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The ranks of the provincial legislature are so far filled up as to admit of definite arrangements being made for the election of members to proceed to Dunedin. It is fixed to take place on Tuesday, the 20th instant, and the special session of I Council has been convened for Thursday, the 15th prox. As o<r readers are aware, the election is to be conducted by lot or ballot, which simply means that the Becret vote may be resorted to in lieu of the ordinary one. We hare no reason to believe that the alternative will be taken advantage of, nor do we imagine for one moment that it would materially affect the question. In estimating the proper men to select, it may be of advantage to possess a knowledge of the i elementary principles upon which the Otago Council is based. Its electoral districts are so adjusted that the representation is of necessity one of class interest. The grand divisions are the goldfields, the agricultural districts, and Dunedin —the commercial centre. For a long time a deal of jealousy existed nmongst these sub-divisions The complaint was, that Dunedin had been aggrandised at the expense of the rural districts. Of late these opinions have exploded, and the most remote goldfield now frankly admits that a fair measure of political patronage hasbeenbestowed upon it. A few of the seaboard towns are still harping about harbor improvements, and the injustice done to them, but, taken as a whole, a much better state of feeling prevails than was the case a few years ago. The Government is composed of an equally mixed lot, although it must be admitted that the agricultural interest predominates. In a lesser degree, Southland pursuits admit of a similar classification, so that as a basis of selection, we cannot do better than follow the example of our neighbor and ally. The location of members is another point which requires deliberation. The goldfields representation of Otago enabled any one district that happened to be stronger than another to return the full complement i provided for from amongst its own residents. The result was men represented districts of which they possessed no personal knowledge. Indeed that was the mildest form of the evil. Banded together in this way, their united influence was brought to bear in the one direction, and as a rule, that direction tended homewards. Tuapeka was a notable example of the kind. Alluding to it 3 vital statistics a few years ago, the remark was made that every third man in the place belonged to either the law, the Gospel, or the Provincial Council. The consequence was the district was bolstered up with political patronage to such an extent, that it acquired a fictitious value in the estimation of the province at large. Now ifc would be well to avoid this, so to speak, concentrated representation, and make the selection with due regard to our electoral divisions. In connection with the session of Council, a number of questions present themselves for discussion. There is only one, however, which requires to be broached just nowj and that is the formation of a Municipal Council for Invercargill, and probably BivertonT It is said that; the Otago Municipal Incorporation Act contains a provision which precludes advantage being taken of it unless the. proclamation is issued on the 21st day of June in each year. Not being in possession of a copy of the Act, we cannot say how far this report is correct. We doubt its authenticity, at the same time we can only say that if such a restriction does exist, it must have been made by some amendment, and not by the original enactment. However, this is a point upon which it will be necessary for our representatives forthwith to Batisfy themselves, and should the report turn out to be well founded, an amendment must be obtained. The present condition of Invercargill renders this imperative. The grating footpaths, gully holes, roads, &c, are rapidly falling into decay, and unless we are prepared to allow tham to get beyond the pale of redemption, it is necessary they should be put in better condition against the coming winter. It is just possible that a measure of the kind will be brought forward by the Government, still it is necessary the matter should not be lost sight of by our representatives. Another point connected with municipal administration which will require to be looked carefully into, is the power of the Council to deal with unoccupied tenements, the property of absentees. Twothirds of these tenements in Invercargill have been abandoned altogether, and, nominally, they revert to the ground landlord in breach of the covenants of the original lease. Not being thoroughly posted up in the Corporations' Act we cannot say whether or not provision is made.fpr matters of this kind, but if not, it is of the utmost importance that such a provision, should be secured. The whole subject is' one which will require to be: very carefully handled, and we recom-; mend it to the serious attention of the members who may be elected as a subject . of pressing public importance. ;

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST18701004.2.9

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Southland Times, Issue 1317, 4 October 1870, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
859

Untitled Southland Times, Issue 1317, 4 October 1870, Page 2

Untitled Southland Times, Issue 1317, 4 October 1870, Page 2

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