The Southland Times. SATURDAY, OCT. 29, 1864.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 65, 29 October 1864, Page 2

The Southland Times. SATURDAY, OCT. 29, 1864.

The long-expected writs for the Provincial Council- election -have at length arrived 7 from Auckland, and a few weeks will decide who* are: to Tbe pur representatives; "We have'on numerous occasions pointed but to |our readers the importance that naturally !aj^shes;|^ so. urgent is jthe nec'epity for t;h^vexercise of .due discretion in. voting that we must again revert to the subject, though at the risk of being tiresome. The new Oouncil -will have a great .deal of work "before it ; but if it succeeds, in definitely fixing the t powers of .the Superintendent, and electa to the oflice one who will be content to govern constitutionally, it will have accomplished what will justly entitle it to the thanks of the' community. Is Southland to' be ruled as* Canterbury and Otago, .and, indeed, all the ' Provinces • oris 1 it to.- be burdened for' another fow years with a gentleman, who .^defltly cannpt understand hpw anything "can be

..better than his undivided dictatorship ? Ye do not forget Jthat Dr. Menzies pro- ' mises to dp all 'that "the, former- Council . asked of him if he is elected*; ;He even *goeß | "further and declares.; 7 himiself ready to share" with liis 7 •■■Executive the delegated ; .>powejp»7^a^ r cpn^ssion'«"*-wHck ■■-■■• the vold^ f.Gpuneilrnever required- q£"him ; but we -s'hfo^d'Bke^^^ to f iplace^uch^cpnfide^^ ; when throughout his> term vof^feejhOf has, ; ' JiabituaUy„^ at.its commencement.; • It : , is. altogether^ WBsurd to deiiy that he lias, done 'spY.Meii like Messrs. Peabspw, Cb^mebs,, and Sttjabt] would nejeryhave: resigned ;their, posts hi the Executive Council unless they had good cause for so'doing. They f hadjto resign, /aird. •h.wv.e igtajbed Tpver aiid . over again in the plainest terms that no other course was open "tp"""them because they were.S^e^d7iby.;thKS^e^ ■intendeiit as cyphers. There Jsyno getting away from the conclusion. ,,„ p lt . is.'., the, word of ! Dr. Menzies agamsV-tne'-word of all who hayre .^gejoga"s s6.ciated7mt.b7 Km.'Sn.'. the Groyernment of the Province, and . i-against the v .,Jrnpwliedge T Qf !? scLorp.of r imr: . 'partial* witnesses both _ iii and , out 'pf'..7the jDpnncili It ' is not* *fo Be expected -that ' I)f.' c ]fes T ziEs has thoroughly changed his (views, •j as exprpssedyby i his acts {since <b"e ; has been Superintendent. ; ; 3Eis..^p|i^.e. revolts at the idea' 6f v anpMer" occupying '- the post* which he has learnt' To" .consider. . as his- own,'* ahd ; knowing the 'strong feel** ing that exists* in all7 quarters, against ; ; the government pf : ,; thee .Pzpvin.ee-" .b'eingv a: despotism, he,- yields everyi"hing.--, Onlyreturn me, he says, and,-! will eonsent^in, all matters of Gro vernment to be guided by the majority pf my •Executive. , "'7 With' the recollection of the " Provihciial Ordinance " before us, ;and the history: of .the last two or three, sessions pf c the Council, we dechne- altogether \o '-be "thus hoodwinked. It is paying a very poor compliment to Southland, to suppose -that Dr; Menzies is the only man amongst the , electors who is qualified, to .-• act as.Super-v intendent. 7 To fill the oflice well, no great talent is required, and' the kind of j talent that is required is certainly iiot ppss^ssed in any remarkable degree by Dr. Menzies. Should thepresent Super- ! intendent be again:' elected, the same scenes which have caused such disgust hitherto will be re-enacted. Everything will go bn smoothly until some occasion arises when the Executive differ from Dr. Menzies, and then they will either have to give way or resign. Mpn-O±YMr. Taelto]s t 's stamp, who. are only on the look-out for the few pounds to be picked up by saddling themselves on the public, are not particular as to the amount of contumely to which they are -sub- • jected. So long as their salary is safe' they do not object to eating large quantities of 'official dirt. * It comes naturally to them, and some rather like it ; but no one who values his independence will submit to have his opinion ignored on matters concerning which he has a right to be heard. "With Dr. Menzies as Superintendent, the . only Executive which is likely to be of long standing will be composed of Mr: Tabltos" ; and the condition of the Province, after a year or so of such a regime, will be very peculiar. Now, it is very certain that unless the opponents of Dr. Menzies bestir themselves m the forthcoming elections he will be again placed in ofiice. The lists of those who are likely to be returned are pretty evenly balanced for and against him ; but his friends are doing their best to secure votes for those candidates who are favorably inclined towards hini, and it is necessary that his opponents should be equally active. "We trust that care will be taken to have the nomination days so arranged as to enable those who have votes in more than one district to be present in each at the appointed time. Finally, we call upon all the electors not to give their votes merely as tokens of personal friendship ; for, by so doing, they may be accessory to inflicting a great wrong od the Province.