The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2729, 15 November 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1871.

The reason why Mr Sewell resigned is at length manifest: he was opposed to the progressive measures of the Ministry. No one imagined that his withdrawal from the Executive was any real loss to them. Whether it be from the effect of age or from some other cause, ho has not commanded the confidence of the Country, and now he has justified public opinion by assuming to himself to lead the Opposition to the Government in the Council, Judging by their mode of dealing with the Public Works Act, a most useful portion of it is cut out. The public may be curious to know what reasons will be assigned for this: but they may assure themselves that no men would like to state the true ones. In a Council composed of politicians, squatters, and large landed proprietors, the motives to a certain course of action may be very mixed. With Mr Sewell for instance, never cordial Avith the present Ministry, and never remarkable for disinterestedness, personal feeling may be the prime mover. As we have pot the division list before us, avc

cannot -scan / the,/ possible reasons influencing each particular member of the Council ; but it is more than probable that some of the Otago members may feel inclined to take umbrage at a supposed slight in not thrusting an Otago man into a vacant Ministerial seat. We shall be glad to find our surmise incorrect for the sake of the Colony, and -of the men themselves. We know it is not very complimentary to our Legislative Council to imagine so august a body capable of being swayed by such paltry motives as-per-sonal antipathies. Our morning contemporary finds very different reasons, only they are manifestly incorrect; for it is not true that the Public Works and Immigration Bill has been hurried through the House of Representatives. It was even made a condition that prior to passing a single estimate that Bill should be before the House. This little mistake may be excused, taking into consideration that our contemporary has a way of looking only on the dark side of measures calculated to benefit the Country. Perhaps brief quiet reflection might have led him to the conclusion that it was possible there might be a fear of being subject to road rates for the construction of railroads floating in the minds of the bucolic members of the Council ; and that a majority of them had been so long accustomed to travel on bush or macadamised roads, as to look with horror upon the idea of being compelled to contribute to a better class. The mode in which they dealt with the Payment to Provinces Bill suggests this view of the case. They are by no means singular. They, like the Upper House at Horae, are very slow to move. To be sure, it would be very irreverent to suppose the fear of an immediate attack upon their pockets would sway their judgment either one way or the other, especially as every penny laid out would prove a good investment, and return itself one hun-dred-fold. But rich men do not always calculate in that way. Many of them speculate upon ways and means of other people putting money into their hands. It would have been very nice ndeed to have roads made to or through their estates by Road Boards, independent altogether of those democratic Provincial Councils; and the idea of rating a district for one Of those vile compounds of iron and .. UJotiio-i. ...iJlvnarl. l faugh ! why bring such an abomination Betwixt the wind and their nobility. If it could be made at other people’s expense it would be another thing. The convenience and addition to the value of their property would enable them to endure the puffing and hissing of the iron horse. They can afford to wait that time. Their wool has paid them hitherto, and will pay them againTheir mutton seems likely to pay them. Why should they and their class pay fora railroad 1 ? But the Colony will not rest satisfied thus. Deprive the Bill of the means of construction of branch lines on fair and equitable terms, and the Act will be shorn cf half its usefulness. We can only conceive one other motive for their con- 1 duct, and that is a determination to assert their power in retaliation for their defeat on the Payment of Pro vinces Act. But it seems to us, in this case as in that, they have exceeded their power, and instead of supervising they have set themselves to destroy the work of the House of Representatives. There can be but one result, an infusion of new blood, for the Country has spoken through its represen-: tatives, and cannot submit to have its deliberate arrangements subjected to obstruction through mere faction.