The Southland Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1870.

Southland Times, Issue 1218, 4 March 1870, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1870.

A very mild paragraph, in the Southland Hews of Wednesday last, which was probably intended to be accepted as semiofficial, intimated that the "localauthorities had been advised that the General Government had made provision for the payment of monies due to the Harbor, Police, and Gaol Departments, Hospital and Maintenance of Lunatics." The article,, however, had an air of hesitancy and reserve about it, as if the writer had been is doubt about the truth of the statement to which he was at once giving currency and confirmation. Indeed the fortunate circumstance of the receipt of an " authority to draw " has been wrapt in a mystery the purpose of which it is difficult to understand. After such a tedious period of expectancy, surely the public had a right to look ior a straightforward and ÜBmistakeable announcement of the fact when relief did at last arrive. At all events it would only have been consistent with the .often-repeated professions of the Government, to have made so important, and withal so rare, an event public at the earliest possible moment. We forget, however, that consistency is not one of the weaknesses of the present Executive, and that since their accession to office they have shown a marked preference for an opposite course of conduct. They were hoisted into their present comfortable quarters under the impression—a very general,

and as it turns out, a very erroneous one — that whatever they did, it would be all fair and above-board. There would be no secrecy, no underhand work, no suppression of information with them. Everything would be conducted on the " naked truth " principle, and the people would be kept regularly posted up on current events. But, alas f the strength of human frailty ; the perversity of political humanity! The official house may be swept and garnished, one set of devils kicked out, but, lo! another set seven times more wicked than the former comes in and takes possession, of the . pleasant apartments. Has it not been so in this instance? Have the present Government done what they were expected to do, or a moiety of it, or have they gone about it in a business-like manner ? It is all very well, no doubt, to say that " events had to take their course ;" that 1 they had to " wait the pleasure of the higher powers." That is exactly what their predecessors said, and what they were found fault with for saying. And they were told that if the thing was "rightly gone about," if "proper representations were made," &c, business could be greatly expedited, and affairs generally brought much sooner to a satisfactory termination than they usually were. Well, we have had a trial of the " energy** and " push-promising" clique, and the result has been bitter disappointment to the whole province. Not only are we in no better position than when they assumed the reins of power, but we are much worse, and that in the face of many encouraging indications of progress, outside the government — the latter, mdeed, has been a greater incubus and hindrance than ever. It would almost seem now as if we were neither to continue our existence, offer ourselves as a sacrifice to Otago, nor yet gain the notoriety of a public execution, but simply drag on until we die of sheer inanition. Averse to depreciating in any way the state or prospects of the province, truth compels the admission that at the present moment her position is in both respects worse than at any former period of her history. No doubt, circumstances which no Government could control or avert have assisted to bring about this melancholy state of things, but it is equally patent that the action — or rather want of it — of the present Government has conduced to a great extent to bring on and confirm the existing depression and gloomy forebodings. After -the last general election, and on the accession of Mr Wood and his coadjutors to the seats of power, hope for a while revived, and men pursued their respective trades and occupations with refreshed vigor, under the conviction that the " reign of error" and extravagance had terminated, and that that of truth and economy had been inaugurated. The consequence was that for awhile new life seemed to have been imparted to the district, and signs of progress and prosperity began once more to manifest themselves ; trade revived and new industries sprang up. By and bye people began to wonder when the promised aid was to appear ; then the question was plainly put, then reiterated »nd re-reiterated, but the " powers" still maintained the same dogged silence. Meanwhile the people have awakened to the fact that in changing their rulers they had neither improved their own condition nor obtained better masters, but very much the reverse of both. .. The " administrative talent" which they were supposed to possess has been fully demonstrated by their doing nothing ; their wisdom made manifest by their saying nothing ; and their ideas of what constitutes economy exemplified by the manner in which the pnblie funds have been appropriated to useless salaries. Of what necessity was all the paraphernalia of a Government staff merely to hang out time. And now when in the ordinary — the extraordinary slow-— course of events, gome little relief to the protracted suspense does arrive, when a little incident occurs to break tne monotony, they try to smother it, to hide it up, lest, probably, it should still further open the eyes of the public to the utter uselessness of the provincial, machinery. "The General Government have made arrangements for the local authorities paying," &c. Well, would it not simplify the matter greatly if the General Government would pay the departments direct, besides saving the district and colony the cost of the intervening manipulators. Clearly ; but then a big part of " Othello's occupation" would be gone, and so a little mist and fuss must be raised to keep up appearances. If the Treasurer has been put in fu»ds, the public have a right to know it, and a plain intimation of the fact should have been made at once. Moreover, the fate of tne last Appropriation Ordinance should by this time have been placed beypnd the doubt involved in the expression — " it is generally understood to have been assented to." Either the Government have been advised that it has received the Governor's signature, or they have not y and the public would like to know which.