The Evening Star TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2360, 25 October 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1870.

Wfi hardly know which is the mast absurd : the idea of a candidate pouring forth his cut-and-dried sophisms at a meeting of electors, or the questions that are put to him by friends or opponents. To have listened to Mr Bathgate last night, one would have sup-

posed that all the Provincial Councils that have ruled over tbe destinies of the Province in time past have been corrupt or foolish, and that he and those who coincided with him only, know the panacea for the evils under which the country is said to groan. Just as candidates for seats in Parliament do at Home, so did he. He told his hearers that nothing is, is right; laws were badly made, vide the Roads Act of 240 clauses ; money was wastefully expended, land was locked up—“ Ergo, send me to Parliament.” Then the electors rose one after another, and some were listened to and some were not ; and in answer to those who were, Mr Bathgate drew verypretty pictures of his ideal Atlantis. He told the electors that the cost of government was so much, and he could reduce it to about one-half; that there was waste in the expenditure upon public works, and that that might be reduced ; that law-making should cease in the Province, the Council of which should have something of the character of a Municipal Council: although the Daily Times says that the legislation of the Parliament of the Colony is ignorant and abominable, and that not one Act only of 240 clauses, but many Acta with indefinite numbers of clauses are unworkable ; and last of all, Mr Bathgate said, if we only start with a clean sheet—a tabula, rasa —and sweep away all past land legislation, he is prepared with a scheme by which we may make a fresh start on ecpiitable principles. Then a young aspirant to future legislative honors jumped up, and proposed Mr Bathgate as “a fit " and proper person to represent Dun- “ edin in the Provincial Council,” and nobody gainsaid it. The same farce will be gone through by the others, who however being probably less poetical in their temperaments than Mr Bathgate, may perhaps deal in a more practical manner with things as they are. What we protest against is, the system of treating men at the close of the nineteenth century like babies, and dangling pretty visions before their eyes, as if they could not discern the ‘unreality of the baubles they are bid to look forward to. Mr Barnes in his common-sense way remarked —“ You “ tell us you could save so much ; but “ you do not tell us how. The expen- “ diture on public works is necessary, li and if you reduce that, you throw “ men out of work.” We do not know that Mr Barnes could follow out to its ultimatum the truth that he uttered. Perhaps he might have in his mind the narrow view that persons of his class of thinking have of. public works, and only looks upon them as giving immediate employment to those engaged upon them. But whether or not he looks beyond, and sees in every mile of road, bridge, or railroad constructed the means of creating and perpetuating employment for coming immigrants, his common sense detected the claptrap that lay concealed beneath the proffered bait. Next the Land Laws —that ever fruitful source of agitation —were attacked. We do not mean to say that these are perfect— but we do say they are not what Mr Bathgate represented them to be; and, moreover, he knew well that he is powerless to make them what they should be ; for he plainly intimated as much when ho said, in order to realise his millenium for fanners, a clean sweep of all past legislation must be made : that is, all existing interests must be swept away. We need not say that this implies repudiation of all engagements entered into by the Province and by individuals on faith of existing laws; the abrogation of all rights acquired under them; the ruin of the squatters, a fresh start for the farmers. Had ho been politically straightforward, he would at once have told the electors that the thing was impossible ; that the only duty now to be done was to make a good use of the present law, and to have altered what works badly ; that any change must be made with reference to existing interests ; and that the Big Clarkes, who he said would be such gainers by relinquishing the land that they had purchased and paid for, had really been of service to the country; for they have advanced capital for the prosecution of works, by purchasing laud that depends for its recouping them their investments with profit, upon the increased value which will result from the progress and prosperity of the Province. He was not altogether wrong when he blamed the Provincial Government and Council for having contributed to the depression in the Province; but we differ from him as to the cause. They have thrown twelve months’ land sales away by refusing to bring tho Hundreds Regulation Act into operation. They were warned of the consequences, but they would not listen. They might have had a good Provincial revenue to prosecute tbe works for which appropriations wore made, but the laud agitators closed the market, The Land Laws are not what we would have them : but wo know that to be impossible with the prevailing opinions in regard to laud. We do not believe in

Mr Bathgate’s theories, any more than in the present imperfections of our land system ; but we do believe that, with all their shortcomings, the laws may be'so administered as to conduce to the welfare of all classes in the Province. We have never known a land law yet, however good, that might not be spoiled by bad administration ; nor however bad, but might be made a blessing if wisely administered.