The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 1866.

Southland Times, Volume VI, Issue 493, 13 June 1866, Page 2

The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 1866.

Tice question of the readjustment of the Provinces must not be lost sight of. The natural boundaries of Southland embrace the Lake district and a belt of the West Coast, and if the Provincial system is to be perpetuated, such should be annexed to this Province. There are many cogent reasons why the agitation to this end that has been commenced at the Lake should be warmly encouraged here. Theinequality of the provinces that now exist is wrong in theory, and unmistakably bad in practice. The small provinces are the " shuttle cocks " for their " big brothers " to toy with. Hence Hawk's Bay, Southland,' Taranaki, and others are little more than units in the Parliament of the Colony, while Auckland, "Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago, are the governing few. Therefore, politically, a readjustment of the boundaries of the provinces is not only desirable, but essential to the smooth working of the Governmental machinery. Commercially, an equitable distribution of the territory of the colony is most desirable. From the circumstances in which it is now placed, Separation has become an impossibility; the next best scheme that can be adopted is to effect a " balance of power," and this can only be accomplished by the readjustment of the colony ; if New Zealand is to become a great and united nation now is the time to lay the foundation, The system of splitting it into fragments — the'new Provinces Act — is vicious, and jf persisted in, must lead to endless strife aad, prove seriously detrimental to u,ni,on

or progress, and the present inequality of the Provinces must ever exercise a baineful effect upon, tie legislative deliberations of our lawgivers. The representatives of the small Provinces, in order to obtain for their constituents the smallest crumb, will be compelled to become joints in the tail of one or other of the great " log-rollers" of the North or the South. Such a state of things would inevitably" result in provincial bickering, mongral legisla tion and chronic disorder. To adopt the m axim of the fable of the bundle of sticks, New Zealand to be strong must be united, and to be united the Provinces must be evenly balanced; — to this the serious attention of all interested in the colony is demanded. This is a question not of Provincial but colonial interest ; it involves probable peace or anarchy of the future. If Separation, is unattainable, the bond of union must now be cemented, and that union' can be secured by nothing but the readjustment of the boundaries of the Provinces, the annihillation of the jealousies which now exist between the different sections of the colonists, and each Province placed in a position of equality. The agitation which is now going on in the Lake District in favor of annexation to Southland is founded on a solid, adamantine foundation. The natural seaport, of that district is Invercargill. - Circumstances arose that precluded the Southland Government from perfecting the line of communication between Invercargill and the Lake district, still it did much, and is resolved to do more. At the present time the Railway Engineer and the Chief Surveyor are employed in surveying the railway line from "Winton to Lake "Wakatip, and a determined effort will be made to ensure the work being carried out. It is apparent that the Lake district people appreciated what has been done for them by Southland, and desire to form a closer connexion. The Lake Walcatip Mail, of the3othMay,inanableleadingarticleupon this subject, alluding to the determination of the people of Southland not to be united to Otago, says : — '"' Southland is entirely opposed to re-union or to anything of the kind ; so that we are pre- i cisely in the position of Mahomet — the mountain would not come to him ; he must go to the mountain — a move which cannot fail to meet with the approval of all who advocate the establishment of District Councils should such a Bill be again thrown out as it was last session. Be that plan right or wrong, it is painfully evident that justice cannot be got from Dunedin under the existing arrangement. If, as as has been hinted, jealousy of Southland is the cause of this neglect, what can we expect when — as is , confidently looked for — our prosperity increases ? New and extensive quartzreefs are being almost weekly found, not to speak of copper lodes and other rei sources. Under the prescDt rule, the more obtained here is only the greater gain, for Duncain and more fiivored districts, who can boast of macadamised roads made at our expense and when there was lack of funds in the Treasury ; but annexed to Southland there is some guarantee in the past conduct of her public men, that the revenue derivable from this quarter would be chiefly spent in the district— on improved roads, and better means of communication." The conduct of New Zealand politicians has hitherto been more that of provincial delegates than statesmen; they have appeared to imagine that the- Alpha and Omega of their mission was to grasp something for their particular locality, regardless of the means adopted to that end. This system must be destroyed ; the narrowmindedness which has been so painfully conspicuous must "be exorcised, ere the Government of New Zealand can "become either just or satisfactory. The desire which is now evinced by the inhabitants of the Lake district to be annexed to Soufcolaud ; those of the Grey to Nelson ; and the agitation in other provinces for a readjustment of boundaries, is strong evidence that the tide of public opinion is setting in this direction, and that as Separation appears impossible, this is the question that will occupy much attention in the Assembly during the next session. Southland ought to take up this matter; — the ball has been set running at the Lake, and it is for us to keep it rolling.