The Southland Times. TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1864.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 24, 26 July 1864, Page 2

The Southland Times. TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1864.

Ajsttoine who was present last night at "the sitting of the' Pro vilicial'Gonngil-iiiTj'st " ' have left the- chamber -with -a fueling! |of; intense v satisfaction that, in three sb;6r _ ' .months'H.time'ia , omthei.presentdate,-SoUth^ land will he ' deliyeredK-f^pni the burden ■ that. has so long and heavily pressed .on its shoulders. .- Jlis , cHonor. , the .. Superintendent will at' length he compelled to resign a position' for -which =he was' not in the least degree fitted, and in which he has accomplished all;, that; oyas '; possible to bring the Province, of which he was chief magistrate, into disrepute — to make it, ih' fa'ct, stmk'-ih the nostrils of every ; sensible man in _STew : Zealand.- - : T^rom the J report of last- eight's. /proceedings, which ; will be found published in extenso in : another column, it will be seen, that Mi;. PEABSoi', ''H'aYmg.',.'been,. ! 'ask^d'.''by .His Honor to endeavour to form an •Executive • Goiilicilj '■ cbmpli'ed-' with- -the request, and .having consulted with other gentlemen ;, on , the y subject,, idre^- •up a memorandum which embodied certain broad, principles as the bases on which they wouldbe willing to "take office.; That memorandum expressed very fairly 'the sentiments of the whole, , : pr nearly the whole, of tlie Provincial Council. Nor can we see the demands therein contained * were . in any way unreasonable. The Executive were to be held responsible' to the Provincial Council for the actions of the G-overnment. on every point within the . Jimits. of Provincial Legislation... They; were to have the .control in all matters purely Provincial, and having no reference to powers delegated to the Superintendent by the Grovernor," (although 1 , even in such matters they were of opinion that it would be as .well that. .they- should.be consulted).. They further . stipulated, that in purely Provincial;, affairs .His Honor should act strictly in accordance with the expressed 'opinion of the majority of the executive. In all matters relating . to finance, the opinion of His Honor's advisers was to be decisive. They were to call for all tenders and decide, on their acceptance or otherwise. They were also to appoint and dismiss all servants of the Provincial Grovernment. All correspondence was to be submitted to them prior to its being answered, and they were to decide on the terms of reply, and have generally all the powers mentioned in the memorandum -first submitted. Such were the terms on which Dr. Mex^ies could secure the assistance of the available talent of the Provincial Council of Southland, and we repeat that, all things considered, the stipulations wero strictly in accordance with justice. If it be objected that honorable members were attempting to drive His Honor into a corner — to take an undue advantage of the peculiar position of the Province at the present juncture, it must, on the other liand, be borne in mind that . from the first hour that the present Superintendent was entrusted with the reins of office, he has invariably consulted no judgment but his own, or taken advice only to make the obstinacy of his subsequent line of action the more galling to the feelings of the gentlemen with whom he was ostensibly allied;inthe working of tlie G-overnment machinery. The fact is patent to every : one who has resided any length of time in Southland, and we shall not burden our columns with a repetition of the wearisome tale. Put if Doctor Menztes has failed to take the ad vice, of -an -Executive; if he has always ignored , the pro visions of the Ordinance providing for such assistance, his single-handed exertions have not been attended with that amount ., of- : success which might have stopped the ; mouths of those whom he was habitually insulting. His obstinacy has ■ been equalled by his blundering incapacity; and the financial difficulties of. the. , Province must, in a great measure, . be laid at his door. He still maintains his attitude of defiance, and Mr. Pearson's memorandum met the fate which might have been anticipated 11 -for it. Whether it is still worth while for the Council to assist His Honor on his own terms — to woi*k with him till the end of the. present session— is, a yery difficult and delicate subject to' deal' with. The interests of the Province, should not' be, lightly sacrificed to' please the ! wKiih of one man ; but if the work of the Province is carried on by the co-operation of hon. members,: the whole blame of .future misgovernment will rest with Dr. Mexzies, and his punishment will follow as a natural consequence. Long ago we expressed an :opini'on that at no future election, in this part of the: Colony^, could he hope for support, but we will go further, .and say that he has already, done sq . much damage to his reputation as a public man, that no 'Constituency in New. Zealand would ever again care to be troubled with his valuable services! ' ; i - ;A new council must make strenuous exertions to' save the Province from the chance of ruin at the hands of an equally obstinate man/ ; An Ordinance -must ,be passed of so stringent a nature as to preclude the '' possibility of'so i; serious a mis-: fortune, and. that being ..done we will i.venture to say that./ the resources-} of . Southland will ;carry v; her: safely through her present difficulties, and bring to her a-, future / as-; prosperous yas.; the^/most sanguine ever anticipated. Space foi*bids"• our- Entering . more particularly on. ' some' Other matters which were discussed last night ; we must" postpone their consideration for a' fiittire' publication. ■• ~s '. " 'i / '■ - I'j'' - r - , -' -J r- i ■■ '. ' ' < ' ' -^ "/ r, . r * V r ',