There was no possible reason why, so long as they could meet their engagements, the Government here should not administer its affairs with satisfaction to the community, as it had done hitherto. The people of Otago wanted nothing beyond the limits of their own Province; and if Canterbury was ambitious to receive the domains of Nel son, Westland, and Marlborough, he, as a member of the Otago community, would be quite willing that Canterbury should do so. If, on the other hand, Canter bury had the slightest scruple about accepting such a gift, he would sug gest that the three smaller Provinces should be handed over to the Colonial Government, which, according to a high authority, could easily support them out of the abundance of the Consolidated revenue. He did not know that there was much more that he need say with regard to the Provincial form of Govern ment, further than to point out the system under which he thought affairs should be administered in future. He, for one, did not ignore the fact that there had been and still was a very strong desire, that while they should retain their Provincial administration, their land revenues, and everything that at present belonged to them, they should dis ponse with the Provincial legislative machinery. This was no new view that he was propounding, as he had proposed resolutions to that effect when he held a seat in the Provincial Council. He pro posed that the number of the members of a Council should be reduced to 37, being

the number of representatives sent by the Province to the General Assembly. His view was that each of the General Assembly electoral districts should return a member to the Provincial Council, and he believed that if he could have seen bis way to increase the number beyond 17, he would have found supporters for his motion. He could not see what good results flowed from the meeting every year of the Provincial Council for the purpose of having what was called a Ministerial crisis. He entirely endorsed the remarks which had often been made here that they had too much playing at Parliament. 