NEW COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 47, 17 September 1864, Page 2

NEW COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

(From the Southland Times, August 25.) The time is rapidly drawing near when it will be the duty of the electors of Southland to choose a new Provincial Council. At the present moment there is no Provincial Council, although the old one has not been formally dissolved. The "Representation" Ordinance, under which the new Council will be elected, received the assent of the Governor on the IRth of June. It is provided by the • ; Provincial [Reserves Bill' 1 that any Act passed by a Provincial Council, and assented to by the Governor, shall not i come into force " until the Superintend- ■' ent shall signify, either by speech or " message to the Provincial Council, or "' by proclamation in the Government I " Gazette of the said Province, that such " Bill has been laid before the G-overnor, " and that the Governor has assented to '' the same. The Superintendent advertised the " Representation Ordinance " in the Southland Government Gazette on the Bth inst., so that its provisions are in force at the present time, and consequently the old Council has ceased to exist. Not alone in Southland, but throughout New Zealand, there has, we regret to say, been an astonishing and almost universal indifference about Provincial Council elections. There are. of course, exceptions ; but, as a rule, the great body of the people have shown an utter want of energy and public spirit in their elections, although, from the manner in which free institutions were at first received, the very reverse might reasonably have been expected. In the first place, a glance at the rolls (we are still speaking of the whole of the Provinces) will show that a very large number never trouble themselves to register, and of those who do so, there are many who, when the opjjortunity "occurs, do not avail themselves of their right to vote. Nor is this apathy by any means confined to Provincial Council elections, the choosing of a member for the House of Representatives being too often left in the hands of a ridiculously small number of the colonists. In some measure this is attributable, no doubt, to the country being thinly populated, and the difficulty and inconvei;! n-:-e of getting with rapidity from one poinfc to another, but even in thickly populated districts, and sometimes in towns of considerable size, the same thing is seen. The fact is, that the educated classes have, from some cause or other, which we will not stay to discuss, very generally held themselves aloof from politics — more especially Provincial politics. The squatter is content to watch the increase of his flocks and herds, without troubling himself much about the general prosperity of the community. He congratulates himself when his wool commands a nigh figure in- the ndarkefc, and when there is a good demand

for his wethers ; but he rarely bothers himself with anything beyond, .unless upon some occasion when his interests are at stake.. ;The mercantile ;. class..., are equally to blame ; ithey do nof talce 'that interest in politics which their superior intelligence would lead us to expect. The people at large have grown careless, and treat with indifference, what, in -the old country, they would have looked ,on as a ' great boon. It is quite time this. kind of thing was put an end to. New Zealand is on the verge of a great crisis, and the legislation of the next two or three years will go far, either 'to' establish her future prosperity, or to place her in difficulties which a century will, perhaps, fail to do away with. Coming, now, to speak more particulai'ly of Southland, it seems to us that it is not too soon for the electors to begin to bestir themselves about the new Council. If they are content that matters shall go on in the old style, of the desirability of which so many instances have been afforded, well and good. Let the writs be issued and the members elected by the few, who, through idle curiosity or the calls of personal friendship, may chance to be present at the polling places. If, however, there are any amongst us who look with regret at the past, and hope for better things in the future from the action of the Provincial Legislature, they should, without delay, endeavor to find out who- are most likely to do credit to the country by their counsels ; they should use their utmost exertions to get such men to come forward as candidates, and they should back them with all the legitimate influence that can be brought to bear. It must be remembered that tins general election takes place at a time wllen the Province is in difficulties, and when more than ordinary sagacity and legislative ability will be required to place the affairs of Southland on a sound and healthy basis. It is true that for the future the Province may not be able to obtain loans unless bills authorising them shall have been passed by the General Assembly, and received the assent of the Governor ; but the Provincial Council will have, in the first place, to decide on some well defined scheme of finance ; they will have to make a careful estimate of the amount of money they require for the successful working out of their financial policy ; and they will moreover have, probably, to pass the necessary bills before they are submitted to the General Assembly. The Provincial plan of finance will, in short, have to undergo the scrutiny of the General Assembly ; and unless well devised, and showing on the face of it a desire for retrenchment, and altogether a clear insight into all tiie bearings of the case, there is but small chance of its acceptance. But the tinancia difficulty of the Province does not embrace the whole of its troubles. There are ordinances in force which were the result of hasty and ill-advised legislation, aii'l are doing serious injury. Wo need only mention one, the " Education Ordinance." These Acts will have to be repealed, and others of a more equitable nature substituted in their place. But there is another reason why our settlers should at this election display more activity and a greater desire to get the right men in the right place. The first duty which will devolve on the Provincial Council will be the choice of a Superintendent, not necessarily, as is soiiietjines erroneously sivpt>i>*e<l, from the members of the •Council, but from the electors of the Province generally. We do not know, nor care, whether Dr. Mexztes intends again to present himself as a candidate for legislative honors ; nor do we know whether, if the Provincial Council were to elect him, he would be willing to resume the pstut ho has occupied since the separation of Southland ; but we do know that it' hewere again to be Superintendent, the chauce of the Province being extricated from its difficulties would be very much diminished. We are quite ready to give Dr. Menzies due credit for what good he has effected. He was an earnest advocate for separation : he has been a hard working public servant, and doubi'iesy, to the best of his a bility, has discharged the duties which belonged' to his office. But there our praise must stop. However great the respect which Dr. Mexzies has fairly earned for himself as a private citizen, and however hard he may have worked ia his official capacity, we know that his career as a public man has not been attended with that success which would warrant the Council in again placing him in the Superintendent's ehah\ He has, throughout, shown a total disregard, not only to the wishes, but also to the feelings, of the gentlemen who have from time to time been connected with him in the administration of affairs. He has shown in numberless instances that he is deeply imbued with "clannishness :'' and to his mismanagement is owing a considerable portion of Southland's present embarrassments. Schemes of his own conception, and carried- out almost under his personal supervision, are the only ones which have ever found favor in his eyes. He has shown a grasping eagerness for power which, under other circumstances, and accompanied by the requisite ability, would have made a despot. Our space will not permit us here to enter into particulars — to give definite instances in which Dr. Menzies has acted as we have stated, nor is it wanted. The fact is patent to everyone ; but should it become necessary, we are prepared* with ample proofs. It may be contended that the position of Dr. Menzies as a member of the Legislative Council may render him of great service to the Province during the next session of the Assembly, and that therefore he has claims to our support which cannot be easily combatted. We really do not think that the province would, sustain any very severe injury if Dr. Menzies were to resign at once his position as the Governor's nominee. Southland would probably survive the loss, and obtain the good offices of some one of equal weight- in the counsels of the North. Dr. Menzies has forfeited the confidence' of" the ; General Govern-, ment, and his re-election-, .as Supeirintend-

ent would be taken as a sign that Southland had. not recovered from its fit of " temporary insanity." It will be the duty of the Council to .choose a new Super-' intendeht, and it must be the duty of the ■ electors to place men in that Council who are qualified by education and natural . ability, to legislate for, the Province, .and who are not to be induced by any consideration to elect as the Superintendent one who has so completely failed as Dr. Menzies. . . .- ;