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The Provinces.
The provinces at the time the Constitution Act was passed were six in number as follows:—
| Wellington, founded in |
1840 |
| Auckland, founded in |
1840-41 |
| New Plymouth, founded in |
1841 |
| Nelson, founded in |
1841 |
| Otago, founded in |
1848 |
| Canterbury, founded in |
1850 |
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Subsequently four other provinces were constituted, namely:—
| Hawkes Bay, carved out of Wellington in |
1858 |
| Marlborough, Bay, carved out of Nelson in |
1859-60 |
| Southland, Bay, carved out of Otago in |
1861 |
| Westland, Bay, carved out of Canterbury in |
1868 |
I can only devote a few words to the work of the provincial system, though it well might occupy an entire paper. It did a vast amount of good in the way of practically colonising the country. It came to an end in 1875 for reasons which scarcely reflected on its merits or its usefulness. These reasons were chiefly of a financial character. They may be briefly described as—
| 1st. | —The disparity of means and condition of the provinces, chiefly occasioned by the deadening influence of native difficulties, and the large quantity of land which in consequence was shut out from settlement. |
| 2nd. | —The interference with the colonial system of public works to which 1 shall refer later. The fact was that some of the provinces—eager young giants in the way of progress—were not contented with the efforts of the whole Colony, but desired to supplement them by extensive works of their own, entailing financial rivalry. |
The revenues of the Colony in short could not stand the provincial system contemporaneously with the large colonial prosecution of public works. It, however, played a splendid part in New Zealand's advancement. Without it there would have been little colonization; probably everything would have been frittered away under Imperial control in disputes with the natives. I am much mistaken if the last has been heard of the provincial system, it may be resumed some day with modifications which would not require to be of a serious character.
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