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■ other 6ft the: Executive might apt in that capacity.- •;'. 'Practically * such i. a- '^provision : would tend to -ireduee; the' office of Superintendent to a cypher/ '--Impressed .with >the conyictionjthat n :in : Bgreeinjr to "this <bill, the X/buneilTwaa income _cx v ; tent ; govern;ed r iby feeling,; l withheld -from it.iixe, assent of &©■ Governor.. « iA) -io"j. 'i~.-~&s&x-d±i:jylx"i •• !ln ih© succeeding session, ,ths 00UHCil> OTftOTc ' taiuing - siniilar •' opinions;' deelinedcto." CO-operate with v ine in conducting the business ; o£. the JPrp: vinice,- otherwise- than on the : basis of -the. ; bill -re.- -. ■furred to. c 'This ;may:be verified- on'referring to : the ± Southland -Gazette -of 9th; August:;^ lii«itß sixth session, on the 22nd^ February^ the.Cptmcil resolved that all power; which? .it could:. legaUy^ confer, • by the Provincial Government Ordinance, should be ; administered,' and r all,moneys;it voted,, expended by the Superintendent ,= only with the sanction of an Executive responsible to the .Council.-* In ■■'"the 'substance of this Tesolutipn I; ; fuUy concurred, and on those terms have all along been, willing to cb-'ciperate,' in good? faith, with an Exeeu- r - * tive possessing the confidence of the Council. 'My, views onthis'p'osition of ./adininistrative i relations uiider the- present laws are these :— ln, all .matters, within the control of the.Provincial Councii, the, Supennterident should act only .with: the advice arid consent Of the^ Executive; < -Incascof .a differ-, ence of opinion on those, if neither party gave way ; or resigned, the Council shouldbe assembled, jln the exercise : of - such powers; ascare Jbeyondthe.control of the Provincial Council, the Superin-, tendent should consult- with the Executive and conform with their advice, unless there were very important reasons — which should -be recordedr— for deviating from ' iti r Clearly,: : the Executive could not be held- 'responsible to the Council for, acts of the Superintendent nx'matters, injrespect of which,' the ; Council could 'not ■ convey, to vthe ; Executive any administering power. . •■„: ; : , „; But, at the same time, it is obvious; thatjif ; the, Provincial Council should adhere to : its desire, to attain the control in matters in which; it does not at present possess it, and upon a second occasion, ; agree to pass a* bill to that effect, it would ; be most injudicious, and even unconstitutional, for a Superintendent again to withhold such a /bill from the consideration of His •Excellency; the Governor, even although he did not agree, with the views it embodied, - „':■ ■■<■■■ In Provincial- legislation, the Supermterident: has a concurrent power with the Provincial Council. Yet occasions can but rarely occur in which he would bo justified in. exercise ,of : this power, in withstanding the views of the Council by withholding Bills passed by it. : • It has been contended that the administration of aProvincial Government would be better conducted, if the Superintendendent occupied a seat in the Provincial Council. I differ altogether with this opinion. If the Government was to be conducted as a responsible one, then it must be conducted by party, the Superintendent will ' necessarily ; be the leader of the majority, and when by turns one party in the Council outvoted the other, the somewhat novel spectacle would be presented of a Superintendent alternately leading opposed political parties — one day as leader of the left denouncing the policy which as leader of the right he may have advocated only the day before. :..; , It has always appeared to me that the Superintendent should be above and impartial to party; and that any exhibition of partisanship .• would tend to diminish public confidence in him, and derogate from his position. As this acknowledgement already extends to an undue length .1 will only add that if my opinions are not sufficiently known on other topics of interest, I shall willingly give any further explanation you may desire, on the day of nomination. I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, J. A. R. MENZIES. 10th October, 1864 " 57-tc TO MATTHEW HOLMES, ESQ. Cilß, — We, the undersigned Electors and InO habitants of the Oteramika District, respectfully request that you will become a CANDIDATE for the District at the ensuing Elections for the PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. ROBERT HAMILTON. WILLIAM DAWSON. GEORGE DAWSON. THOS. A. DAWBON. W. D. G. WOOD. HUGH M'INTOSH. JOHN MORTON. WILLIAM KERR. WILLIAM JOHNSTON. ALLAN HALL. JOHN MACGIBBON. ROBERT M'AWLEY. PETER MILNE. September, 1864. 54 to To Messrs. HAMILTON, DAWSON, WOOD, au.d the other Gentlemen signing the Requisition. i GENTLEMEN, — In answer to the requisition you have honored me with, I shall be happy to allow my self to be placed in nomination as a candidate for the representation of the Oteramika District, at the forthcoming Election of Members of the Provincial Council; and shall, if elected, spare no exertion to advance the interests of my constituents and of the Province generally. Although no modifications of the New Zealand constitution can bo at once obtained, I am of opinion that they are required;: and, as the subject may, and probably will, be discussed and legislated on, it appears not irrelevant to furnish you with my views in this place The history of the last few years shows that, under theexisting system of Government, the best interests of the Middle Island are liable to be overridden by the claims of the North. We have been, and still are, contributing largely towards an expenditure from which we derive no benefit, and much : of the present commercial depression in Southland and the Other southern provinces, is' to be traced to this source. I. am, therefore, an advocate for the separation of the two Islandsy and the establishment of a General Government for each. I would abolish the Provincial Governments, but allow each Province to retain and expend its own revenue, merely contributing its quota to the expense of maintaining the General Government. With reference to the questions more particularly attracting public attention at the present moment, I will give a brief exposition of my opinions, although for tlio settlement of some of these questions the Provincial Council is almost powerless. I am altogether opposed to the present system of dealing with the .Waste Lands of the Crown, and would in preference adopt, with certain modifications, the regulations in force in Canterbury. Doubtless much of the prosperity of that Province is owing to superior rules for the management of its lands. Whilst the agriculturist canbuy land in any part of Canterbury, and obtain a grant without delay, the squatter has the advantage of holding his run until it is actually. purchased, whereas in Southland, on the proclmn ation of his run into Hundreds, lie ceasca to have any legal interest in it. "With regard to railways, it ie certain that, ««

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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST18641027.2.17.5

Bibliographic details
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Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 64, 27 October 1864, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,085

Page 4 Advertisements Column 5 Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 64, 27 October 1864, Page 4

Page 4 Advertisements Column 5 Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 64, 27 October 1864, Page 4

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