The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4269, 1 November 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1876.

Yesterday brought to a close the moat eventful session of Parliament that has been held in New Zealand. In spite of the most violent and unscrupulous opposition, the Ministry succeeded in carrying measures to take the place of Provincialism, and to-day, in accordance with the Act of last session, it ceases to exist. It would be very much better that now, all those antagonisms that have been allowed to sway the conduct of the Opposition should be set on one side. They allowed themselves to be carried far beyond even the usual conventional latitude in politics, and endeavored to gain their end by statements intended to bring, into disrepute men to whom New Zealand owes much, and who have done and -suffered much to secure prosperity for its 'inhabitants. So far was this system carried that Mr Bbid felt constrained to say, although he desired to be loyal to his party, he felt ashamed of the course they had pursued. In this sentiment we believe most will coincide. Even a righteous cause suffers if its advocates exhibit inc< mSetence, or seek to aid it by wring oing. The retribution is just. Who can place confidence in the ability or integrity of

men wb*, to gain an and, do net aim so much ■ to show that what they seek is right, as that thoSe who are opposed to them have been doing wrong ? Had the Piako Swamp charges been proved, or all the corruption alleged by the Opposition to have been sanctioned by the Ministry been found true instead of baseless, it would not have rendered the desirability of the abolition of Provincialism one jot the less. But, as not one of chose cha;ges so recklessly made was substau tiated, all right-thinking men, like Mr Reid, joined in condemnation of conduct so reprehensible ; and those who were not fettered joined together to support the Ministry. It is not to be supposed that the Opposition, after the strength of parties became known, really expected they could influence Parliament in its decision. Their long weary speeches and obs'ructive shifts were intended to raise agitation outside its walls. It is significant, nowever, that the ale were quiescent. Meetings were untedly held, but there was no variety in the speakers in many districts, Mr A. took the char; Mr B. moved resolutions ;or Mr C. took the chair, and Messrs B. D. E, A. moved resolutions. It was A. B. C. the whole round, and tweeale dum twecdle-dce over and over again; but mostly those meetings, if intended to influence, were held too late. But the true reason of the failure to get up political agitation is that the people who have Benefited by the course of policy pursued during the past seven years, have more faith in the men who initiated and carri-d it out than in those who seek to take their places. There is something practical in so improving a country's highways that tens of thousands of square miles are available for settlement that would, apart f.om that policy, have lain idle. There 'is sometiung practical in establishing peace with the Maoris and utilising their labor instead of treating them as enemies and spending millions in destroying them. There is something practical in establishing schools among them to infuse into their children British ideas in morals and theology, in art and science. And there is something practical in removing those artificial barriers which created territorial Governments opposed to and contending for legislative power with the General Government ; and which tended to exclusiveness and isolation of sections of tie people. • n the other side - the Opposition - was the imaginary. There was imputation of imaginary wrong doing, imaginary wrong motives, imaginary rights interfered with, and imaginary good to be obtained by retaining things as they were. The struggle is over, and we now ask those of our represent itives who have revelled so much in imagination, to bring themselves for once under the dominion of reason, and to justify the confidence placed in them by giving their aid to the smooth working of the new measures. We do not expect they will at once prove satufa tory, but they are the best the Opposition would allow, and if defective, they have no right to complain. No machinery, Low ever carefully constructed, ever did. It requires tightening hero and ’loosing there, and lubricating throughout, and settling into its bed, and altering a little iu places, until at last it fulfils what the engineer designed. In this respect political machinery resembles mechanical. The battle has been fought and a victory gained. Op position is now useless—co-operation is the only true policy.