The Westport Times. FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1874.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1184, 12 June 1874, Page 2

The Westport Times. FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1874.

The New Zealand Times graphically reviews the political position in Nelson Province. There has been, it says, a political crisis in Lilliput. Civil war has broken out between the Bigendians and the Little-endians, and, so far, tho Big-endians have the best of it, though, tho Little-endians are all astute and practised in stratagem and ably commanded. Passing in review tho effect of the long continued adherence to old political traditions resulting in the utter stagnation of trade and depression of business which made tho capital of the Province remarkable among the cities and towns of New Zealand, and during which inert rule the people have seen a river of prosperity running past their doors, and an Executive doing nothing, and appearing unwilling to do anything, to divert a portion of it to irrigate and fertilize the province, the Times then points out that the elections for Council and Superintendeucy were taken as tho opportunity when the feeling of dissatisfaction then becoming general should be expressed. "In that for the Superintendency it was shown with great determination. The Littleendians —who were more content with things as they were than the Bi£endians —rallied round their previous head, the present Superintendent; while thoso who desired to see a thorough change introduced, pinned their faith to Mr O'Conor. * * * * How the contest was fought will not soon be forgotten by those who took part in it. It ended in the return of the old Superintendent, and the rejection of him who thought the first requisites for an efficient Superintendent were pigskin and buckskin ; but not before Mr Curtis had been pledged to select a new Executive, to take up with greater earnestness the policy of tho General Government, and to endeavour to secure some share of that prosperity which ali the rest of New Zealand was enjoying. Mr Curtis did select a new Executive, which was so like the old one, in its ■personnel aud its policy, as to make the resemblance very strong between Crcsar and Pompey. But the engineer appears to have barely escaped for a time from being hoisted with his own petard. Ho gave a seat in the Executive to a new Goldfields' member, apparently in compliment to Mr O'Conor, whose friend Mr Shapter was. But Mr O'Conor himself has since been elected as a member of the local Council. " When a man's married his troubles begin." The political

alliance of Mr Curtis aud Mr Shapter has not resulted happily. The Council insisted that the Executive, should be made directly responsible to the Chamber. The Superintendent and his friends resisted the motion, but the Big-endians wore successful, and carried their point by so large a majority that the {Superintendent's friends were thoroughly beaten. A resignation of tho Little - endian Ministry was the consequence. The late Provincial Secretary was first applied to, to form a cabinet under the new and unrelished conditions, but whether he undertook the task with heart and hope does not appear. A.t all events bo did not succeed. There was nothing for it but to apply to his old opponent, who, following the proper etiquette on so momentous an occasion, ' took time to consider.' lie assumed the task, after due reflection, aud has associated witli him two members of the former : Cabinet,' —his friend Mr Shapter, and the Provincial Solicitor, with another gentleman who during the elections spoke warmly as to the inertness of the Superintendent, and yet headed the poll in the city of Nelson. Mr Curtis has thus as his Secretary a gentleman who spoke of him during the elections in the most contemptuous terms ; who publicly declared, in the Provincial Hall, before a crowd of respectable electors, that he had so little confidence in his opponent that if he (Mr O'Conor) were elected, he would not take over his predecessor's books and papers until they had been thoroughly examined ! The new Executive will not ouiy be responsible to the Provincial Council (and not to tho Superintendent), but stand pledged to support the view 3 of the General Government as to the public policy of tho country:, which are the views also of the Council to whose action they owe their position. Whether Mr O'Conor will be acceptable to the Council remains to be seen. All four members of the new Executive were strongly supported during the late elections, and Mr O'Conor himself was returned to represent Westport without a contest. He has practically won all but the name and salary for which he was so lately a defeated aspirant, and his then opponent will probably find himself in the unpleasant position of being comparatively helpless, under the positive control of his Secretary, and surrounded by anything, (O him, but a happy family." To the P>ig-cndi;u!H, as typifying the party of progress, tho position and personal predilections of tho Superintendent are of very little moment. The affairs of this Province cannot drift into a

much worse position than at present held, whatever may bo the result of experimental and unpractised administration. _ Practically- the Goldfiolds' community as representing the centro phalanx of the Big-endian army have the satisfaction—if any it bo—of seeinn; tho general of the forces chosen from their ranks, Their only fear will bo that headlong impatience to rush into " th' imminent and deadly breach" may bring loader and forces alike into trouble. A thing to be avoided, even in Lilliput.