The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1887. PARLIAMENTARY WORK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1723, 23 December 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1887. PARLIAMENTARY WORK.

Weeks and weeks ago we pointed out that the time of the session was designedly beiDg wasted so that the usual Atkinsonian dodge of rushing the most important Bills through without due consideration, and when members were being wearied out by over work, might be resorted to m order to enable the Government to carry their policy Bills The proceedings of the last few days show that we were not wrong m our prognostication. Members have been worn out with fifteen to nineteen hours work for each of the six days m the working week, and measures have been allowed to pass almost without debate — at anyrate without having had due consideration and discussion. We need not go further than theGovernment Railways Bill for an instance of the unsatisfactory manner m which Bills of the utmost importance are rushed through. Major Atkinson's attitude of late reminds us of that very useful but humble functionary m our municipal economy, the channel clearer, who ruthlessly and vigorously sweeps everything before him — opposition or resistance is useless. On they must go. The Major is the sweeper, and with his brush — his immense majority — pushes everything frefore htm. Should he meet with indiyidyal .obstruction— such as a stone | — -he dexterously "chucks it out," as 'he did poor Sir George Grey last night. This is not a satisfactory position for a country's legislature t,o be ?n, and has more than anything else tended to disgust the gettlei.s with party government. To what does tUe 014 adage— X What is worth doing, is worth doing well" — apply with such force as to the fi/ork of legislation. That our legislation p/ thg present session does not come into Jhi category I—well1 — well donefew will be bold £nough to deny, We notice that several of our contemporaries ate m a.c£prd w|th us, m the opinions we have e^pre§^4 qn the subject. The Wanganui "H.eraJ4 ; ' has the following m a recent issue ; — "The manner m which the beginning of the session was wasted by the Government, who, apparently on purpose, dragged out the financial Debate | till the very name stank^io the nostrils pf the public, has been equalled m the pto extreme by tbe tactic? resorted

to to force through business at the fag end of the session. We take from the " Post " of last night the following description of the ' slummocking ' process that has been followed m connection with important measures : — The Railways Bill, one of the most important measures of the session, was passed through Committee m a House averaging throughout little more than 25 members. One or two members contested certain sections somewhat strenuously, but the bulk of the clauses were simply slummocked through. A number of alterations and provisions were inserted on the motion of the Minister for Public Works, but no one could hear a word that Mr Mitchelson said, and no one seemed to care." The people are getting pretty well tired of this kind of thing, and we should not be surprised if a new departure m the Government of the colony were taken before another Chris tma&tide comes round.