THE COLONIST.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 280, 26 June 1860, Page 2

THE COLONIST.

NELSON, TUESDAY, JUNE 2&, 1860.

In a very sensible article, which we have extracted from the Otago Colonist, and which will be found in another column, some of the matters likely to come before either the present or the next General Assembly are shadowed forth. The writer suspects some finessing on the part of the Stafford Ministry, in order to prolong their term of official existence, and says that they have " no great desire to meet the representatives of the people from all the provinces." They have so many blunders, or worse than blunders, to answer for, especially as regards the Coleman contract, and that vilest of all vile pieces of so-called legislation, the New Provinces Act, which we have commented on at various times, pointing out its serious defects in curtailing the liberty of the people and fostering corruption in the barest majority of a Council, however few its members. The writer says that Mr. Stafford knows or may %ell know that the country is pretty well J tired of his services and desires a change. ■' ■ How so shrewd ..a writer could commit himself by, penning the two following sentences in the same paragraph; is beyond our comprehension :— " Several most important measures will be brought forward by the Government; the great principle of these measures being to overthrow provincialism and to establish a centralising policy upon its ruins: this, in the present state of our affairs, will be most injurious. The time will come, and possibly it is not very far distant, when a Central Government will manage the affairs of the whole Colony better than the Provinces independently could do." This is like saying, that distant placemen, and their subservient followers, can do the common business of sensible men better than these can do it themselves.

Now, to our mind, this is blowing hot and cold with a vengeance. Which ever you like—"Local Self-Government," or " Strong Central Government." After a globule of homoeopathic Provincialism we are to be treated to the blue-pill-and-black-draught allopathic Centralism. To, be Mr-. lowed by some other ism, as the toy loses its novelty. ■ ■ ; If Provincial Governments, with all their acknowledged defects, can do better now than a General one, surely, with more experience, a greater population which will immensely cheapen them more extended interests to engage their attention, they will be far more capable of looking after their own affairs than any one little knot of individuals (probably of an eiclusive class, and open to ministerial corruption which such classes are and always hare been since the world has been cursed by the miscalled centralising system) selected not for their honorable or intellectual qualifications,but for their wealth, however acquired. Curtail the powers of the General Government, and enlarge the sphere of action of the various provincial and local bodies. Reverse the present order of-things; and, instead of permitting the General Government to collect the revenue, and, instead of feeding its hangers-on and corrupting all within its roach, handing over the small residue, just to keep up appearances, let every Province, and eventually every district or county, collect its own revenue, and hand over to the General Government a fair proportion of it for general expenses. This is the true principle of self-govern-ment. Any other is a sham, an abstraction, an unmeaning generality, and a degradation to a common sense people.

The more a Provincial Government can centralise, so as to economise by simplification and energy, the better; but centralisation, as generally practised, is expensive monopoly, and arbitrary abuse. The writer then enumerates some of the most important subjects-likely to engage the attention of the General Assembly. Most of these, we have latterly dealt with at some length. Such as the alteration of the present abominable, complicated, expensive, lawyer-bound system of • the Transfer of Land; the re-adjustment of Electoral, Districts; the Tariff;, and the present method of Banking. If there be one thing more than another which could be-beneficially worked by local means it is that of Banking. We perfectly agree with the writer in condemning the absurdity of allowing the whole banking business.of the colony to be done by two banks, with their principal offices and shareholders in London. He asks why we could not have a New Zealand Bank ? ,

We ask why we could not have a bank in every Province, founded upon the broadest basis, and in connexion with which all the land business of the place might be transacted, as in the Hanseatic Towns and in Belgium? Such a bank, founded somewhat on the principle of the British Bank in London, would be of the greatest; benefit to the different provinces, and do more to forward their interests and increase their wealth than any other. It tfillfc probably said that we have selected

an unfortunate model. We say nay- F°r» with all the disadvantageous circumstances connected with that establishment; after undergoing all the heavy preliminary ex* penses attendant on the founding of such a system;. after being robbed by its servants; after paying the legal expenses (or robbery rather, attendant on working] a protracted bankruptcy commission (amounting at least to one-fourth the estate) ; this establishment has paid fifteen shillings in the pound. Were such the case, depositors would get interest on their deposits, and shareholders would spend their dividends in the colony, instead of their being spent, as now,, in England or elsewhere. The writer has overlooked the one great desideratum here—an Insolvency or Bankruptcy Court, where a man's property only, not his person, should be at the mercy of some flinty-hearted merciless creditor, who can calmly and sanctimoniously-mumble his prayers on Sundays whilst his miserable victims are pining away in sloth, filth, and idleness, in a miserable abode, with wprse food than is allowed to murderers, bigamists, wife-beaters, and thieves. In the .establishment of such Courts the legal element must not predominate; for whatever a lawyer touches immediately, becomes obscure and surrounded with difficulties;, in fact, in all transactions this arachnoidal order must be kept at ajmoat respectful distance. They manage- these things fetter in France, where, we"believe, a Commission of merchants and tradesmen, uninterested in the estate, settle these matters with very little expense. Should any legal point arise, then an honorable lawyer—one above suspicion—is consulted on this point alone. The Tariff and Custom-house, with their concomitant abominations we shall take up in a separate article We agree with the writer that should the Stafford 0 administration, however anxious they may be, attempt to forward centralising views, so called, or to curtail the liberty of the people, will split upon a rock, and be turned out of office as a fit reward for their past, present, and prospective sins, both of omission and commission."

The following important correspondence relative to the return of* women and children to Taranaki, was sent to us last evening for insertion—a rather late date, seeing that one of the communications is datecf May 31st and the other June Ist, and that it must have been received here .by the last mail from the north.

New Plymouth, M*y 31st, 1860. Sir—l have the honor to acknowledge your letter of'yesterday, asking my opinion whether, considering the aspect of affairs and the limited accommodation in the town^ it would be proper to allow the return of the Taranaki families now residing at Kelson. In reply, I beg to sty.that in my opinion tho town is now full beyond its capabilities, and should any family return who hive not a house in the town, I should be unable to find them quarters. Considering that we have before us the three most trying months of the year, and that the temper ofthe inland tribes promises no present security to tbe place. I am bound to say that any general return of the families referred to, would be most unadvjsable, and that, in my'opinion, the Commander of the forces would be justified in issuing a General Order- against the landing of Women and Children in this-place. I have &c, (Signed.) G. Cutfield, . Superintendent. Capt. Paul, Acting Major Brigade. Brigade Office, Taranaki, Ist June, 1860. Sir—l have the honor to annex for.your information, a copy ot a communication received from his Honor the Superintendent of this Province, relative to the return of families to New Plymouth, and am in- : structod by the Colonel Commanding the Forces ih New Zealand, to request that you will kindly use your influence to prevent the embarkation at Nelson of any women and children for Taranaki, «c should they arrive here it wiil necessitate his having recourse to the harsh measures of preventing their landing. I have (fee, JAMES PAUL, Capt. Gsth Regt., Acting Major of Brigade. Hi» Honor the Supeiatendent, * Nelson. v .- [.