POLITICAL—PROVINCIAL.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 243, 18 April 1866, Page 3

POLITICAL— PROVINCIAL.

The month has not been prolific of political events. The Cuthbertson cum Blacklock ministry rapidly passed some useful ordinances, and the session terminated. Since the recess, the railway case, Marchant v. the Government, which was sent to arbitration, has been finished, and Mr Marchant is awarded £1700. The Council will again assemble on the 2nd May, when it is more than probable that the ministry will require to be again re-constructed, Mr Cuthbertson having expressed his intention to resign. The most important question likely to be debated will be that of the railways. \Mr Marchant's award will be a subject for debate, and the completion of the Oreti Line will come under discussion These are'iinportant subjects. The completion of the Oreti Bailway is a matter of great importance ; it would open up large tracts of fine agricultural country and add to the advancement of the province ; and Mr Marchant's claim must be settled. During the month two vacancies have arisen in the Provincial Council; Mr Macdonald, ex-Provincial Solicitor, and Mr Jabez Hay,, have resigned; and Messrs Clark and Lumsden have been elected in their place. The working of the Provincial eystem is becoming to be looked upon as expensive and cumbersome. In fact the position of the Provinces through New Zealand, hutreached a point demanding thought and energy froinaU who seek the. prosperity of

for action. It js highly desirable, if not imperative, that those of our citizens who have a stake in the Province — whose interests are ideqtical with the rise or fall of Southland — should take a more prominent part in the administration of public affairs than has recently been tbe case. The state of party feeling, if so it can be called, is alike discreditable to those who take an active part in the fomenting of petty jealousy and local discord, and detrimental to the Province as a part of the body politic of New Zealand. How can it be expected that Southland can continue to exist aa a Province when we present to the rest of New Zealand the lamentable spectacle of " a Thouse divided against itself?" How can we hope to obtain from the G-eneral G-overnment assistance for the liquidation of our liabilities— in the advancement of our material resources —when we appear to strive to prove an incapacity to conduct our own affairs in a wise and intelligible manner? Surely, when the principal citizens hold aloof from public duties— when those who are . capable of placing before > the j G-eneral Government the correct position of our affairs, our necessities and our future prospects— abstain from aidingin the regeneration of this productive, but muchmaligned Province, it is a certain indication that a radical change in the Constitution under which we are governed is necessary. In any remarks now made they are not to be taken as especially applied to Southland. This Province is. clustered round with difficulties, still it can scarcely be deemed singular — Auckland is equally embarrassed, and all the other Provinces are more or less confused. While, therefore, in now urging an inquiry into the workingoftheProvincialsystein,itisnotto this Province only, but to the whole colony we speak. Tin directing the attention of the people to the prejudices, the local bickerings, and local incompetency which has marked the administration of the affairs of this and other Provinces — the object is. to create a thoughtful consideration of the question, " How has the Provincial system worked?" The only answer which can be given is, tbat however much it might be adapted to aid colonization when the colony was in its infancy, and thefunctions ofthe Provincial Councils were of somewhat less importance than a fourth-rate vestry assembly would be in an English village, it is evident that they are worse than useless now. Nine Provincial Governments— with a General Government of Upper and Lower Houses — for a colony that scarcely numbers more of a population than two towns in the neighboring colony of Victoria, . is an extravagant, cumbersome, and unworkable system which, in the natural course of events must, in continued, ultimate in all coming to grief — to universal insolvency. To take Southland for instance, not that it is worse than its neighbors, but that it will be an illustration more readily understood by our immediate readers than if auy other Province was selected. The Provincial Council has been made to represent, iri a very mild form, the Parliament of Britain : it has its representative of Eoyal ty and its Executive Council ; it makes laws and professes to debate great political questions ; it has a long list of Government departments, with staffs of departmental officials. Almost the whole of the ordinary revenue of the Province (not including land sales) goes to defray the working expenses of G-overnment. This cannot last. A great and radical change must soon take place. During the next session of the General Assembly the Government, whoever they may be, will be forced to face this question ; and it is more than probable that an attempt will be made to consolidate the Provinces by re-union of those formed under the New Provinces Act to those irom which they separated. It is advanced by those in favor of this scheme that by its adoption very considerable saving would result to the colony at lai*ge. All, however, are looking anxiously to the meeting of the General Assembly, which has been summoned to meet for the despatch of business at Wellington on the 28th May next. Although not strictly political it is important to state that the Bluff Harbor avid Invercargill Eailway is rapidly approaching completion. The contractors, Messrs Smith, j Hoyt and Co., are pushing on the works with energy, and in all probability they will be rinished ia a few months. „ When this work is finished a great impetus will be given to trade and settlement. It is expected to be of great benefit to the Province.