THE NEW PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE ACT.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 687, 21 July 1870, Page 2

THE NEW PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE ACT.

(From the Nelson Colonist.') Considerable misapprehension respecting this Act, its history, its cost, its objects, and its probable results, if fairly worked, appear to prevail among a section of the community. This misapprehension has been in no small degree increased by tlie statements made at the public meeting held in the Oddfellows' Hall, last Wednesday evening. This meeting was in itself somewhat extraordiuaiy, both in its origin—as being agitated for by a few members of the Provincial Council, who either were in the minority or turned their backs on themselves and their votes—aud also in respect to the statements touching the money cost which some ot those members thought proper to lay before the public as accurate statistics. We do not care to discuss the part taken by certain members of Council in arranging for this meeting and undertaking to appear before it while the Council was in session, and after the Act itself had become law. It was an attempt to stultify, not only their own action, but that of a clear majority of the Council, who hoped and desired by its means to overcome past evils in the management of the Executive, aud to prevent their recurrence in the future. Even those who oppose the Act are obliged to admit that it was the bouuden duty of the Council to take some steps for the purpose of effecting such prevention. It was the desire of some members of the Council, m view of the unatoneo. errors of the Government, and their defence in the opening speech, that some extreme measure should be taken even if it weut the length of a majority of the Council petitiouing the Governor to remove the Superintendent trom office. The advisability of such a course was doubted by some, both on account of the delay and the political antagonism which it might occasion. There was also the contingency, almost a certaiuty, that if such a petition were granted (a result in itself problematical) the removal of the Superintendent would doubtless be accompanied by a dissolution of the Council, a proceeding to which, except for the waste of tiuK', very few members would have objected. It was deemed proper to test the feelings of the Council by a no-con-fidnnee motion. While this was pending, some members were unnecessarily alarmed icst, if carried, it might cause the resignation of the Superintendent; or at least stop the supplies, and cause disorder by a stoppage of putdic works and of Goverumeut expenditure. This latter contingency was well agi'ated, and although altogether a fallacy—seeing that contingent supply votes had been and would be passed from time to time—yet it was employed as a stalking-horse to secure votes for a Government whoso condition was in-

secure. The debate closed, as is known, by a tie on the " previous question," which saved the Government for the time by the casting vote of the Speaker, one person voting for the Governuaent without being legally a member of the Council, and the division therefore was virtually a defeat of the Governmment. Then came the debate on the unauthorised expenditure, and there by the votes of thirteen members to four, three being members of the Government, the action of the Government was condemned ; improper threats were thrown back whence they came, and the legal power of the legislature over the public purse was vindicated. Next came the revelations of the Executive ignorance of the law regarding the duty of the Superintendent on the subject of the resignation of one of the Grey members, and the unconstitutional proceedings which were injudiciously defended in a message to the Council. All this reawakenened the antagonism of the Council, which was made to feel that it was a policy of the Government, not only to acknowledge no errors, but to justify them; and members felt that they were bound to act, so as to nee

