Chapter XIV

LEARNING TO WALK

  “Some therefore cried one thing and some another; for the
  Assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore
  they were come together.”

The Constitution under which the colonists were granted the management of their own affairs was partly based on Grey’s suggestions, though it was drafted in England by Mr. Adderley under Gibbon Wakefield’s supervision.  Its quality may be judged from its duration.  It worked almost without alteration for twenty-two years, and in the main well.  Thereafter it was much cut about and altered.  Briefly described, it provided the Colony with a dual system of self-government under a Viceroy appointed by the Colonial Office, who was to be Commander-in-Chief of the Queen’s forces in the Colony, and might reserve Bills for the consideration of Her Majesty—­in effect for that of the Home Government.  Under this proviso laws restricting immigration from other parts of the Empire or affecting mercantile marine have, it may be mentioned, been sometimes reserved and vetoed.  Foreign affairs and currency were virtually excluded from the scope of the Colonial Government.  The Viceroy might use his judgment in granting or withholding dissolutions of Parliament.  Side by side with the central Parliament were to exist a number of provincial assemblies.  The central Parliament was to have two Chambers, the Provincial Councils one.  Over the Parliament was to be the Viceroy ruling through Ministers; over each Provincial Council, a superintendent elected, like the Councils, by the people of his province.  Each superintendent was to have a small executive of officials, who were themselves to be councillors—­a sort of small Cabinet.  The central Parliament, called the General Assembly, was to have an Upper House called the Legislative Council, whose members were, Grey suggested, to be elected by the Provincial Councils.  But in England, Sir John Pakington demurred to this, and decided that they should be nominated for life by the Crown.  Their number was not fixed by law.  Had Grey’s proposal been carried out, New Zealand would have had a powerful Senate eclipsing altogether the Lower Chamber.  The thirty-seven members of the Lower House were, of course, to be elected—­on a franchise liberal though not universal.  To be eligible, a member must be qualified to have his name on an electoral roll, and not have been convicted of any infamous offence, and would lose his seat by bankruptcy.  Until 1880 the ordinary duration of Parliament was five years.  The Provinces numbered six:  Auckland, Taranaki, Nelson, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago.  Maoris had no special representation.  They might register as landowners, and vote with the white electors, but as a matter of fact not many did so, and after a foolish and unfair delay of fifteen years they were given four members solely chosen by Maoris, and who must themselves be Maoris or half-castes.  Two of their chiefs were at the same time called to the Legislative Council.