The Clutha Leader. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1874.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 10, 10 September 1874, Page 2

The Clutha Leader. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1874.

When through the medium of the Press and otherwise, the details of the legislation proposed, abandoned, and carried out by the Uovernrnen^duriijgTthe; re- V> cent Session of Assembly snail have been fully understood by the' public, we think it will be genendly conceded' that, that session has been" the strangest which has been held in this Colony for many years. 'Ihe chief measures, sha- ; dowed forth in His fixcelleney's open- * ing address, as to be introduced for the consideration of honorable, members were a bill connected with lite insuranc; '" measures regarding the annexation of or the establishing of commercial relations with the islands of Polynesia,; a new electoral bill ; a state, forests. bill j, , and a measure to provide against difficulties which may arise in consequence I of continued differences of opinion between the two branches of the legislature — in other words, a* Constitution Amendment Act. His Excellency also indicated that in consequence of the necessity for the attention of Ministers being devoted to their administrative duties, it was considered expedient not to invite legislation upon questions which did not press for immediate solution. From this it was understood that all elements of ; discord were, as far as } possible, to be eschewed; that the session would be but of short duration, and ; that at its close Ministers would quietly return to the active prosecution of the- ' Public Works and Immigration Scheme in which the country is engaged. 'So 1 far as the Government programme was., concerned, the session might' indeed! have been short, for, with one exception the whole of the measures announced were either never introduced; or only H introduced to be at once abandoned. J That exception was the State Forests Bill, which was passed in a form of which the Government, have': little rea- : son to be proud. The Premier himself; compared the measure, as passed,' to the play of Hamlet minus the; part of the Prince— that is to say ti that from the tbill was removed all the provisions as to> the acquirement of land. 'In- -other words the Act authorises the Govern-: . ment to incur the necessary expenditure for creating state forests, plant, trees, employ conservators, &c , but they dare not appropriate one acre of land for the purpose. Bricks may be made without straw, but, without soil, to make trees grow to ruch an extent that the revenues to be derived from fhe cuttings will be sufficient to form a sinking fund lor the borrowed money of i\ew-Z<>a-"-' land; and that the . revenue from, the. :; forests themselves will ultimately, .payoff the colonial debt— to accomplish all . this will, we few r, tax the ingenuity of even Mr. Julius Yogel. Such, however, is the result of the legislation of the : : session . upon the Government programme. Numerous measures affecting local interests were introduced by private members, and passed through both houses of the legislature, and amongst others an Otasro Land Bill, and a Oiutha River Trust Bill, the nature of both of which were explained "by Mr." Thomson <on Monday evening, r anji a- r full report of whose speech we give in 'y. I this issue.; Tt must -have been -ex-- ... j tremely galling to the Premier to ! find his bills so cavalierly .treated by - :( honorable members, while their own „ I measures were maturely considered and I legislated upon., No wonder that he saw • •{ | his influence was on the. wane, and. that „ some bold stroke of policy— -some' grand J coup de. etak was, necessary to a continue , r aace of his political star in the asccendency.' It was absolutely necessary that the attention of honorablemembers and the public should be diverted from the virtual defeats of the Government, and , concentrated upon some new " surprise." The Premier was equal to the ' occasion. Some of the measures, particularly the Forests Bill, had been opposed in consequence of the supposed injustice, they, would inflict ( upon the , ( , central power between 'torn"' ana the' ' ! people— the. -provincial > institutions, id,* although these institutions .had stood for twenty years, arid iiot,withstandihg> r; ?A all they had been the means f of accomr **... plishing for the country, they now were found to act as a barrier to the Pre" mierin the continuance of his^pqAyer and the carrying out of his ambition, and he resolved that they should be swept out of existence. . Hence his f esol n tion; for ~\' the abolition of provincialism in the-" North Island,- ? and r- in :the ; passing 'of .-< which he met with so many willing , followers in the Housed ' Tbe'pvc-vinVes",' a " however, are.sTilldn , * ami it remains for the. several ccnstituences 'to say; whether; Mr-Vogelte resolution* wili-i'.V: or \vill f not be given effect to .at wtt session:' This is the 'great question 1 for ' : ' consideration during tbe ,-recess.«--r^V T -jh#tcos i the ultimate decision may be it is im* .