The Akaroa Mail.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 507, 24 May 1881, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail.

TUESDAY, MAY 24,

During the past few days we have been quite flooded with a succession of presessional speeches, and what is more, we are not at the end of them yet. Mr Ballance at Wanganui, on the 11th, made an elaborate and effective reply to Major Atkinson's speech on the qucs_ tion of the Land Tax versus Property Tax. Mr Saunders at Waikari, on the I.2th inst., as usual, hit all round, and made an effort to set himself right in the matter of not answering his constituents' letters, aud in this negative business he was fairly successful. He at the same time made the discovery that the Grey Ministry during their short term of office had spent fifteen millions of public money. It would be rather j interesting to learn from Mr Saunders where they got the money from to spend, and where they spent it. Sir George Grey, the " old man eloquent," addressed a large public meeting in Auckland a few days ago, and broached a grand scheme for the federation of the Empire. The scheme is grandiose and magnificent in the extreme, but rather out of the region of colonial politics, pure and simple, and likely to remain, we fear, *or a long time yet one of the dreams of

the future. Mr Shepherd, at Wakefield, -said nothing either wise or very original to enlighten his fellow-colonists on the situation, and in this no one was disappointed. Mr Macandrew, the cxMinister for Public Works, met his constituents, and fought the battle of the figures between himself and the Colonial Treasurer over again, to the speaker's entire satisfaction. He thought the retrenchment policy of the Government was a fine sample of " much cry and little wool." The carrying out of projected railways by joint stock companies he thought a mistake, and indicated some scheme of borrowing more money for the purposes of railways from some National Bank of the future. The scheme, no doubt, is clear to Mr Macandrew, but we confess our inability to see it. The pleasant information comes to us rather late that we could have done without the Property Tax altogether. On the question o f education he naturally prefers the old system of Otago to all others, and suggests that the school age should be reduced to six or seven years, and prefers a system of acquiring a practical knowledge of agriculture and manufacture to that of Greek and Latin. In the matter of tho reform of the Supreme Court and making the paths to justice between man and man more accessible, we are quite with Mr Macandrew, and think that here he opens up a fine field for his undoubted talents. Domestic legislation of this sort is quite as useful as grand schemes ol federation and monthly steam services from London to Port Chalmers. On this pet subject, which he characterises as " the grandest steam line in the world," Mr Macandrew was of course great. Mr Bain (one of the Ministers that is to be, should the Hall Ministry hang long enough together,) gave a resume' of public affairs chiefly in connection with local I matters at Invercargill during last week. He was requested to state why he had persistently voted for a Ministery that had consistently tried to strangle the industries of Invercargill. The telegraphic report states that confusion ensued, but a vote of confidence was ultimately carried. Mr Tomoana, the native member for the East Coast district, has had his say to his constituents, chiefly on Native Land questions, but confessed himself very " dark."

Amidst all the sea of talk and what Carlyle would call babblement, it is difficult to in any way forecast the political future, there is so much vacant chaff and little grain, both on the side of Ministers and their opponents. If this sort of thing continues much longer party government in New Zealand will have no existence, and we shall be at the mercy of a number of insignificant cliques and cabals. On Thursday, however, the Promier, Sir Oracle, will meet his friends at Leeston, and on Monday Mr Montgomery at Akaroa. Till then let no dog bark.