The Evening Star. THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4162, 29 June 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star. THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1876.

The Piako Swamp affair is settled after a fortnight's interruption to public business, but has resulted very differently from the expectations of the leading members of the Opposition. The declared anticipation of some of the Otago members before going to Wellington was that the Ministry would hare to resign before the close of the first week of the session; and how many of them expected to succeed to the vacant offices it is impossib!e to say. The minority of twenty was largely composed of those Otugo aspirants, although there are some few names of pur representativea that do not appear on either side. We regard the action of the Opposition as suicidal. We do not oonsider the division list indicates the probable strength of parties in the House, although even iu thiit respect it is significant when it is considered that the Ministry accepted Sir George Grey's motion as one of want of confidence, and that only on the express solicitation of a majority, did they consent to retain their portfolios. Two circumstances are brought out in strong relief: one is the utter incompetence of Sir George Grey to be a successful party leader, and the other that he is mainly supportod by a few of the younger and less able members of the House. It is evident, notwithstanding the boasting of the party at the late election and the manifestos issued in which the Piako Swamp business was lugged in as a charge against the General Government, the main strength of Provincialism lay in the imagination of the people of Otago. The exhibition of party just closed shows conclusively that the Opposition instead of being a well-compacted organisation of able men capable of at once assuming the reins of Government, inoludss but few of experience, and that even if future proceedings should show that, they aye jnore nunie-

reus than appears from the late divi* f sion, there are no nan-sea among thorn that the country would have oontideoce in. Messrs J. 0. Brown, Burns, T)e Lautour, Rises, and Thomson have hardly sufficiently distinguished themselves as statesmen to justify the Colony iti accepting their services in lien of lha Hole men they seek to supersede. One very singular eonreraipn should not b9 over* looked in ■« connection with the late debate. His Honor the Superintendent has discovered the error oi his ways. He asked whether, "in the interests of the public," *' it was wise, prudent, or expedient to dispose of 87,000 aotes of land to one individual without competition and at 2s 0d per aoro," . This was not the language of Mr Macandrf.w to the Waste Land Board of Otago when they refused to sanction the sale of large block.3 of land, of acknowledged value to a few persons, without public competition. If, in excuse for his view of the matter, it is said the circumstances differ, we admit they do ; but all the differences aro in palliation of the Northern transaction, and condemnatory of the course he himself adopted. The Bftle of the swamp included conditions on whioh depended great public benefit; the sale of the 64,000 acre? in Otago virtually shut up the land from settlement and occupation. In ordor to render the swamp remunerative it must be drained at immense oost; the transfer of the fee simple of their runs to the pastoral proprietors of Otago would have handed over to them land already productive, deprived the Province of an annual revenue, and of the prospective advantage of additional rental on falling in of the leases. Although Mr Macandrkw compared the swamp to the condition of the Taieri plain a few years ago, having examined the evidence given before the committee last year, we cannot compliment him on the justness of the simile. Taieri plain" flooded, may have presented an appearance to the Piako Swamp ; the difference is, however, that when the rain ceases the water runs off the Taieri Plain and leaves it none the worse for its drenching j but rain or fair weather makes little difference to the Piako Swamp—the water is always there. The Taieri Plain is ready-made agricultural land ) the Piako Swamp, if ever it becomes available for agriculture, has to be made. The Taieri Plain needed no outlay that settlers could not command to render it productive; the Piako Swamp requires the outlay of an unknown amount of money if it is to become useful. Still less does this flimsy excuse for opposition apply to the pressure brought to bear upon the Waste Land Board by his Honor. I If in his estimation it was unwise to sell a swamp that may or may not be made available for settlement, surely it is still more inexcusable to sell country in valuable occupation. So far as straightforward consistency is concerned, the Ministry have had far the best of the contest. Our contemporary, the * Daily Times,' does not seem to claim any credit for foresight as to the result of this debate. It had great hopes of Mr Stafford coming to the front and putting the Ministry to the rout. Has Mr Stafford disappointed Sir Oracle so that one of his customary "we before stateds" or <l we predicted" is inapplicable? Perhaps, a little forecast of the financial statement ct la Master Humphrey may restore the equilibrium. Mr Macandrew has expressed the opinion that there might be hundreds of thousands saved by entrusting him with Colonial finance, and Mr STAFFORD tried his hand in that direction : but it cost the country dear. Cpuld not a prophetic article be written on that point 1,