Coming back to the abo lition of the North Island provinces, the re solution upon which the Bill to be intro duced would be based, was as follows: " That this House having resolved that (taking the circumstances of the colony into consideration) the provincial form of Go vernment in the North Island should be abolished; this House further declares its opinion that the provincial system of Go vernment in the North Island should, as soon as possible, be followed by an inexpensive but more thorough form of local Government, under which the island should be divided into districts and sub-districts, endowed with substantial revenues, and the residents therein be enabled to take a larger and more direct share in the management of local affairs, and the expenditure of local revenues, than is at present the case." They would thus see that it would give the people of the colony at the various centres of population a greater local interest in their Government. He thought that the time had now arrived when a change should be made, but of course it was impossible to say what the shape of the proposed Bill would be. Its preparation was in very able hands, and perhaps it might take the shape of the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works Bill. Had this Bill not been passed, there could be no doubt that the southern part of Canter bury would have been separated. Another reason in favor of the change was that now the communication between the provinces was speedier and shorter than in the early days. Let them look at the great Australian countries; there they saw the scheme of Government carried on without these provincial divisions and multiplicity of Governments. He thought that it would be far better to centralise the legislation as regarded the North Island provinces, the General Assembly doing the work of legis lation now in the hands of the Provincial Governments. In Canterbury in 1872 an attempt was made to simplify Provincial institutions, and a set of resolutions were passed on the motion of the Hon George Buckley. They were as follows:—"1. That the Superintendent should be elected by the vote of an absolute majority of the Provin cial Council,either from amongthe members or the electors of the province. 2. 