A.—No. 11,

REPORT ON THE SYSTEM OE APPROPRIATING

6

place of Provincial Governments, no possible remedy for the evils which have existed. It is enough for me to say, that I believe and hope that the Colony will never consent to the creation of a number of small Governments receiving a share of the taxation raised by the Colony; and that, so far as the Province of Canterbury is concerned, it can be easily shown that no district taking its fair share of the liabilities of the Province already incurred can take upon itself and carry on its works and administration so economically as under a modification of the present system. It is in this belief that the Provincial Government has been handing over to the Board of Works in Timaru the administration of all matters which could fairly be devolved upon it. Nor do I think we can look to the Central Government to work out for us the problem which we have to solve. The Native difficulty, and the consequent want of identity or community of interest between the Provinces of this and the Northern Island ; the impossibility of obtaining men of leisure, independence, and ability, to form a Central Government capable of meeting the requirements of the whole country; the geographical and other distinctions of the Provinces of the Southern Island, —convince me that we must still look to the Provincial system for efficient administration, at any rate in this Island, leaving legislation to the General Assembly, and devolving upon the districts, with the share of the revenue to which they are entitled, a proportionate share of self-government. If this view be correct, and were to be acted on, it would be rather by extending the present ill-determined boundaries of the Southern Provinces than by creating new bodies with narrow political views, bounded by petty selfish interests, that the ultimate harmony and uuity of government which are essential to our future greatness as a nation are to be promoted. The present uncertain and undefined position of the Province is intolerable. A premium is offered to discontent and disunion in Provinces by the prospect of the establishment of Counties, and outlying districts are led to seek their just rights in the political intrigues of a disorganized body, that knows little of their particular interests or how they may be best served, rather than by bringing legitimate pressure to bear in the Council of their Province. The natural result is that there is no heart in the Provincial Governments to improve their administration, and to carry out energetically their proper functions in the promotion of colonization and the facilitating communication throughout the country. We require, therefore, as it seems to me — I. Such legislative enactments as will provide for the integrity of the Province and a more clear definition of its powers. 11. We also require a final assurance of our property in the Land Revenue, and a provision securing the apportionment of a fair proportion of it to the several districts in which it arises. Our further requirements group themselves under the heads of — 1. Constitutional modifications. 2. Administrative reforms. On the first point the Committee will have already gathered that I am averse to any revolutionary changes. The development of our Constitution must be continuous ; and no one can read the papers connected with its early establishment without recognizing that it was formed with a view to the utmost elasticity, and with great powers of self-adaptation. Spasmodic and hasty introduction of a different class of machinery cannot but create confusion. Our object is to minimize government, to live within our means, and to do justice to the interests of all the districts of the Province. The principal modifications which I would suggest in furtherance of this object are those which I have already indicated to the Provincial Council, viz.:— 1. The reduction of the number of representatives in the Provincial Council, and a redistribution of the seats with a special view to giving greater comparative weight to the outlying districts; and 2. The bringing of the Superintendent into closer connection with the Council. The question of representation is one of considerable difficulty, and one in respect of which no precise or uniform and well-ascertained principle has been acted upon in the case of the rejiresentative cities of the Colony or of any of the Provinces. The difficulty is the greater in the case of Provincial representation from the fact that it is of a population whose principal political rights are represented in a higher Legislature, and with whose interests the Provincial Legislature can only deal to a limited extent. If a population basis simply be adopted, the evils of centralization would be perpetuated and increased. The representation would seem to be not merely or so much one of numbers as of districts, in respect of particular interests and rights, and in respect of the public revenue accruing from those districts. General taxation affecting all classes, for general Provincial purposes, has, so far as I am aware, never been enforced by any Provincial Government. Taxes have been only for strictly local purposes, and dependent on the will of the districts in which they have been received. The number of representatives should, I submit, bo only sufficient fairly to represent all interests in different portions of the Province; and the districts should be determined as far as possible by identity or similarity of interest, and should be coterminous with the boundaries of groups of Road Boards, and for the sake of convenience should not overrun the boundaries of the General Assembly districts. My own view is, that the present Provincial districts, with some modifications, would meet the requirements of the case. It is very important, with a view to promoting and maintaining a common political interest in the several districts, that when once determined, their boundaries should not be changed. I believe that if one member each were given to, say, twenty-five districts, and one additional member to each of the three most populous districts, making a total of twenty-eight members, a not unfair representation of the Province would be attained. On the question of bringing the Superintendent into the Council, I am strongly of opinion that the public business would be much expedited by this course. Under the present system, should any difficulty arise in obtaining the services of a member of the Provincial Council to act as political head