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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3176, 2 September 1881, Page 2

A weak Government may retain the respect even of its enemies, but when it makes itself ridiculous in the eyes of the House and of the country it may be safely predicted that the end is not far distant. By the introduction of the cloture resolutions, Mr Hall's Government has committed an act of supreme folly which must hasten its downfall. It was with grave hesitation, and amidst much opposition of a section of his own party, both iv the House of Commons hiul in the Press, that Mr Gladstone recently proposed eucb an extreme measure as tbe cloture. The crisis was one of the most serious tbat has occurred in recent times. The English Government was strong, being supported by one of the most powerful and—on the Irish land question—compact majorities that it has fallen to the lot of any English Minister to lead. With a third part of the kingdom in a state bordering on open revolt, this strong majority were of opinion that tbe one thing needful at the moment was to pass the Irish Land Bill. Their efforts towards

thin end v?ere frustrated by the persistent efforts of a numerically insignificant baud of Irish members. These persistent efforts had ccutinsed over an extended periou, and it way only when it became apparent that the urgently needed measure was xeaUv endangered that the great Engiieh Mifiicier reluctantly resorted to the cloture. This colony is in a state of profound per.ee and comparative prosperity. The only matter which rufflea the oveo tenor of tbe way of New Zealand Jepaktcrs is a Redistribution Bill; a queaion as to whether _7eJson shall have a member more or less, and as to whether the South shall have a slight uumerical preponderance over the North in the Leegislative Chamber or otherwise. It is under these circumstances that Mr Hall calmly asks the House to arm the Government with the dangerous power of" sbutting-up" their opponents. It is to be hoped that the House will hear no more of this one crowning folly of the present Government.