CENTRALISATION v. PROVINCIALISM.

Southland Times, Issue 665, 3 May 1867, Page 2

CENTRALISATION v. PROVINCIALISM.

At the conclusion of an able article the " Bruce Independent " thus comments on some of the proceedings at the great political meeting at Dunedin •with reference to the disallowed Ordinances : — Only imagine Messrs M'Lelland and M'lndoe (M.P.C.) bursting with dignity as the representative voices of the people of Otago, and breathing dire, threats of vengeance on the G-eneral G-overnment. Nay, so completely did Mr Miller and Mr M'lndoe identify themselves with the people, . that they actually presumed, to speak on behalf of the Otago Volunteer Eorce ; Mr Miller saying "we had in Otago a number of Volunteers, ready to defend their country from a foreign foe, but who, . as he believed, possessed sufficient sense to send in their resignations to the General G-overnment, under certain circumstances, and yet to . stick to their arms ;" and Mr M'lndoe saying something" equally foolish and senseless. Penianisrn, indeed, may now give way to the Revolutionists of Qtago; but we imagine that, if the leaders of the party try, as Stephens did, to carry their threats into practice, they will find- that have reckoned without their host. Certainly such language as that quoted, above is an insult to the Volunteer Eorce of Otago. From this meeting Major Bathgate and several other leading men were notably absent. Indeed, the proceedings show -- airily that the party who arrogate to themselves the title of Provincialists have overshot the mark, and that their party cries and rigmarole- speeches no longer excite the attention they formerly did. And while, eyen in Dunedin, the unreasoning excitement is djdng out, the tone of the Provincial country Press shows that the .country districts lire beginning to find but- that the .teriri^Pro* vihcialist is a' convertable ; -i one for Dunedinites j-^that resistance . the General G-overnment and strengthening the hands of the Provinces mean simply theaggrandisement of the capital to the neglect of the country. It is well that this discovesy should be made in time ; so that the couutry districts may be able to save themselves from false friends, as well as from open foes. Centralisation can be as .. completely carried out in a Province as in an island or a colony, and in any event should be opposed, while local, government — the:, spending of revenue where raised — -is what the country districts require, and they are prepared to receive it as readily from the G-eneral as from the Provincial G-overn-ment.