The Southland Times. TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1872.

Southland Times, Issue 1606, 16 July 1872, Page 2

The Southland Times. TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1872.

The people of New Zealand, in Parliament assembled, meet to-day to begin their deliberations upon what is necessary to be done for the welfare of the State for the next twelve months. From the North Cape to Stewart's Island there is not a district of the colony but is represented by the free choice of the , citizens in the popular assembly, j exercised on a basis of the most liberal j character, and happily as yet, so far as regards the choice of the electors, free from the slightest suspicion of any taint of political corruption. Men of all ranks of society are eligible as representatives, their reasonable expenses are defrayed by the State, and in practice none are debarred, from taking part in the work of self-government, except the favored few whose occupations are so profitable, and so pressing in their demands for constant personal superintendence, as to render an absence for two or three months in the year from business an impossibility. Surely here is choice enough for the electors, and with them alone the fault must lie if a representative assembly so chosen is not j all that an institution of the kind can ' possibly be expected to be. But the framers of our constitution, mindful of the ill effects which at times may flow from the civium ardor prava jubentium, have provided an additional safeguard in the shape of a second chamber of grave and reverend seigniors, appointed by the Crown for life, and supposed to be selected from those classes of the community who, of all others, may be expected to bring to the consideration of public questions the lumen siccum of matured social and political experience, and personal independence. "With such a Legislature, a new country to begin upon, an ample revenue, and apparently unlimited credit, what magnificent results might not be expected from the legislation of even one session? Hitherto, it need hardly be said, no such expectations have been realised. Parliament has met, debated, and been prorogued, year after year, and the work done has always appeared to be disproportionately small to the trouble and time expended in doing it. This was so obvious last session, that the three Southland members who addressed their constituents in the recess seemed to feel bound to account for it, and in each case, curiously enough, said the same thing, that the Assembly contained an unusual proportion of new members, who would persist in wasting the time in talk, and airing their individual crotchets, so that all really important business had to be crowded into the closing weeks of the session. The same excuse cannot be made on this occasion, but no one will be surprised if the same result has to be recorded. The Native question, which in years gone by used to decide the fate of New Zealand Ministries, has retired for the present into the second rank, and we in the South are perhaps too apt to think that it has been got rid of altogether. It is certain, nevertheless, to occupy much time in the discussions of the Assembly, as it cannot be denied that the Natives are still costing the Colony a great deal of money. The Californian Mail Service will afford materials for a week's debate. Amongst the social problems which are expected to occupy the attention of the Legislature, the Education question and the regulation of the Liquor Traffic are likely to hold a prominent place. The Government have promised to bring forward measures on both subjects, which will no doubt give rise to lengthy debates, after which no one will be surprised to find that they are both withdrawn. The law of Bankruptcy, and the regulation of the Goldfields, are likely also to be considered, and in these matters it is just possible that something may be done. The grand question of the day, as every one knows, will be that of Finance. The policy initiated by the present Ministry, of borrowing largely for the construction of public works and the promotion of immigration, has been accepted by the country, and is not likely now to be reversed. It has indeed been stated that this session a determined effort would be made to roll back the whole scheme, on the ground of the heavy taxation which it is assumed will be required to meet the interest on the public debt. But we think it extremely doubtful that any such attempt will be made ; and if made, it is certain that it will not succeed. The principle of the Government policy has been accepted, not only by the country, but by the members of the Assembly, who almost without exception declare they are in favor of the plan, though a section of them affirm that the country is being ruined by the extravagant and incompetent manner in which it is being carried out. The dispute will be, not whether we are to cease spending money — which the success of the loan in the London market has shown we can easily get — but who is to have the spending of it, and how is it to be expended ? Charges of financial recklessness have been freely made against the Ministry, during the recess, and they will doubtless be repeated in the Assembly. But they have still to be proved, and it has to be shown that those who bring them are likely to manage better if the arrangements are confided to their care. The only semblance of a principle which has yet been displayed by the Opposition, beyond the mere desire to get the handling of the money, is the question of giving the administration of the loan to the

Provincial Governments. This, it is said, 1 is the rallying cry of the " new party" < understood to have been lately organised, i But it requires no great knowledge of the state of public opinion to predict . that no such policy will now be endorsed . by the country, "which has had pretty nearly enough of the provinces by this time. The Public Works scheme, to be successful, must be carried out on a national scale, and in a national spirit, and the same may be said of the plan of Immigration. A , certain amount of waste and mismanagement seems inseparable from the conduct of all Government undertakings, which involve a large expenditure. To take the management of the scheme from the Colonial Executive, and place it in the hands of the nine local governments, would simply be fco multiply this unavoidable element of loss by nine, while the unity and value of the plan as a whole } would be hopelessly destroyed. This is ; in fact the danger which now menaces j the Colony, and which the mere defeat of the provincial party will be by no means of itself sufficient to avert. Local jealousy, and l9cal greed, irrespective of the welfare of the whole — these are the real enemies with which the Government will have to contend. And if it should be found necessary, in order to make any progress at all, to satisfy opponents by throwing a sop first to this local clique and then to that, we need not wonder if the results of this session prove unsatisfactory, and much time is wasted in fruitless debate, while useful legislation is neglected. It is only too likely that this will prove to be the case, in spite of the theoretical excellence of our representative institutions. Parliamentary government, though perhaps the best attainable for us in the meantime, is far from perfection. It has been described as a series of compromises. It rests with the electors themselves, by a judicious choice of representatives in the first place, and the formation and expression of an intelligent public opinion, to secure the best results it is capable of affording. And if the performance of the Legislature falls conspicuously short of its own duty as the supreme power in the Colony, or of our reasonable expectations as citizens, no one can deny that the blame must ultimately be laid at the door of the people themselves.