The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 140, 20 November 1877, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20.

The scenes in the Honse of Representatives resemble those enacted in a bear garden, or, more correctly, that presented by a faction fight, rather than the proceedings of the collective wisdom of the land, gravely deliberating as to what is best suited to promote the country's weal. The amenities of debate, nay, even of civilized life, appear for the nonce to be forgotten. Honorable members freely compare each other to divers and sundry animals—the dog, the cat, the monkey, and the bat being often the similitudes selected to represent a political opponent, or, now and then, a friend. The dog appears to be a particularly favourite simile, the noble and generous mastiff, or the vile, ignoble cur, being referred to as having precisely similar qualities to certain honorable members, the application of the simile varying according to the taste or political predilection of the speaker. A pretty state of affairs truly, one utterly unworthy of the Supreme Legislature of a country which claims the proud title of the " Britain of the South."

Parliament has now been upwards of sixteen weeks in session, and not a single measure of public importance has been passed. A few minor ones have, indeed, been carried through, but that is all. Even the money for current expenditure has been raised by Imprest (Supply Bills, the House never having gone into what may be termed the regular Committee of Supply. The expense of this long drawn out session will be enormous* ; the daily honorarium to members will, in itself, amount to no insignificant sum ; then there will be the expense of the Hansard staff, shorthand reporters for the various Committees, the charges for extra servants, lighting, and a host of minor expenses will all help to swell the amount, which will be capped by a heavy charge for printing, until, we venture to affirm, that the expenditure for the session of 1877 cannot be put down lower than several thousands of pounds. And all this money squandered, and valuable time wasted, for what ? In order that certain men may fight and struggle together for power or pelf, or perhaps for both. However, one great bone of contention, over whicli there has been much snarling and growling, has been effectually disposed of. The privilege question, which ought never to have been raised, has lapsed, through the House adjourning during the debate. It was purposely done, to get rid of a troublesome subject. The privilege question is dead and buried — Requiescat in pace. But there .are other matters which must come on, one of which the Ministry appear to wish to stave off as long as possible, and the Opposition to bring to an issue as quickly as may be. We allude to the No Confidence motion. When tins comes on for discussion—as come on it must, although report has it that Major Atkinson has seen the grave error he made in bringing it forward before Ministers had made their financial statement —when this comes on, we say, there will bo another wearisome debate ; the stream of talk wili ? for a time, flow almost without cessation—a river of words containing, peradventure, but a few drops of sense, and then the division will be taken. Probably this will be agaitist the Ministry, and they will then either have to resign instanter,

or they may advise His Excellency to appeal to the' people by dissolving the Assembly. We trust that thelatterwuTbe the case, and should rejoice most heartily in learning that this was tlie Governor's 'intention.' But.if such a happy result does not follow,'.'then the old struggle will only be renewed Avith greater fierceness. Judging from the past, the " outs " will endeavour in every way to thwart the " ins," with the view of acquiring their seats, whilst the " ins " will repel the attack by every method in their power, in order to retain, their position, and thus the fight will go on almost ad wfinitum, for neither party has strength sufficient to override the other. To speak of patriotism as connected with the party warfare now waging is to refer to a myth, and the desirefor the country's welfare a sham. Patriotic feeling cannot exist in a struggle which, it is so patent, is only for place and power. What, then, is to be done ? At the risk of being thought wearisome, we again repeat what we have before expressed—nothing but an appeal to the people will effectually remedy this state of affairs. A dissolution is inevitable, the sooner it comes the better.

Now that the day of election to the office of Mayor of this Borough is close sit hand, one turns naturally to the list of candidates for this honorable position, and somewhat critically pulls this one, or that, to pieces, with the intention of recording a vote to the one who seems most fitted in all respects for the office. The burgess who docs his duty in this respect will lay aside all prejudice or partiality, and give his interests in behalf of him whom he conscientiously believes to be properly qualified to rule at the head of Borough affairs, and in -whom he has sufficient confidence to entrust them to his care and guidance. A choice of this kind is fur the most part a comparatively easy matter in boroughs of large extent and importance, whore the various candidates for office arc, as a rule, men .of a certain standing and position, who have been connected in n, public Avay, or have been prominent in public matters, for some years ( past, and the line of whose conduct, sentiments, and policy, is generally well known. But here *in a young borough such as this, whore our citizens have, -we may almost say, never been called upon—for -whom the opportunity has never even previously presented itself—to take public office, or. public prominence, in any shape or form, the question of what may be their opinion on this or the other matter—of what may be their intended line of action, or what views have they regarding financial matters, it may be —in fact— on what standard is their future conduct of public affairs to be based—becomes a matter of vital importance, and one that it behoves the Burgesses to endeavour to get satisfactorily answered before lending their support. Personal knowledge of, or personal liking for, the mdi vidual should neither be taken as all that is necessary to arrive at a conclusion, nor should they be suffered to stand in the way of a public expression by the individual of what he intends to do should his fellow-burgesses return him to the honorable post. Personal knowledge of the individual, indeed, is v.-iluc-less, as this knowledge can only be of his private capacity, not as one in a public position, and personal liking is not only equally useless, but, perhaps, even injurious, as tending to blind one to a man's imperfections at the cost of one's sense of right and justice. For instance, one might be the owner of an old, domesticated, and well beloved Rosinante, but it would be a questionable act of saneness or propriety to enter that animal for the Derby stakes ! What should be done—and what the Burgesses, having a right to expect, should insist on, —is that a public meeting should be called, at which each candidate shall address the citizens, and state' thek views and intentions. : This .will ; li;a-ve the ratepayers in a position to decide upon tin* merits of each, and assist them to a fair and impartial judgment. The proper guidance of Borough affairs at the present time requires an able, clearheaded man at the helm, and we trust that a meeting, such as we have suggested, may be insisted upon at once, as a means to ensure the best result at the forthcoming election.