the law and their rights attended to. The no-confidence motion was revived, and notice was given of a vote of censure on the Franklyn resignation blunders. Thereupon was the Council startled with a message from the Superintendent, suggesting reconcilement, an arrangement proposing an approach to responsible government, in order " to secure more cordial relations between the Council and tha elected head of the Province, and at the same time to promote a more satisfactory understanding between the goldfields and the more settled districts." I The message went on to propose that the Council should indicate two of its members to take seats in the Executive CouneilAffcf-whoui one should be representative for the South-west Goldfields, and that such two members should resign their seats on a vote of the Council calling on them to do so. The object of this message was to stay action against the Government. It was extolled by some of the papers as most conciliatory, and it had the effect of suspending action. The Council appointed a committee of ten of its number, to consider the proposal; and, after various conferences, and meetings by deputation with the Superintendent, the wishes of the Council were finally embodied as follows: j " The Executive to consist of five mem- | bers, to be appointed by the Superintend- j ent, four of whom, including the Provincial Secretary, may hold seats in the Provincial Council. " The Provincial Secretai'y not to be \ subject to removal by an adverse vote of the Provincial Council, but the three others shall retire from the Executive on a distinct resolution of the Provincial Council to that: effect. " It shall be the duty of one at least of such four members to represent the interests of the goldfields in the Executive Council. "In the new Executive ordinance provision to ba made for the Superintendent exercising a deliberative and a casting vote in the Executive Council." It was added in the report of the Committee, as adopted by the Council, that the proposed changes " would not necessarily cause any material additional expense, as that could be avoided by an improved allocation of existing offices." On the hasis of the foregoing paragraphs the Superintendent promised to get a bill prepared and sent down to the Council; and as the act passed by the Council now stands, it will, on comparison, be found to embody no more than these propositions, which w«re twice adopetd by the Council nem. con. before the bill itself was prepared. At first, the bill did not embody these propositions, but in passing through committee it was brought into accordance therewith. Virtually, the act gives to the Council the substance of the influence flhicb the message of the Superintendent, if it meant anything at all, proffered as a means of securing " more cordial relations between himself and the Council." As was said by one speaker at the public meeting the other night, it is thus really the Superintendent who was the parent of the bill, the Council only making a few alterations, in order to give pratical effect to the propositions first sent down. We maintain that the alterations have not only not materially increased the expense of the Executive, but that by a return under the Appropriation Act, to the sum of £l5O, as first set down, for the Goldfields Representstive, there is an actual lessening of the cost, while the re-arrangements greatly improve the financial oversight, j and remove a grave magisterial anomaly which existed in the combination of the office of Resident Magistrate with that of Treasurer and member of the Provincial Executive. It is impossible to surmise what may have been in the minds of the speakers at the public meeting on Wednesday night, when, time after time, they referred to the Act costing £SOO for a Goldfields Secretary. The Appropriation Act, read a second time that very night, showed that only £l5O was set down for non-official members of the Executive. Yet, Mr Gibbs and other members of Council, who had themselves voted for this larger sum were found talking of this "£500," and declaring that an enormous extravagance had been committed. What are the facts ? Here they are:— Salaries under Former System. Treasurer and Clerical assistance ,£2OO Sub-Treasurer 350 £550

Expenditure under New Act. Treasurer ... ... ... JB4OO Non-official Members of Executive 150 .£550 There were repeated suggestions for a re-modelling of the system of bub-Treasurer on the West Coast, and that was one point in view of the Committee of Council when the subject was considered. It was, we believe, approved by the Superintendent also ; it was advocated by Mr Kynnersley,insisted on by the Auditor,and last, and least, made a stand point of by Mr Gribbs, who, after a flourish of trumpets, turned round and ate his own words, which he very certainly did, whatever he may say to the contrary in the lengthy letter which we are generous enough to publish for him this morning. On the Estimates too, when they first came down, there was a sum of £530 put down for a Commissiorer of G-oldfield- That has been struck off, and a Warden substituted at £IBO less. It is acknowledged that the Warden was much wanted at Matakitaki, the Upper Buller, and the Wangapeka, and these districts can thus be well served. Moreover, as there seems further misconception respecting the dispensing with the services of Mr Kynnersley, it requires to be stated that the resolution of the Council discontinuing such services, was altogether irrespective of the Executive A ct, and was carried by a majority of 12 to 3. The consolidation of the Treasurership under one head was an undoubted necessity, and Mr Gibbs's report on the state of the vouchers, and the appearance of some of these as produced to the committee, bear out the fact, that consolidation has been effected, at an absolute saving on the department, to say nothing of a reduction in the loss of time and travelling expenses, heretofore necessary in visiting the various stations on the Coast, and the delay and difficulty, which ought now to cease, and which prevented the simultaneous completion of the quarter's transactions for the east and west, so that the one balance was usually about a month behind the other. So much for the cost of the new Act. Members of Council, and others, when they revile it, are respectfully requested to attend to the facts and the figures. Perhaps, we may be permitted, also to remind the Provincial Solicitor, who appeared on the platform at the Oddfellows' Hall, on Wednesday night, that beyond the bare assertion that the Act would not work, not a single reason why has been offered by that gentleman. The actual cost we have shown. The greed or vanity of any disappointed persons, whom neither the Government nor the Provincial Council could tolerate in office is no criterion of coming struggles for place. Mr Adams is reported to have designated the Act as a sham. Let it have a fair and honest trial. Let the power of the Council, a power proffered to it by the Superintendent, be fairly and honestly worked out and represented in the Executive, and let the foes of the Act, who confessedly have been in the Executive itself, give it fair play ; and we believe it will be found to prove far more valuable than even its advocates were at one time prepared to admit. Sham! This from the Provincial Solicitor who prepared and introduced the bill. If the Act, as passed, is a sham—in the name of all that is legal, what was the bill as Mr Adams drew it ?