The Southland Times. FRIDAY, MAY 14, 1869.

Southland Times, Issue 1158, 14 May 1869, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, MAY 14, 1869.

Oj*e of the moat pressing necessities of the times to meet their altered complexion is a change in our present hybrid form of Government. "With all the paraphernalia of Royalty it has neither its elements or responsibility. "Whatever may have been its efficacy or usefulness in times past, the most ardent supporter of Provincialism in its utmost integrity must confess that some modification is now necessary to enable its vitality to be sustained, its existence prolonged. At present we grasp at the shadow of responsibility, missing its substance. We have a machinery both expensive and futile ; one which seeming to realize the enthusiastic dream of democracy — a Government by and through the people — is proved by the touchstone of experience to be a myth. We have a Superintendent elected by an absolute majority of the Council for four years, or by the suffrages of the electors, who, consequent on that election, installs himself in the mock panoply of Royalty, separates himself from the people and their representatives, communicating with the latter by royal message, and ordinarily, though not necessarily, as we shall subsequently fchow, through his Executive. We have

an Executive Council which may or may not pos.*3** the confidence of the people's representatives, aud which, though in the latter category, may achieve aud retaiu power, owing to the disinclination or in* capacity of others in the Council to undertake the duties and spare the time necessary for the efficient conduct of public business. Above all, we, in common with every other province in New Zealand, have an exhausted exchequer wherewith to continue the farce. Circumstances have reached an ebb, which, if Provincialism is to continue, must eventuate in an alteration of the present situation; [the responsibility must be better defined, the political expenditure curtailed. The last Executive Council Ordinance has done something, it was a step in the right direction, which requires to be followed up by the more decided one of insisting on the chief Executive officer, the Superintendent, taking his seat in the Provincial Council, fighting out his own policy, standing or foiling on his own merits. Every province has had a sufficient experience to show that a Superintendent under his present relations can prove thoroughly obstructive, setting at defiance the wisheß of the Council, as expressed by an unmistakeable majority, by either active or passive interference ; and that persistently holding to this policy he has tided over the brief space of power. Brief, as regards the personal emolument or honor ; lasting, so far as the irremediable consequences of folly and extravagance in the spring time of a province's career can blight and stunt its autumnal culmination. The two questions requiring solution are, what is desired by a people under a constitutional form of Government, and does the present machinery supply those requirements? The first may be answered easily enough. The people require integrity of purpose, energy of action, economy in expenditure in their government. Does the experience of any Province in New Zealand prove that these requirements have been obtained ? In charity, taking for granted, the first has been intended, the present state of provincial finance is a sufficient evidence that disappointment has been the result of years of trial so far as the last expectations are concerned. Could a faithful record of each province's career be obtained, what a history of " miss-spent moments passed," of eager, lavish expenditure to secure fruits, which had through incapacity, inexperience, or supineness eluded the grasp, would be published. Thus opportunities are lost which seldom or never occur twice during a province's career, leaving behind them a mournful recognition of failure, a heavy burden of taxation, unfortunately not always a lesson inculcating wisdom for the future. And this, we believe, is the result of an attempt to ape " the pomp and circumstance " of a form of Government which the paucity of population, the inconsiderableness of area in each section, more particularly since the new new province's act came into operation, has rendered absurd, and landed New Zealand in a sea of embarrasments ; nor is this all ; have we real responsibility ? Do we even possess, in its integrity, the child's coral, and tinsel bells ? Every province has at one time or other found the machinery of government to be defective in this respect, that the people's representatives cannot control the action of its Government. Directly the estimates are passed their control ceases, and before it is resumed the people may be compromised to an extent unintended and undreamtof ; their material wants ignored. The first, by the government abusing a trust, which, by false representations, it has obtained, and which it is impossible in the hurry of a session to sufficiently examine ; the latter by the negligence or "laisser aller" spirit whiehappears to lay violent hands on it so soon as the " summum bonum " of its hopes, the prorogation of the session takes place ; on the other hand, instances might be cited where an Executive, possessing the confidence of the Council, anxious to fulfil its duties, are rendered to a great extent powerless by the active or passive opposition of a Superintendent. Its views, the enunciation of which in the Council have placed it in power, may be rendered nugatorv, utterly futile, by any action taken, without its advice, by the head of the Executive Government. A single despatch, whether worded with the intention of undermining aim of j the responsible members of the Govern, ment, the Executive, or simply the result of an absence of bus iness capacity, or ordinary intelligence, may involve the Province in an embarrassment, cast it into a "slough of despond," which requires years from which to extricate it. What recourse is there from this ? The Superintendent is elected for four years, and though a Provincial Council requests by -an '.undeniable majority, that a dissolution should be obtained to rid the people of an incubus which prostrates

I its envies, and retard) its progress, ! the Superintendent h.\s tho power of refusing to sprint the " p luacea." It i^ tims there should be an eud to the tarae ; the cap a-id bells have cost enough already, so much that tho attenuated system cannot longer support an effete obstruction, an expensive toy. If Provincialism is to continue, let Superintendents have se its in the various Provincial Councils, enunciate their owu views, and battle thoir own policy. Wa would then have only one political officer to pay, and an individual responsibility determined.