PARLIAMENTARY. (D. S. Cross Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON. Tuesday.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 351, 13 August 1874, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY. (D. S. Cross Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON. Tuesday.

A short session .' It does not look like it now. The placid political sea over which the House has been sailing since the opening, of Parliament reflects dark and lurkl clouds, the presages of a coming storm. It is strange that tho appearance of the new member for Waitemata seemed to mark him as the Mother Careys chicken of the House. No sooner had he taken the oaths and his seat, and presented with marked promptitude and in a few neatly put words his Kaipara railway petition, with just that small Boupc,on of accent that gives zest to his English, than Mr, Vogel launched his notice of the North Island Provinces Abolition motion. To mnny, to most in the House it was something of a surpiise, for, although the language of the Premier spoke on Friday of the resolution that the Government might or might not bring down this session was indefinite, yet it was not looked on as a probable thing. To Mr Reader Wood's determination to move on the subject is, I think, more due the sudden movement than is to that partly, but more particularly the fact that a large number of members are prepared to vote for the resolution ; and that a majority, and a considerable one, is believed to bo secure. But this is subsidiary, for Mr Vogel, I believe, looks to the colonial benefit, and the principles involved. Mr Fitzherbert, Mr T. B. Gillies, Mr Macandrew, Mr Rolleston, Mr Williamson, and Mr Curtis, all the Superintendents except one, will oppose the resolution, nnd a six or eight days' keen debate may fairly be looked for. There will be many changes in the position of parties. Some — like Mr Macandrew — wili fall away from the Government, others "will 'attack themselves, and once voting on this question what will form, the basis of the " Colonial party of tho future?" Members will coalesce and old opponents will be found on the same side. The Government is prepared to stand by tho principle and " fight it out on thia line," which Mr Vogel affirms is the true policy for tlio welfare of the colony, a just dealing -with its finance^ and as a means to the success of its Railway nnd Public Works schemes. On Thursday will be shadowed forth ; firat, the reasons, financial and political, which show the necessity of a change ; and secondly, I presume, tho skeleton of the pi-ocess of government which will succeed the dying regime in the North. I believe Mr Vogcl is prepared to go to the country if need be on the question. Little did Mr Fitzherbert think, when hist week he assailed the Government, and especially the Premier, disregarding the forms of the House, and addressing Mr Vogel personally, saying, " You, sir, said so and so about Wellington, and it was wiwig, and you know it : " little did he imagine that the accusations he then made, and which caused. Mr Vogel to get up ail the facts and figures which proved what tho^'Ndrth Island cost, aiid what a small Provincial revenue they showed for the three years he quoted ; little did the Wellington Superintendent droam that that attack, and these figures, would so speedily culminate in this resolution, which, if it do nothing else, will entirely remodel the strange and wonderful finance of Wellington. Some old Provincialists speak of separation) but it is felt that the day for that is past, and " one and indivisible" must be the cry for New Zealand whatever happens. To divide would be to.damago beyond remedy the credit of the colony, to injure our commerce with Englond and America, dissipate our power, and destroy our future ; instead of improving aud consolidating both, as the establishment of the Dominion of Canada has done for the Canadian provinces. The movements of the Opposition party which tho abolition resolutions will bring more closely together will, I fancy, be something like this : — Ist. The North Island discontents will affirm (on what good ground it is difficult to imagine) that the projected change will place the . ruling power over' the North Island in the hands of the Southern representatives. But tho North will loose none of its strength, by the change, for, freed from provincial jealousies, it will gain broader and wiser views for the general welfare all over the island ; secondly, tho South will argue that their land fund will be eudnngered, and clamour for separating; but the Act which abolishes the Northern provinces will, paripassu, piovide for the localisation of the Southern lands revenue, and secure that under tho compact of 1850, giving, to u mere abstract resolution which bas oxisted for fourteen

ycirs, and tho broach oi wh'ch ha, \>cm\ trwuiently demanded, the stability of a Li-gislative wuetrncjit, while tho North Island will secure a large landed c-stitc foy itself. Tho unity of the colony v/ill also bo confirmed, if necessary, by Act. Tho Opposition will thus be formed of two conflicting and illogical forces, which are likely to fall asunder and destroy each other. The system which I should supposo likely to bo adopted under the new system of the North Island management, will be the abolition of all provinces, the appointment of district boards througboutthe Island , round which road boards would circle, and for the assistance of these certain revenues would be locally appointed. There would also be a resident minister at Auckland. There will, however, bo sufficient time allowed for considering the provisions.