The Southland Times. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1872.

Southland Times, Issue 1674, 10 December 1872, Page 2

The Southland Times. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1872.

Mr JVTacandrew's reply to the memorial requesting him to hold an immediate session of the Provincial Council has been published. As might have been inferred from his verbal reply to the deputation at the time, His Honob intimates that he is unable, after considering the reasons adduced for the step he was desired to take, to comply with the request of the memorialists. He then proceeds to the consideration in detail of the six reasons which they urged in support of their views, and furnishes a sufficient and conclusive answer to each in succession. "We need not suppose for a moment that however conclusive these answers may be in themselves, they will be in the least degree satisfactory to the promoters of the movement which found expression in the memorial. The more fully indeed the arguments of that ingenious document are met, the less satisfactory will be the result to these patriotic individuals by whom it was compiled, for the obvious reason that the real object which they sought to attain was not mentioned in the memorial at all. The hollowness of the pretences under which Mr Douaxd Tiro's friends attempted to conceal their scheme for restoring that gentleman to office is so apparent that no one has been deceived by them for a moment. All the well- feigned anxiety about the new Land Act, the Highway" Boards Empowering Act, the Road Board Subsidies, and the rest, would have found expression sooner if it had been genuine. As it was, it was not until it became certain that Mr Reid was no louger indispensable, but that a very respectable Executive could be formed without him, that the concern of his friends — for the safety of the Province — became quite uncontrollable, and for the first time found vent in words. • It is probable that not a few of those who were induced to lend thomselves to this somewhat discreditable and very childish manoeuvre are now a little ashamed of it, and wish that they had either let it alone, or spoken out more plainly. Honesty is after all the best policy, even in the arena of Provincial politics, the last place where it might be expected to prove successful. We have appealed to the fact that the reasons of the memorial, if good at all, were good from the time the Assembly rose, but were only brought forward when it was seen that Mr Reid could no longer fight his battle without help — as convincing proof of their real meaning. But the arguments themselves when examined lead one irresistibly to the same conclusion. The memorialists profess to be very anxious about the initiation of the new Land .Act (meaning, no doubt, the appointment of the new Land Board), and add that they did not know what the views of the Executive were on this subject. Mr Macaudbew replies by telling them what the views of the new Executive are, in the Wurds of one of its members, Mr Ttje^bull: — "To give the new Land Law, which will shortly come into operation, a fair trial, and to endeavor to get the Waste Land Board composed of competent and unprejudiced men, likely to administer the Act fairly and impartially towards every interest in the Province." We remark j in passing that we assign a great deal i more weight to an utterance of this kind coming from a man of Mr Tuenbitll's well-known character than we could have done had it proceeded from Mr Reid, and Mr Reid has his own public acts to thank for the want of confidence in his consistency which is now becoming general, even among many of his late admirers. But the truth is, that it was exactly because some of the memorialists did know that these were the views of the new Executive, and feared that their party were about to be deprived of a powerful political engine, the "Waste Land Board, which they hare used for their own purposes for years past, that the anxiety arose. A nonpolitical Land Board is the last thing Mr DojnaU) Reid and his friends wish for, so long as they at least are in power, and indeed several of them were honest enough to tell us so, last session of Council. The next point on which the memorialists dwell, is the necessity of Betting apart land for selection on deferred payments. We have already expressed our opinion that the deferred payments part of the new Land Act is not likely to be any great boon to intending settlers, and whatever land may be taken up under it now, we do not believe that seven years hence a single selector will be found who has fulfilled its cumbrous provisions. But that is no reason why it should not i be tried, now that it is law, and the memorialists might have been right in urging this reason — though scarcely a very pressing one — if they had not known well enough that the Executive could throw open land for selection under ( these clauses, without watting for the Council ! So much for their sincerity on that aeore. The next idea under which they seem to labor is that the Highway Boards Empowering Act must be brought into operation without delay. As many of our readers may not know much about this Act, the necessity for which is all ab once discovered to be so urgent, we may explain that it is a measure tor setting at rest certain legal doubts as to the power of Proviucially constituted Road Boards to collect their rates, and for providing lor appeals from their decisions, which i

has been l:\\v for years, and might have been put in force by the Council at any time since it was passed. It lias certainly been amended in some respects by the late Assembly, but one would imagine that Otago might very well wait for three mouths more, as she has already waited so long, for the extraordinary advantages which are expected to arise from the action of the Highway Boards Empowering Act. Then it is urged that the session of Council would be better held as soon as the Assembly rises. " That may be very true," His Honor replies, " and if the Council says so, I shall of course comply. la the meantime, the supplies are passed to the 31st of March." "We are of opinion that the memorialists should hare thought of this, and would have done so, if they had cared much about it, before they passed the Appropriation Ordinance last session. Then as to the Eoad Board subsidy, really unless the Council intended to give a larger proportion to some Road Boards than to others, or in some other way to deal with the money unfairly, we cannot see how the Executive their advice on the subject. As the matter now stands they will be compelled to divide the money on fair principles, and according to law. The arguments, in short, might have been as well spared, and the real object, the re-instatement of Mr Reid, avowed at once. Sensible men would only have said then, what they say now, that it is a good thing thab the Supeeintewdent knew his powers and responsibilities better than to call the Council together, at a coat of £2000 , for any such purpose.