PARLIAMENT.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 85, 7 October 1893, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Parliament expired yesterday. The work done during its existence of three years will be described as good or evil, according to tbe results which follow it, There has been much eccentric legislation, instigated by prejudice, and made law by force of numbers against tbe dictates of reason. Attempts have been made to set class against class with more or less sue.« cess, according to locality. Taxation has been increased, ond the debt of the country added to, thus putting heavier burdens upon tho people in the shape of interest, which is already draining the vory life blood out of them. Professing to have the welfare of the " poor working man " at heart, they have not taken one penny off the Customs tariff on the neces. suries of life, while they have raised the salaries of themselves, and squandered money on their friends who were called to the Legislative Council. We confess that some useful measures have been passed, but these did not originate wilh the party in power, but were the work of their predecessors. For instance, tlie Criminal Code Bill and Women's Franchise, for which they are inclined to take so much credit, were originated bug befure, and

by far abler men. It was fortunate for the country that the members of the Legislative Council had the courage of I their opinions, and were bold enough to I justify their existence by throwing out Bills which were objectionable to a free people, or to so emasculate .tbem that they were rendered powerless to do evil. The " gnashing of teeth " by certain members of the Ministry in the Lower House, when their pet schemes were thus made abortive, proved to a demonstration what over-bearing tyrants these self-styled liberals would be if they had the uncontrolled power of administration placed in their hands.