The Evening Star FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2219, 17 June 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 1870.

After the most approved fashion in legislative assemblies, the reply to the Governor’s speech passed without opposition in the House of Representatives. Our telegraphic knowledge of it is meagre enough, but quilo sulliyicat lor the

purpase of gathering a notion or two of what passed. Mr Stafford appears to wish for a change in the tactics of his party, now that his successor’s policy has proved the folly of his own. He wishes tire past buried —ami well he may if ho aspires to bo again Premier of New Zealand The past will not bear rellection. it was. a series cu blunders such as the merest tyro inadministration would be ashamed to j acknowledge. There were blunders in war, blunders in sociology, blunders in finance, blunders in parliamentary tactics. Tire wonder is the party held together so long. Perhaps they would not, had there not been a pretty little log-rolling game going on in which representatives ot different Provinces bartered their votes tor the Sake cn local or persona] interest. Mr Stafford would like to forget the course this system of toadyism impelled him forward in, and will in all probability lie by and watch until the favors the present Administration can confer are all absorbed, when he will again seize the reins to feed a new set cf cormorants, ready to support him so long as there is anything to be had. By this backwards and forwards work the revenue is apportioned ] rich Provinces are deprived of the legitimate use of the taxes they contribute towards it, and the support of poor ones is purchased. With such a game of beggar-my-neighbor going on, the only chance of obtaining bare justice consists in the check that one player has upon another, by threatening to withhold his vote if an adverse measure is proposed, and promising his support on some other in his opinion not quite so bad. One of our Otago representatives euphoniously calls this “ scratch-ray-back system and I’ll scratch yours” a system of compromises, and acknowledges fairly enough that unless mutual concessions were I made, Parliament could not rub on at I all. We have no doubt there is too much truth iu this, and wc may fairly ask how much Otago has to sutler or to gain during the coming session. The debate in reply to a Governor’s speech is a most convenient opportunity to put out a feeler or two —in met, for a member to put in a little programme of his own —just a word 01 two telling the cards he holds and the game he is prepared to play. If o ne advertises the price of his support by this ingenious dodging, another follows in his wake, and takes care to intimate that he too has similar wares to dispose of. There is no occasion to say much —Government only needs a sign to -understand the juice ; and if it is too high, or it is not convenient to pay it, they must set the log a-rolling in another direction. Mr Rich has shown that his cards have protection written ujion them, and Mr Hall so far exposed his hand as to show the same. Our own Provincial Council has already expressed its ojuniou that restrictions should be laid on trade by imposing a duty on com, and a.s most of our Otago representatives have the same contracted idea, wc anticipate the question of monopoly will form one of the chief items of interest of the present session. Stripped of all its sophistries, it merely means that the farmers of Otago and Canterbury want a law passed to enable them to get a better price for their cereals in the North Island than they will be able to do if they have to compete with the farmers of California six thousand miles away. The tax laid upon the people of Otago and the Middle Island will be kept out of sight in the debate. The land they want to punish is far off —so far off, in fact, that they will not be able to reach it and do any appreciable damage to it. The real damage will be done at home, if the measure be carried and have any effect whatever. Already oppressed with taxation for Northern jwposes until the burden is intolerable, Mr Rich, Mr Hall, and we suppose on the system of mutual compromises i.e., log-rolling other Middle Island members will attempt additional taxation for the sake of the farmers ] for it must not be forgotten those pay the tax who eat the bread. The Northern islanders who, like the patriarchs of old, are devoted to jiastoral pursuits, will try to prevent the log being rolled to their hindrance, and they will oppose protection. Government at present is neutral, They have not given any signs of moving either wav ; but Mr Vogel tried to obtain the Government share of the new tax last year. As it is not a question of principle with our representatives, but one of exjiedienoy, we are quite jn'opared to see the policy adopted. We shall hear huge expressions of congratulation about increasing our trade with America, when one of our fii’st efforts will be to j>laco it in fetters. We say iu one breath come and fetch our goods, and with another we will not take yours. We profess to wish for extension of trade for mutual benefit, yet we do our best + o close our ports. We shall be glad to send our butter, cheese, tallow, and wool, although the Californian producer will thereby have to reduce his prices, but ns we want all the profit, the surplus

produce of that country ia not to be sent here. Our notion of mutual benefit is that the sum of the profits shall be ours, and- the way we propose to obtain it is ; by increasing taxes/and thus reducing the .profits of all classes but one.