The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1892. Parliamentary

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 50, 13 October 1892, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1892. Parliamentary

The speech made by Mr Rolleston when he reviewed the work of the session contained a heavy indictment against the Government. Referring to the Electoral Bill, he said he con sidered the action of the Government over that measure had been subversive of all political morality, and it reyealed an extraordinary state of political duplicity on the part of the Government. The Bill had been made the playground of political dishonesty and chicanery. Both sides of the House had accused the Government openly of treachery, and it was impossible to fitly characterise their action over this Bill. As to the Civil Service, he declared at present it suffered from a reign of terror, and no man in that service dared call his soul his own, unless he were of what was termed the " right colour. " He considered the native difficulty was by no means likely to be settled by the present Government, and said it was simply a mockery to pass such a measure as the Native Land Validation of Titles Bill. He condemned the waste of time during the session, aud accused Mr Seddon of occupying two whole nights in blocking Bills on the Order paper. He claimed for the Opposition they had acted all through with a desire for the welfare of the country and with no idea of obstructing the business of the House in any way. It wiil take much speaking and writing to convince the colony that Mr Rolleston has made a single charge which is incapable of proof. With reference to the Electoral Bill, and the action of the House of Representatives thereon, the Wellington Post said that a more humiliating spectacle than that presented on Saturday when the Government Whips drove a lot of cringing, invertebrate followers into the lobby to vote against the principle of the right of women to the possession of political power could not be imagined. Many of these men made wry faces at having to swallow all their principles and professions, and assist to kill a measure they really desired to see passed. With followers so well train, it has always been a matter for surprise to us that the Ministry allowed so much debate on their measures, seeing that they had ia the House a crushing majority prepared to blindly obey the orders of their masters. The power of the purse is verily a mighty one, and we venture to doubt whether the " Great Liberal Party " in the House would have accorded Ministers such slavish obedience, had not the promised reward of a yearly salary of £240, at the rate of £20 paid monthly, been daugled before their greedy eyes. Tbey could afford to do this selfish thing — but they had not the common charity to attempt to relieve the burdens of the poor at a time when they are pressing most heavily. In the near future there will be a day of reckoning, aud when again those false Liberals offer themselves for the suffrages of the people — if they have the audacity to do so — they will be rejected traitors to a noble cause who sold themselves and their country for filthy lucre.