PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Southland Times, Issue 946, 6 May 1868, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

MODE OP ELECTING- STJPERINTENDENT. £The following debate took place in sthe5 the Provintf|P^Couneil on TVednesday,** 29th-A^^^|bttll<>^jng to press of matter did not iapjieaf in^^eguiarjorder in the report qtthe^sea^ioni — ] Mr I&al^ymhle in accordance with' previous notice moved the following resolutions — Hj iDh"af Ihe'manner of electing a Superintendent in accordance with the { ivew Provinces Act * interferes most injuriously with the free and independent election;, of members of Council in this : province, and does prevent eligible men from having a seat in this Council, simply because they happen to differ in opinion with the majority of the electors of a constituency as to who should be Superintendent, y " That there are instances whereby^ it. would be impossible to elect a Superintendent by an absolute majority of the Provincial Council without a compromise of principle, and departure from that political rectitude and independence which should guide the public action of every member of this Council. I "That it is the opinion of this Council that the Superintendent of this province should be elected in the manner prescribed by the ' Constitution Act,' for the election of Superintendents in the old provinces, which provides that the persons duly qualified to e*lect members for the Provincial Council, shall elect a Superintendent of such province. ' . "That the Representatives of Southland in the G-eneral Assembly be requested to give effect to these resolutions by having a Bill passed for that purpose in the Colonial Legislature. ■'" That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to the Honorable the Colonial. Secretary." The motion he said fully explained itself, and he considered it his duty at the present time to bring it before that Senate House as one of great importance. It was a time when there was no excitement in the public mind, and no appearance of a general election. He therefore considered it a very proper period for taking the subject into serious consideration. The proofs he would bring forward in support of his motion were very clearly set forth in the pages of Lord Brougham — who, he (Mr Talrymple) would say was no ; mean authority. No one reading the books of that great man could fail to see the evils of double elections, as the writer spoke very clearly and . plainly on , the subject. He (Mr Dalrymple) could read page after page on the ,. subject from the author's works, but would simply quote one remark, which was that " double elections are fundamentally bad, and in principal radically vicious." If he wanted further proofs he might allude to what had been witnessed in that House, but as that would be fresh in the minds of all he would not do so, especially since it might raise up feelings which would not be pleasant. This of itself | was a proof that the system was false ! and vicious; He believed in a democracy,, and meant by a democracy the power and prevalence of the people, and contended that unless they had a single election of such an officer as the Superintendent, they could not acquire that democracy in its purity. He came from a country whose history was marked by a constant and increasing political activity among the people, but here, by allowing this system of double election, they, were going back to something like Oriental despotism. He warned them to keep an eye on these things, and not forget what they had received from their fathers who had bled and died for political freedom. The hopes and aspirations which had distinguished former generations of; their race would be revived and kept alive so long as the human heart would throb, and he brought forward the motion in all sincerity of purpose, hoping they would deal with it as springing from a race they had all great reason to be proud of. Mr Johnston seconded the motion though he did not believe it would lead to any practical result. The Speakee — It should do so. ;Why do you believe otherwise ? /Mr Johnston — Because the question has been before the Council before and led to nothing. After some remarks he said he agreed that the election should be with the people, but, on the other hand, : as in America, the best men would not identify themselves with any party strong enough to carry the presidential election. That, however, was not a sufficient argument against the principle. To him the best form of Government was that which conferred the greatest blessings on the people. This could only be done by promoting the moral and mental qualities, and never doing anything for them which they could do themselves. If they could not do it, then thd sooner they learn the better. Dr Hod&kinson did not feel very strongly on the question^ but if pressed to a division he would vote for the motion, with the exception of one clause. The question ha/l been previously before the House twice, and since then he had come to, the conclusion that it was the circumstances of the province, and the Council being so small, which caused the evils of the present system. But he was by no means sanguine that the motion would improve it. They had seen the bad effect ot its working in Otago, though he hoped that was an exceptional case, and not likely to take -place here. If the Council consisted of forty or fifty members he would be inclined to i stick to the present system, but the Council being so small, room was given for caballing and combinations. In Borne cases, too, the people will noi choose a man except for his special vote on the Superintendency. .After referring at considerable length to the practice ia America as regards . the Presidental, and other elections, he < considered that he should vote for the motion but would alter the second paragraph. " That there are instances <fee." He did <

