The Globe. THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 1875.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 358, 5 August 1875, Page 2

The Globe. THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 1875.

The manner in which the Abolition and Local Government Bills have been received throughout the colony is a most convincing proof that the people are eager for the proposed changes. At the Thames a large and important meeting was held on Tuesday evening, when resolutions were almost unanimously carried in favour of immediate abolition. The decision of this meeting is all the more remarkable when read side by side with Sir George Grey's pathetic appeal to it, not to come to any resolution on the point till the policy of the Opposition was before it. His promises of still greater revenues, and more enlarged powers of local self-government, were taken at their true value. In estimating the importance of the Grahamstown resotions, it must be borne in mind that Sir George Grey was elected Superintendent of Auckland with the greatest enthusiasm, and that nowhere in that province was he more warmly received than by the citizens of the Thames. It is plain, therefore, that the faith of the people in that part of the colony in the efficiency of provincial institutions, either in their present form, or endowed with enlarged powers by the proposals oi

the Opposition, is gone, and that they see that the time has now arrived when a truly colonial policy must be adopted. The days of petty governments, with their vast crowd of hungry dependents, are gone past. From what we can gather of the policy of the Opposition lrom the telegrams which have reached us, it is one of creating two or more provinces in each island, with a Federal Government possessing but limited powers, and as a necessary consequence an easy prey to the hungry demands of the sturdy provinces. We do not for a moment believe that the Opposition have the smallest chance of carrying measures, the result of which would be to dwarf the energies of the people, and more than ever, sink our politicians to the rank of petty vestrymen. Local selfgovernment would in such a case be no better secured, in fact not so well, as by the Government measures, and we should have a Colonial Government, contemptible,for its weakness, as for its utter uselessness. The leader of the Opposition is fond of referring in terms of great panegyric to the Imperial Parliament, and what it has done for the cause of liberty and fiee government. What would be said of a proposal to create three or four petty Parliaments in Great Britain, presided over by an Imperial Parliament shorn of all real power. The bare mention of such a plan would be laughed to scorn. The tendency of public opinion is all in the other direction. The day is not far distant when that august body will have representatives from the vast colonial empire taking part in its deliberations. Why, then, should we in New Zealand adopt a retrograde policy. Why should any one who has the welfare of his country at heart, seek to prolong the existence of a number of petty Governments, with their paltry interests, when there is an opportunity of securing a complete system of local government, and a strong central one at the same time, powerful enough to resist the log-rolling influences which have hitherto been so much the order the day. We would remind the electors of Canterbury that they are specially interested in the Bills passing during the present session. The Government, notwithstanding the assurances of their opponents to the contrary, have kept faith with the provinces with regard to the land fund, and have alienated many supporters in consequence. But if the Middle Island representatives refuse to accept the gift, Government may take a different course on a future occasion, when we may find our land fund treated as colonial revenue.

We trust the meeting which is called for this evening will give forth no uncertain sound —that the people of Christcbureh will testify by their presence, that they take a large interest in the measure, and for ourselves we have no doubt what the result of the meeting will be. A most amusing article, by the way, appeared in the columns of our morning contemporary, the Lyttelton Times, yesterday. After beginning with an assertion, which has no foundation in fact, it goes on to direct the public how to act this evening. It is to confine itself to affirming that the Abolition Bill should not be forced without an appeal to the people, and if it does so, it will have a right to be heard, but if it should be foolish enough to think otherwise and go in for immediate abolition, then the resolutions carried will lose all weight—that is to say, as long as the meeting to-night takes the right side, and goes in for supporting the views of our contemporary, its decision will carry the utmost weight, but should it take the other view, it will sink into a petty hole-and-corner concern, and not in any way represent " the senti- " ments of the electors." To such straits are the partizans of provincialism reduced.