The Southland Times. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1872.

Southland Times, Issue 1672, 6 December 1872, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1872.

Much ingenuity is occasionally expended by politicians who have resolved upon a certain course, in finding plausible arguments in its favor, while the real object sought to be attained is all the time carefully kept in the background. The manoeuvre is indeed generally too transparent to deceive, and too common even to amuse. "Wby it should be so frequently adopted it is not perhaps easy to say. It may possibly be one of the accompaniments of civilisation, by which societies which have made progress in the art of politics are distinguished from others in a more barbarous condition. If so, the Provincial politicians of Otago cannot be placed in the latter category. The list of reasons recently pressed on the. attention of the Supebintendent, in the hope of inducing him to summon an extraordinary session of Council, furnish an example exactly in point. No sooner had the new Executive arrangements reached that stage at which it became evident that His Hourm would probably be able to do without Mr Donalt> Eeid for the rest of the financial year, than that energetic politician's friends are suddenly overwhelmed with anxieties about the general welfare of the Province. Their concern is so great that nothing but an immediate session of the Council will serve to allay it. Six reasons for this course are set forth. It is true that if these reasons are good now, they have been good ever since the Assembly was prorogued. We make no exception even in favor of the second on the list, that the anxious politicians did not know what the now Executive would do with the new Land Act. As little could they have known, to judge from past experience, what the last would have done, even if Mr Held had remained at its head. But he had not been at its head for some time, so that their uncertainty might well have been greater than ever. It was uot, of late, much of an Executive to trust to. It resembled somewhat the prehensile tail of a certain species of Brazilian monkey, by which the owner, tail and all, swings securely from the branch in ordinary circumstances, and which can even support its own weight, for a time, after the nobler portions of the anatomy have been removed. But it was clearly not to be depended on. So the Superintendent naturally thought ; and although he had more trouble in getting rid of it than under the circumstances might have been expected, we do not wonder that he took that trouble. But there still remained the task of getting together a new Executive, which would be likely to last out the financial year. Many of Mr Eeijd's admirers did not think it could be done, but that their favorite would soon be master of the situation again. Things turned out differently, however, and immediately their patriotic anxiety for the welfare of the Province could no longer be restrained. The Council must be summoned. If not, the new appointments to the Land Board would perhaps be made on political grounds. To call the Council together at once would, of course, prevent such a misfortune. A majority of the members used to believe in a political Land Board, even as late as last session. They may of course have changed their minds in the meantime, but there has been no public announcement of the fact. According to Mr Stout's notable logic, however, they were less likely to make political appointments than their opponents, who had consistently denounced the system of political influence in the administration of the waste lands. This is the real meaning of the " retort" made by that gentleman, which the Southland News describes as so telling and conclusive. We do not wonder that His Honor made no attempt to refute it ! The whole agitation is too evidently the work of Mr Donald Reid's personal following to render it worth while to deal seriously with the arguments advanced in favor of the course proposed. If there ia anything in thenij which we cannot see, why were

they not brought forward sooner ? Becauss, until very lately, it was by no means certain that Mr Reid would not manage to regain office without the somewhat clumsy diversion in his favor now attempted by his friends. The talk about " a course utterly at variance with constitutional usage," is, we take leave to say, mere affectation, and of a piece with the rest of the scheme. What is constitutional usage in the administration of a New Zealand Province ? It would be hard to say from precedent, and harder still from theory. The SxrpEBiNTENDEyT is neither King nor Viceroy ; he is the elected head of the political system of the Province, chosen by the same electors as the Council itself. As such, he may imagine, and it would not be easy to prove him wrong, that while he does what seems to him best for the interests of his constituents, and exercises only those powers conferred | upon him by the Constitution Act, he is acting constitutionally, in every sense of the word. It would not, in our opinion, be either constitutional or wise to call the Council together, at an expense of £2000, in one of the busiest seasons of the year, merely to give Mr Donald Beid an opportunity of extricating himself from his present unpleasant position. We may remark, in passing, that it still remains to be seen whether such an opportunity will be of any use to him, when he does get it. The business of fche Province, we believe, may be left, till the 31st March, with quite as much safety in. the hands of one or two practical men, of good character, who have shown a decided capacity for the successful management of their own affairs, as in the hands of Mr Donald Beid, and other professional politicians, distinguished — like their leader — for noisy creed and easy practice. This is what the question really comes to, when fairly investigated. Had the agitation for an immediate session of Council been based on the grounds alleged, it would have taken place sooner. As it is, we must regard the reasons as a mere pretext, on the part, at least, of the chief promoters of the movement. Most impartial judges will agree with us in attaching a similar value to the patriotic talk about " constitutional practice" as applied to the transactions in question. The famous couplet — " For forms of government let fools contest, I Whate'er is best administered is best," like many more of Pope's clever sayings, is too epigrammatic for universal application, but this is precisely one of those cases which it fits exactly. We are glad to see that His Honor has taken this common-sense view of the question, and we hope he will continue to adhere to it, no matter with what plausible arguments, or empty threats of " a day of reckoning," he may be assailed.