A—No. 4

ON ACTS OF ASSEMBLY, 1858.

No. 70. " New Provinces Act." —From the physical character of the Islands of New Zealand, it has always been apparent that, as colonization proceeded, the same causes, which had already planted separate settlements in these Islands, would lead to new seats of population being established in districts geographically distinct from, —and having no community of local interest with, —the older settlements. The Constitution Act accordingly vested power in the General Assembly to establish New Provinces. Had the political state of the Colony been other than it is, it might have been preferable that the important power should have been exercised from time to time by the Legislature, pro re nnta, rather than to attempt, (as by the Act under consideration,) to define, once for all, the conditions under which the inhabitants of a given district should be entitled to claim its erection into a Province. The fear, [however, lest local jealousies and the influence of the existing Provincial centres, should in the absence of any general law on the subject, cause the just claims of new districts to the powers of local self-government to be disregarded, led to the present measure. Had it been delayed, it is doubtful whether for many years it would have been possible to augment the existing number of Provinces. Consequently, several districts, calculated, if locally governed, to become most prosperous, would have had their affairs administered and their land fund and other resources exhausted by governments seated at distances of 150 or 200 miles, and actuated, possibly, by local interests hostile-to the development of the new settlements. On the other hand, the success of the measure will ensure fair play to such districts, and put a final period to those encroachments of some of the Provincial Governments, whichat one time threatened the Royal Prerogative and the integrity of the Colony. By the multiplication of Provinces the number of subjects in which two or more Provinces have a common interest will be increased, and thus the exclusive sway of merely provincial feelings will be beneficially superseded by wider sympathies, —whilst the original Provinces, b< ing reduced to the true dimensions of local divisions, will universally renounce the unwise ambition of becoming separate Colonies. The provisions of the Act are such as will sufficiently secure that any of the existing Provinces which may have a real physical unity shall not be subject to division. The 10th section provides that in the New Provinces the Superintendent shall be elected by the Provincial Council, instead of by the whole boly of the electors of the Province. This provision will lessen the rfsk of collisions between the two branches of the provincial Legislature, and will render a dissolution of the Provincial Council an effectual remedy when such do ■occur. Under the Constitution Act a dissolution is not always effectual in such a case, as it may happen that the electors may again return the same Superintendent and the same Provincial Council, or one of similar sentiments; as, although the opponents of the Superintendent maybe in a minority in the Province as a whole, they may yet be strong enough in the separate electoral districts to return a majority of members to the Provincial Council. There is no escape from such a position under the Constitution The 1 lth Section will enable Superintendents of the new Provinces to sit and deliberate with the Councils ; should this experiment succeed, the costly apparatus of an Executive through which the Superintendents are supposed to be represented in the Councils, may in many cases be done away with, or largely reduced This measure may be regarded as the turning point in the struggle which has been going on between the Ultra-Provincialists, and those who maintain the authority of Her Majesty's Government. Undoubtedly this Act will require revision, but this will be easy, and it may even be safe to repeal the Act, when once the notion that the Provincial Governments have a vested right in the maintenance of the existing Provincial boundaries, shall have been effectually broken through. No 71. " Civil List Act" —This Act is reserved for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure thereon, and requires no lengthened notice. The main purpose of the proposed change is to increase the provision for the Supreme Court. No alteration is proposed in the amount of the Governor's Salary, but the " Governor's Salary Act, 1856," is repealed for the purpose of consolidating it with the present Act. The proposed alterations are shewn by the subjoined comparative statement. Civil List as fixed by Constitution Act Proposed new Civil List. Governor £2500 £35(0 Private Secretary 300 Chief Justice 1000 1400 Puisne Judge 800 1000 Puisne Judge '■■ 1000 Establishment of the General Govemm :-.t 4700 4800 Native purposes 7<>oo 7000 16,000 Governor's additional Salary under " G nor's Salary Act, 1856" 1000 £1V £19,000 No. 72. " Customs Duties Act. ,, —As this may be > an Act v.irying the security for the guaranteed loan to New Zealand, within the of the 20th and 21st Vie c. 51, Section iii., a clause has been inserted deferring its operation until it shall have been confirmed by Her

11