The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3817, 19 May 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1875.

Thk breeze in the Council passed over last night with disastrous results to the present Government. At the same time there was a very widely expressed feeling throughout the debate that Mr fins was the man at the present time best able to administer the affairs of the Province. The attempt made during the recess by that gentleman to conduct the business almost single-handed was unanimously condemned. No one said harder things of this mild approach to ad ministrative despotism than Mr M‘Lean, who was the only member off the benches who defended the Government with any spirit. There can be no doubt that the members of the Government were quite able to carry out their responsibilities to the Council if all, or even a majority of them had had a practical office to superintend. Last year the Works Department was found to be so increasing that it was proposed that the control and management of railways should be separated from the charge of the Secretary for Works. If this had been done, there would have been this year less cause for complaint. We have been accustomed to speak our opinion so freely of Mr Reid’s business capacity that when we praised him - not unnaturally—ho was indignant, especially at one idea: that he had not been able to grasp the works with power. As Mr M'Lkan has constituted himself Executive schoolmaster, we hope he will yet learn wisdom, and see that the true art of government dees not consist in doing everything himself, but in seeing that others do the work That is the sole difference between an able administrator and an able departmental head. The Council wishes the assistance of Mr Reid’s brains. It is not to its advantage that he should wear himself out and neglect important matters in order to do work that any of his departmental officers could d» for him It would be idle if not mischievous to speculate upon the changes likely to ensue. The Council is so thoroughly disunited that it will not bo easy for any Government to put through the remaining business with expedition. The Opposition, a though their charges were, as Mr Tolmie remarked, trifling, if not flimsy in themselves, and besides were very poorly advanced, yet refrained from personal tirades or factious speeches. From this tone, so greatly improved from what we remember last year, we are hopeful no unnecessary obstacle will be raised to the satisfactory adjustment of the prtßen! difficulty.