The Evening Star FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3831, 4 June 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 1875.

The new Government very soon got into work. Mr Reid’s programme, founded on a policy of leaving all debateable questions to the Council, will have the good effect of quickly ending the session. The Government is infinitely superior to either of its predecessors, and will, with seven votes on the Executive benches, easily keep a working majority. That really is the weak point. It is most ridiculous to have seven members on any Government. The nonofficial members are simply ornamental, for if either of the gentlemen holding the offices did their duty to their constituents, their representations to the Executive should and would have just as much weight as if they held their present positions. Mr Reid could not throw over the hard-working member for Oamaru Country. That we can understand, Mr Ltjmsden regains his seat probably for the same reason that Mr Mackellar is reinstated. Both gentlem en have lost the confidence generally of the interestag|they represent, and have been, as is usual in such cases, too much abused. They themselves doubtless wish time in which to regain their laurels, and naturally Mr Reid would wish to give them an opportunity to shew they have something in them, besides an unusual amount of selfopiniativeness. For that reason we are not sorry to see Mr Mackellar back again. A t the same time, the protest entered last night by all the members who have any representative interest in go’dfields, except two, backed up as that protest is by the common sense of the Council as a whole, ought not to be disregarded. The official residence of the Secretary, without doubt, must be contiguous to the Land and Survey Office to give satisfaction. The members who took exception to the general view, prove that this is so. Mr Hazlett resides, it may be said, at Cromwell, and Mr Ireland has peculiar idiosynicracies, that are understood, and in some cases appreciated. Mr Green is a decided acquisition to any Government. He will bring to his new department a steady amount of patience and good senye, which are very much needed. If there is one department more than another that needs such qualifications it is the Works. Jerky supervision is the very best way to play into the hands of unscrupulous contractors, who know how long to wait, and when to work the trump cards. Mr Green will have difficulties to contend with in a disorganised engineer’s department. He cannot expect to (seape the responsibility of being accountable for any deficiencies arising from tbis cause. The Treasury is quite safe in Mr Davie’s hands. The ultimate result of all the uproar and delay is, as we anticipated, one that the community may fairly be congratulated upon.