'iliat the G-eneral <r K rm& Kate' ibjSe Called together : Ijeforellong, to decide on some method for rendering negotiable the various Provincial. Loans fat present requiring to be . floated., • ;It has been suggested that the iamalgamatibnof tneseloansinto one, — each Province giving sufficient eecurity in the " shape of land that its specifier liability will be met>--thus making tfchem Colonial i;-^'iiastead of Provincial I)ebentures,. would enable them tohe. placed satisfactorily on . t >the r • Stock?,,- Exchange. : Whether the L "General! Government would feel in- ■ ;u ;^ned 'toJsanctioh this^isanother matter. Should* the Provinces simultaneously de- ■: ; tnandrit, tke^sseinbly must be summoned.