PROVINCIALISM.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 301, 18 July 1868, Page 6

PROVINCIALISM.

There is one feature of the Governor's bpeech ■which is invested with special interest, so far as the inhabitants of the West Coast of New Zealand are concerned. The experiment of local government that has been initiated in the new County of Westland was sure to form a prominent subject for reference in the Governor's speech, not only because it was simply an experiment, but because it was the first process of a general attempt to provide a simple and inexpensive, but still at the same time an efficient substitute for the cumbrous machinery of provincialism. His Excellency—who, of course in this instance, simply gives utterance to the opinions of his responsible advisers —intimates that the existing imperfections of the Act under which the County of Westland is constituted, will be remedied during the present session, and we are led to believe that it is the opinion of the Ministry that the proposed amendments will satisfactorily dispose of the difficulties which have arisen in the working of the'present Act. "We think that it is likely that the proposed amendments of the County of Westland Act will be carried, and that the shadow of authority that was in the first instance offered to the people of West Canterbury will be substituted by real powers of local government. The Westland experiment has been subjected to criticism not of the most favorable kind, and possibly, the career of the newly fledged County Council of Westland has not been immaculate ; but still we have the fact that since the severance of Westland from Canterbury, the real work of dealing with the local affairs of the West Coast of that

province has been accomplished much more greatly to the satisfaction of the people concerned, than was probable under the old regime. As it is possible that an organised effort will be made during the present session of the (general Assembly to uproot provincial institutions, and substitute for them a system of government something similar to that which has been initiated in Wostland, we think it would be well for the people ef the South-west Groldfields of Nelson to pay attention to what is passing around them, and to make an estimate of the advantages that may be derivod from the County scheme, as compared with those which they can enjoy under existing arrangements. Considering the liberal treatment that the Nelson Government has bestowed upon its gold-fields, it may sound something like treason to utter a word in favor of a change, but, it will not do to be sentimental in matters of this kind. We may be very thankful to the authorities in Nelson for what they have done, but it does not follow that we cannot think that we could have done all that they have done, and possibly a great deal more, had we had anything like real control over our own affairs. No one can assume that the amount of representation that we now enjoy in the Provincial Council of Nelson is at all equal to the relative importance of the district in resources and revenue to the rest of the Province, and even if the number of local members in the Provincial Legislature was increased, we feel satisfied that even a large concession in that respect would not satisfy the inhabitants of the South West Coast Goldfields. The fact is that we must have the machinery of Government brought more closely home and more directly under the control of the people themselves. Under the provincial system we cannot hope to obtain this. What position does the West Coast of Nelson occupy in the Provincial Council? The answer is—purely a permissive one; that is to say, its measure of justice i 3 meted out at the discretion of those who know little and care equally much, for the real interests of the district. We may at present have little of a tangible nature to complain of, but the question is, —and it is one that is worthy the most earnest consideration—have we any real security of good government ? We say most emphatically that we have not that nothing but large powers of local government will meet our case.

The desire, which we believe we are correct in stating to be an universal one, in this part of the Colony is self government. That is to say, that all purely local affairs, and the expenditure of local revenues shall be placed under the control of the persons directly interested. The County of Westland Act was a step in this direction but, as a legislative measure, it was very crude and imperfect. Still it embodied a principle, and there can be little doubt that if that principle be properly developed we shall soon hear the last of provincial institutions. As it is proposed to be amended the County of Westland Act will stand something as follows : —the General Government will take charge of and exercise control over the departments of gaols, police, administration of Justice, and harbow ; and everything else relating particularly to the County will be entirely under the control of the County Council—in fact the County Council will simply be a sort of extended Corporation. It will bear the same relation to the County at large as the Corporation of Hokitika does to the town of that name. After the cost of the General Governmentdepartments—such as postal, judicial, police, &c, have been deducted from the revenue of the County, the balance will be left at the uncontrolled disposal of the County Council and of the Eoad Boards. We do,not hesitate to give our firm adhesion to a scheme of government based upon the recommendations of the Westland County Council, for we are convinced that it will give the people most intimately concerned, the greatest voice in the expenditure of their own revenue. Probably in a few days the draft Bill, based upon the resolutions of the Westland County Council, will be made public, and we have little doubt that this district will assert itself and boldly claim the inestimable privilege of self-government.