DEBATE ON GOVERNMENT PROVINCES BILL.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 879, 26 October 1871, Page 2

DEBATE ON GOVERNMENT PROVINCES BILL.

(From Hansard). Mr O'Conor had listened to the debate with a good deal of amusement and some astonishment; He had heard the Government twitted with having changed their policy* with having become anti-Proviricialists after having so long been Provincialists. He believed there were many hon. members also here to night who gave ut; terance to sentiments in favour of Provincialism, who professed to be anti- Provincialists at heart. He did not understand how many of the hon members wiio had addressed the House had satisfied themselves with their attempt at arguing all round the question. The bill before them he regarded, as an attempt to introduce the thin end of the wedge, in order to britiLC about the abolishment of present Provincial Institutions.. There was no doubt, that the effort, might be attempted in a more violent, and perhaps niore complete manner—in a manner better suited to the tastes of some hon. members ; but, he doubted, whether it could be successfully effected by any other process than that now proposed. This House had seen an attempt made formerly by introducing as it were the thick end of the wedge, but it had failed, and it remained now to try the other way. He maintained that a reduction of the number of members of Provincial Councils, and the compelling Superintendents to sit in Councils were the very objects required. It at once did away with that absurd mockery of Parliamentary state, and the assumption of kingly power on their part which was the boast of Superinten■lent-", but which rendered Provincial legislatures the laughing stock of the country, This bill proposed to do away with that ; it reduced the Superintendent to the rank of an ordinary executive officer; he would have to take his seat in the Council to carry out the wishes of the people by whom he was elected, and preside over the proceedings of the Council. Under such a state of things, and with small Councils a responsible form of Government would not be thought of, hence the councils would be free from the struggles of party for place. He did think in opposition to some hon. members, that the supreme powers)ou!d be in the hands of the Central Government, whether such were the present or another, they should have the power of acting between the Councils and the Superintendents oil the one hand, and between the people and the Councils on the other. It had been stated, that the bill would give extraordinary power to the Govenlment over Superintendents in this House, by the fact of their having the power of sending them back to their constituents. Ho denied that- they could only act as mediators ; lion 'nembers could not state that the bill would compel the public to elect Superintendents at the dictation of Government • but; on the contrary, if the public endorsed the action of their Superintendent they would replace him, and if not; he would be very properly got rid of. The power given by the bill to dissolve the Superintendents or Councils where it was necessary, was siniply in order to prevent a dead lock. Could it be said that this bill would give greater powers to Government over Superintendents in this House ? Could it be supposed for a moment that this House or the country would tolerate for one hour a Government capable of exercising this power for the gratification of private or political ends? He would be sorry to think that the superintendence of any Province should be placed in the hands of any one who would allow his office to be thus prostituted. It had been asserted that the bill would not work well in Otaszo. He had had a short resideuco in Otago, and he found that a great deal of time was wasted in their Council on useless talk, and that the general impression upon the minds of the people outside at that time was that the members were mere wind-bags, and that it would be of great advantage to diminish their number. The experiment of reducing the number of Councillors had been made in Nelson, and had been found to work satisfactorily. The business was gone through more expeditiously, and at far less cost—the responsible element being dispensed with, for such an element could not exist in a small Council. A Council such as this bill proposed would be of the nature of a Central Board, which, with road boards and municipalities, Would give a much more perfect system of government iu the country. An objection urged against the bill was that it would increase the work of this House. He did not believe that such would be the result. He did not see

'""" ■' ' ""■)'" ' ■|iiiift"iir<MiivfpT--r| why the same functions could noT\l discharged by a small body of representatives as by a large number. It had been said that this House already had too much work, and the abandon: ment of the Education Bill Was ad; duced as a proof of this. He regr'etted that such should be the case, but he did not think that the abolition 01 curtailment of Provincial Councils would in any Way increase the work, Most of the session had been wasted on what he might be allowed to ball idle discussion, until now the sessior was 1 so far advanced that lion, members were anxious to return to their homes and could not wait calmly and deli, berately to consider the questions thai werebrought beforethem. Consequent, ly, ihany useful measures were abandon ed; He did riot look upon this Bill a; altogether satisfactory or sufficientlj comprehensive,but it was initiative. He could not coincide with the view thai the number of members elected foi this House should be taken as the number to Occupy seats in the Goun cils. He thought that in sdine cases this woiild be foiind scarcely just For instance, iu Nelson Province the present arrangements gave the whoh power td the city of Nelson and im mediate vicinity, arid gave but a verj small representation to the outlying districts. That was one Of the evils that had hot been guarded against. Il was throwing too much power into th< hands of the Centres of population to the injury of outlying districts The complaint had been made frotr one end of the colony to the other thai the revenues of the GoldfieMs am other outlying districts were entire!] monopolised by the centres of popu lation. This complaint had been madt in Otago, and in Auckland, ant it was certainly a great complain in Nelson where for years the revenue had been spent in and about the city The people upon the Goldfields ant outlying districts called upon Provin cial Governments to make roads ant bridges for them, but they never go them, because they were governed en tirely from the town of Nelson; and the people in that town naturally looked to their own interest first; auc thought that it would be more tdtheii advantage to increase the Value of then property by making roads there thai] spending the money in distant places. He was afraid this bill did not sufficiently grapple with this subject, but it could be amended in committee td suit the views of hon. members, who should not reject it because it did not go the full length ihey desired. He was prepared to accept the measure as a small instalment, and he hoped it would be speedily followed by a greater measure, and that in the end they would succeed iu establishing a system of Government satisfactory to the country and economical. With that hope he supported the bill, and he hoped that some hon. members with whom, he considered he always could act as anti-provincialists would yet see the" error of their ways, and Comefram the other side of the House to support this measure.