POLITICAL.

Southland Times, Issue 738, 18 October 1867, Page 3

POLITICAL.

The Session of the Q-eneral Assembly that has just terminated may be deemed the most important one — as far as the colonists of New Zealand are concerned — that has ever been held. All previous periods the " native difficulty" has been almost the only topic seriously debated, while the seed of disunion, extravagance, and depression, scattered by the Provincial system, grew ranker and ranker until it threatened to choke and destroy unity of feeling or action, and even extinguish the hope of steady progress. This session has, however, been essentially colonial, and although all has not been done to remove the checks to advancement that cluster round the existing system of government, sufficient has been accomplished to set at rest the doubts so freely expressed as to the impossibility of one great uni ted colony being constructed, by the welding together of the nine petty principalities of New Zealand. It was a difficult task to undertake, aud required bold and statesmanlike selfreliance to even initiate operations. The Stafford Ministry have grappled with it, aud although the work has not progressed with the rapidity that many could have wished, more has been achieved than could have been expected in the face of the almost superhuman efforts, of the Provincial party to obstruct it at the commencement of the session. Provincialism is not dead, but the number of its days are limited. The Provincial invincibles are scattered, and the ranks of the Centralists augmented. Measures of much merit and colonial importance have been passed — measures calculated to place the colony in high credit in other countries, and by an equitable system ot* self- government, make New Zealand one great and united colony. The Provincialists, defeated in the House of Representatives, " coached up" their colleagues in the Council as to I the way to harrass the Government and bring about a " dead lock" — a something that would procrastinate business ancL give the self-seeking supporters of a rotten time to re-organize and muster their forces. "With a contemptible attempt to imitate the action of the Legislative Council of Victoria they endeavored to follow the obstructive policy, of that body. But Dr Menzies and his supporters forgot that even the Council of Victoria never took exception to the preamble of a Money Bill, because that it did not, when sent up by the Assembly, include the name of that branch of the Legislature. The objections the Victprion body took were to a system of" tacking" objectionable matter to the Appropriation Bill in order to.get it passed through the Council without discussion. However^- this is a matter of little importance ; the mimic Lords have - played out their farce, bave obstructed; public business, and put the country to unnecessary expense, but they hav.e done! what will more than compensate for all that — they have sounded the "death knell" of nomineeism ir. New Zealand ; with the demise of Provincialism, the obnoxious system of a nominee Council will be buried. The two most important measures that have become law, are the " Consolidation of Provincial Loans " and the " County Bill," separating "Westland and Timaru from Canterbury. The " Consolidation of Provincial Loans " had become a positive necessity. The number of debentures that had been issued by the Provincial G-o vernment of Canterbury had become so numerous that they were rejected and despised on " Change "and had to be sold with difficulty andataheavy discount. The general credit of New Zealand was impaired, and bondholders frequently were putto severe inconvenience and loss in order to realize when necessity arose. "What is the probable result of this consolidation ? It will unmistakeably raise securities, hitherto held at discount, to a premium. Objection has been taken to it ou the ground that it raises the value of stock held by the banks and others. Is this to be regretted? Shall we repudiate legitimate indebtedness because accommodation 'has been given in our time of need? "We say, no. "Whatever may be said to the contrary, (by Provincial special pleaders) the passing, of this Act : was a necessity, and is a great boon to the people in. every p<\rt of the colony, "We are satisfied withit, aot onlyhecaus© it will relieve |

J the needy provinces of much of rtheir | financial difficulties, but will prove- the ! chain that will, unite New Zealand, and i crush to death the upas tree-^Provin-cialism. • ' L The County Bill is not betore us; but sufficient information is athand to convince us that it is framed from the ; Shire Act that has worked so well in Victoria and other Australian, and British Amer^ can colonies. It embodies -to the ifullest extent the principle of local self-govern-ment, with a standard scale for the equitable distribution of the revenue, without the costly machinery of a sham legislature and a regiment of superflous officials. Victoria with nearly a million of a population is governed, and governed satisfactorily, by one Parliament and one code of laws, as are other neighboring colonies that have territorial = possessions far more extensive than those, of New Zealand. "Why then should we . b& taxed, to keep up ten Parliaments, ten governmental staffs, nine of which are worse than useless, ls it not a patent fact that the varied Provincial Ordinances, have rendered New Zealand law. a con-*, glomerated mass of Grude contradictions, and absurdities — a '' Benjamin's mess"—that would disgrace any country? pit is.. What is wanted, and what must ba, obtained, is a Central Government, with, full and free local representative institutions. This is the' aim and object ofthe Stafford Ministry. The Bill in question: is intended to accomplish this, and we. have faith that its workiug will prove sufficiently satisfactory to induce this and: other provinces to court its adoption. J It is, however, an experimental measure that may possibly require to be. somewhat changed before adopted as a general, system. The two districts in jvhieh it ,ia ; . first to be tried-— Timaru and. Westland?-^.. express great satisfaction with ifc. 0 The West Coast Times, commenting on the SUCCC33 that had attojadocL tho labora of the Westland Separation League sa y S . — When the League determined to petition for the erection of a new Province, there was nothing to indicate the possibility of obtaining the control of bur revenues by any reform short of that . extreme measure. Men may say now to the League, " What you have succeeded in gaining is all that we ever asked for." But we maintain that it is much more; than was ever asked for by those who seceded from the League. They wouid-, have been content with a reform that., would have fallen very far short in<l(Bed of the result now practically secured. , ; The Bill introduced by Mr Stafford' gives us all the practical advantages of; separation without the only drawback that attached to tiie creation : of a, hew:, j. Province, viz., the necessity 0f ... the : establishment of a Council with legisk- . lative powers.