The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1883. News of Battle.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 971, 16 June 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1883. News of Battle.

If the first action of the Opposition in the present session of Parliament can be taken as a criterion of their future conduct, it is evident that they do not intend to follow the same tactics that they did last year. Mr Montgomery has already given notice of his intention to move the repeal of the Property Assessment Tax, and Sir George Grey! is to bring forward a 'motion, “ that, in the opinion of the House, a Land Tax should be imposed. ” As this is a direct challenge to the Government on the question of their policy, the gauntlet thus thrown down has been taken up, and we may expect that the battle which is to decide the strength of patties will be fought upon a distinct issue before many days have passed. Should the side that is beaten accept the defeat with a goojd grace, and, instead of carrying on a factious obstruction, lend their assistance in passing measures that commend themselves to their minds, ' the colony will have reason to rejoice. Of the result of the fight we have little doubt, and the majority of ten, which the Ministry claim they can command on a direct vote of want-of-confidence, such as is involved in the two motions of Mr Montgomery and Sir George Grey, is probably not over-estimated. Whether the Opposition have any hope that Parliament will entirely alter the incidence of taxation, when the present system has met with such general approval throughout the colony, is exceedingly questionable, and their courage in bringing the matter forward so early savors somewhat of rashness, although anything that will tend to facilitate the transaction ot business and so shorten the session will be welcomed by the people. So long as we have party government it is obvious that the relative strength of parlies should be decided once for all upon some crucial question of policy, instead of upon minor matters, as was attempted to be done last session. The only object served by this latter course is to give members both great and small an opportunity to pour forth a “ weak, wishy-washy, everlasting flood ” of talk, and it must be confessed that we have enough and to spare of that sort of thing in the New Zealand Parliament, even under the most favorable circumstances. Still, we must admit that we are not over-sanguine as to the Opposition accepting the defeat that will probably follow the discussion of the two motions referred to. The force of habit, and especially of bad habit, is too strong to be easily cast aside, and we should not be greatly surprised if the tactics of last session were again resorted to. Nor would we have the Opposition submit tamely, simply because the great battle did not go with them. Even if the House determines that on the whole the present adminisration is better suited to the circumitknces of the time than a Montgomery Government would be, there itill remains a wide sphere of useful ■ vork forthe believers in the member ] orAkaroa. In a little Parliament like mrs, ten is certainly a good working <

majority, but it must be remembered that this majority would probably be lessened were.a division taken ~a motion not implying a direct vote of want-of-confidence. The Opposition may not be strong enough to oust their rivals from office, but if they work. together, they have sufficient strength to prevent the Ministry abusing the power they at present possess. It would have, however, saved time if the two motions had been embodied in one, as the imposition of a land tax, in the eyes of the Opposition, is a natural consequence of the abolition of the Property Tax, and the fact that one proposal emanates from Sir George Grey and the other from Mr Montgomery, seems to show that the party has still two leaders, and therefore is in as disorganised a state as it was last session. As to the battle itself, we do not anticipate anything very interesting. The arguments for and against the Land Tax and the Property Tax have been repeated ad nauseam , and the colony has quite made up its mind as to which is better suited to its requirements. But if the result of the fight is the clear defining of the relative strength of parties in the House, so that work can be carried on in earnest, its being fought early in the session will be a palpable advantage.