Page 4 Advertisements Column 1

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1926, 6 March 1875, Page 4

' THE SUPERINTENDENCE TO THE ELKCTOR3 OF THE PKO< VIKCE OF AUCKLAND. i \ HNTLIMEN,—Upon mature conridcra\JC tioni and after liaring corferred with my frier ds and supporters at Uiobr points fiibinreocb, I hare felt it my duty to put a%ay all thoughw cf retiring from this Can- ; didature in favour of Hv George Grey—and for the following reasons :-— 1. That gentleman, in effect, states that his object in entering the arena of politics is to bolster up, and if possible, perpetuate provinpialißin,3rhicb form of Government I am of opinion should be entirely abolished hroughout the Colony. 2. Sir George showed an utter disregard ior the welfare of this Province when he offered, with a view to strerigihening Mr Weld's hands in forming a Ministry, that the seat of Government should be removed from Auckland, and when he asserted that he would yet see this Province at euch a low ebb that grass would grow ia the streets of tho city. .3 He has been locking on quietly for the last Eeven years, while Auckland has been suffering from neglect, Ihe Province mated with injustice, and almost starved out of political existence, and during that time he has not manifested the slightest interest iv her welfare nor used^ either his iEfluence, his pen, or his tongue on her behalf. ";i4:-Ifc Js felt, that even were he elected Superintendent he would concern himself chiefly, if not entirely, with large theoreiical i questiona of constitutional Government, leavr ing the present Executive to administer the affairs of this Province as they are at present doing, and with such wretched results. It is now ascertained that for the above reasons, amonget many others, thecandidatureof Six* George^Grey for the Superintendehey will not be acceptable to the electors of the Province generally, and that, therefore, a certain political party on the octaßion of their recent, visit to Sir G-eorge, at Kawau, misrepresented to him the wishes of the electorate as well as my intentions in the matter of this contest.

An important question—the reform of the Const it ution—is now occupying public attention, and will have to bo dealt with shortly by the House of Representatives, where I hope B to have a seat. lam of opinion, as already tated, that; the time, has come when Provincialism should be entirely abolished, and aleo that the lands of the colony should be dealt with by the House of Bepi esentativea only, all land revenue becoming colanial revenue, not onJy for the better security of the public creditor, but al«o in order to facilitate ihe more equitable distribution of any surplus funds, after providing for loans, that may be available for such purposes os education and the .building of school-houses, for public works, grants in aid to road boards, &c. In-abolishing Provincialism, much of the "..representative elpment in the Government of ; *tl»pi eoun'ry will rf course be swept away; and to compensate for that, it will, I think, be necessary to alter the Constitution of the Upper House, by malting a large proportion;— say tiro-thirds, if not all—the members of that branch of the Legislature, elect (vp, instead of nominee, as at present. I think, also, that it would have a salutary effect if > the term fcr which members are elected to the House of Representatives, were reduced to three yeare, and if members of either House, who accepted office, were compelled to come back to their constituents for re-election, as in England, in Victoria, and elsewhere. :' As..;. to what _ahould be substituted for Provincialism, I think little will be required beyond a rearrangment of certain departments of the General Government, and , • an incretse.of ptfwers and grants of Money to road boarcs. Such amendments of the Con etitution Act as I have briefly sketched above, would place in the hands of the people far more real power than they now poajess. Would promote public spirit, of which we stand ..much in need, and would impart to public opinion throughout the country such - force and effect that no government would dare to disregard it. . .-...- With regard to.matters more immediately ' relating to the duties of Superintendent, yeu will remember;that during the last session of Council I joined in Euccessfully opposing the Education Act introduced by Messrs Sheehan, Dignan, and Seed, which.Act proposed to abolish the Central Board of Education and vest the powers in the hand of a commissioner to be. appointed by the Provincial Council. I also opposed the present house-tat and manhood*tax for education, and defeated the Government of Mr, Sheehan on the question of the traßßfer of the control of the police from the General to the Provincial Authority. I think the Thames foreshore should be given as an endowment to the local governing body there. If elected, I shall endeavour to co-operate in a friendly spirit with the General Government, and bo watch over the interests of the Province that, as regards finance at all events, its declining years shall be less of a struggle for existence than the years just past. I ahall also endeavour to see that when the aew state of things is being inaugurated this portion of New Zealand s&all not be placed at tray disadvantage as compared with the South, and that its great natural resources and splendid geographical position shall be sa l»r utilized that the prediction concerning the grass growing in our streets ehall be shown to be the prediction of a false prophet. I am, Gentlemen, Yours faithfully, J. M. DAKGATTLLE. Auckland, Ist M» h, 1875.