not see how;, that assertion critild be bbn|e put— how it. involved a " departure: ffrpni political rectitude," &c. : If members made a promise they were bound to keep it, and therefore there could be no #ifl£ culty. v--c ■■"'■:': : - -.-1... .- .-.. : <Jirf* -Speajceb ; pointed- ont^t if ft House of twenty- divided into three it wm impossible to have an absolute majority for any one, and without it hetould not be elected under the act. Dr Hodghotson said it would be no departure from principle", if, when it was found they could not carry the man of choice to elect the next -best: If "it came to a vote he Bhouldlike io see the 1 second paragraph of the motion Btruck out or amended. Mr Abmstboito said if there were more than two parties contending it was possible for two to combine and carry thevday, but that, to a certain extent would be a departure from pirnciple. -„?r -HoßOKnraoF, as an instance of different views obtaining, referred to Canterbury which now wanted the Council to choose the.Superintendent. Mr Caldeb^ thought that all things considered<the balance of argument would he with the hon. members, motion. If they were to have democratic institutions, this system of double election would be xound only necessary when the number of electors was so great as to render it inconvenient to have the head of the Government elected hy the people: But in a small place like Southland, or any of the New Zealand provinces, the election | could proceed popularly without inconvenience. Though he held : ;that view and was inclined to favor the motion before the House, he thought the time was not very auspicious for it. A special act had been passed, setting aside the " New Provinces ; Act," under which this .Province was created, and this) was looked on as a. party; move, either to revive it again or absorb the smaller in the large. With that staring them in their face, it looked almost hopeless to go to the General Assembly with the motion. He might put it to the hon member; the mover, whether it would not be^advisable to wait and see what turn thmg^might take/ and not try to assist at the general confusion which seemed creeping over all New Zealand politics ? The. sjtate of parties just now was such as to make it all but impossible to say who would be victorious, so that ..their best plan would be to wait, and not take any decided course. (Hear, hear.) Another thing to be considered was this. Ihey had just emerged from their difficulties as a Province. They had been maligned and looked on as disreputable, owing to the state of their finances, but now the tide had turned, and on examination it was found that Southland held ft position second to none mi the colony, which completely altered the r fone of tho£e_who railed against the Province. He thought if our proper position wa3 *°\ assumed, the less they brought their murmur of complaint before the Assembly the better. They should .devote their energies to' internal improvements, and - the developing of our resources, and not interfere with outside politics. He was afraid some fixed their eyes on what was beyond their reach instead of confining them to home affairs. He held all these -STJ^J 0 at the same time he-agreed with the hon. member, who introduced the motion, and simply put if to him whether it would not be better to delay the. subject ? He simply 'asked on prudential ground that the jnotion might not just then be pressed. Mr Cuthbebttok endorsed the remarks of the hon. member wha had just sat down. He did not think the House was in a position to discuss the question. Mr LuMsi>Eir considered it better that the motion should be withdrawn. Nothing could be lost by doing so, and ifchere was no great urgency in pressing it just now. He submi%d to the hon. member the necessity of T at times yielding one's own opinion in deference to the wishes of others, and thought this was a case where it should be done. With the exception of the second clause he would support the motion should it be pressed, but he did not think any damage would be sustained by withdrawing it at present. Several other hon. members gave their opinion in similar terms. Mr Dalbymple conceived it to be his duty to his country to press the motion. It was not f»r the sake of seeing his name in print, or hearing himself spoken of, that he did so. No such motive actuated him ; and he was sorry to hear disparaging remarks made. (Holding up a volume of I«ord Brougham's works from which the brief quotation given was taken, he said)— lf I believed that wrong, I will withdraw ; but I believe it right. The Pbovutclll Tbeaotbeb — Is that a Bible? Mr Dalbymple— Something like it. Mr Caldeb moved as an amendment—- " That consideration of the terms of electing Superintendent be postponed." Mr Cfthbebtson seconded the amendment. Mr Hately considered that the second clause in the motion reflected on the members of the House/ and moved that it be deleted. . _ " , , Dr HoDGKnraoir would Vote for the amendment if that was not done. If modified or withdrawn he would vote for the motion. : ~~'- ''"'". '>^f Mr Dalbymple declined to make any alteration,* and 7 asked leave to withdraw his motion. - >;.-% ..■.-.■..;•„;.* Leave .was >grax»ted, and the notion was accordingly, withdrawn.