The Southland Times. "WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1867.

Southland Times, Issue 649, 27 March 1867, Page 2

The Southland Times. "WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1867.

The disjointed system of governing New Zealand, is acknowledged on all hands, must be remedied very shortly. The abolition of Provincialism is one of that class of reforms that ever gains strength the more it is agitated, but which invariably meets with violent opposition for a time from some class or party. The question of Separation is becoming more important, and more earnestly discussed in every part of the colony. Yet the objectors to the sever- . ; ance of the Middle from the North Island are numerous and powerful, but divided in their opinions. The Northern Provinces have become most determined advocates of a continuation and enlarge- i ment of the Provincial system, while the intermediate settlements have no creed bat centralism. Thus a bitter warfare is is being waged by the presß of Wellington and that of Auckland — a warfare fr.that reflects but little credit on either of the combatants, it being so transparent 3 that it is not as to the unequal burdens that have to be borne by the various Provinces that they quarrel. Their instincts are identical ; both desire to still fleece their Southern neighbors, and with increased effect, but over ""the partition of the prey they diiplay bitter antagonism. How will thii affect the Separation cause? There can be scarcely the shadow of a doubt that if the South is true to itself, it will culminate in the success of the reform which will, prove satisfactory to the colonists of the Middle Island, viz : — Knancial Separation with a Federal Council. TKe Southern Gross, in an article upon . Centralism and Provincialism, ha» become

perfectly frantic. The writer appears to have been bereft of all self-control upon realising, from some remarks in the New Zealand Advertiser, that it was expected Mt^Staffobd would make an attempt during the ensuing session of the General Assembly to abolish Provincial institutions, and bespatters that gentleman with abuse with the venom of. desperation. Our contemporary has discovered that a distant seat of Government is an inconvenient thing. He has been long in coming to that conclusion. As long as the seat of Government was Auckland, delays and inconveniences were suffered in the South which covered as many months .as they do now weeks ; delays were proclaimed legitimate, and our complainings written down as puerile and contemptible. The South is not disposed to support a centralising policy, yet it I would be considered a mild evil to what we are now enduring; but it cannot give even countenance to the Provincial expansion that Auckland so ardently desires. thf> proposed reform measure of Mr Staffobd until it is fully known what complexion it assumes. It is possible that it may prove to be a scheme that might render Separation unnecessary, although it is not probable that it will. It will require to be a measure surpassing in statesmanlike construction any that has yet been framed by New Zealand politicians, before it will find favor in this part of the world. Our Auckland contemporary, who at no distant period idolised a Staffoed and a Whittakeb, now denounces them in a style that we cannot endorse. In speaking of Mr Staffobd it says : — " "When leader of the opposition in 1865, he was a purist ; but it would seem that he was insincere. The number of public officers having seats in Parliament has increased since then j and place and pay have been showered on others. Perhaps it was imperative on Mr Staffobd to bribe his opponents, and increase the number of his followers by such means ; but the country has suffered in reputation and money. The tone of political morality has been lowered. The General Assembly has ceased to be respected. " Lobbying " of the worst kind has become an " institution " in Wellington j and any Government that desires to retain office, whilst the seat of Government remains there, must be prepared to continue the present system." We are no apologists for Mr Staffoed's purchasing proclivities, but we cannot refuse to acknowledge him to be a statesman. We can call to tbe remembrance of our contemporary that when the seat of Government was in Auckland the system of " lobbying," he so viciously condemns had its birth, and grew to exercise an influence that, although diminished, is still working dire mischief. We are • told "that the cure for all this is to strengthen Provincialism until such time as the colony has been so far advanced, and the means of communication so well perfected, that the political and commercial capital may be chosen by general consent." What does this mean ? To judge from past experience, it means that the North would enjoy a useless expenditure at the expense of the South, until the time comes when, by unnatural bolstering up, by impoverishing its neighbors to promote its settlement and progress, it again grasps its lost supremacy. When will this time come ? Never, until the people of Auckland and Wellington, too, have learnt the hard lesson of selfreliance ; until they have ceased with indolent indifference, to rest upon others for Bupport j until they have earned for themselves the right to be considered self-reliant men. They will never learn this lesson until Separation has been achieved. Separation alone can do it.