Wellington Notes.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 37, 12 August 1896, Page 2

Wellington Notes.

AN EXTRAVAGANT BURLESQUE. Taking one thing with another the session of 1896 has so far been productive of more humiliation to the people of New Zealand than anything in history. Beginning with the wordy, ungrammatical but very empty Governor's speech, and passing on to the Budget with nothing in it but a request for a loan of a million, and again to the two matters now being considered — the banking enquiry and the no-confidence debate — we are having a display of incompetence, tryanny, servility and waste which ought to convince the electors that a radical change is necessary in the class of men they choose for representatives. During the no-confidence debate, for some reason best known to himself, the Premier put up every one of his followers to speak. They painfully repeated the same tales told by Ministers of the success of Cheviot and the purchased estates, and of the wonderfnl effects of the co-operative works system and tbe Labour Bills. Tbey knew it was tbe shallowest humbug, and their sole object was to get speeches into Hansard te befool their constituents. Every member bad made bis mind np how to vote, and the division was just two to one in favour of the Government, although nearly every Seddonite had agreed that Ministers had broken their election pledges ; had borrowed to tbe extent of five millions ; had pledged tbe colony's credit for another five millions for the the Banks, and had seized the sinking funds of the local bodies. As to this last named outrage on onr finance, it has been a most reprehensible proceeding. The money is really contributed by the local bodies and is paid by them into the Treasury as a trust fund to pay off their debts and Government coolly appropriates it in defiance of the law and calls it revenue. Government takes the money from the local bodies for tbe specific purpose of extinguishing their loans and then spend it in some favored district and the whole colony becomes responsible for a debt which by a special Act of Parliament had to be wiped off in 26 years. The savings become another debt and so like a snowball as it rolled along a constant increase is added. Excuses are found in the obscure wording of an Act framed especially to protect the sinking funds, but where the one object of Ministers is to get revenue somehow, tbe clauses of an Act of their own making will not stand in their path. The Deliberating Committee. Bat surely of all the political acrobats of a man claiming to be a statesman, nothing has ever happened in world's records to equal Mr Seddon 's antics on the Banking Committee. It was set ap by himself, he selected the members, he desired to have reporters present and he had bis own sweet will in everything, even to having Mr George Hutchison on it, thinking he would be an ally. He soon found be had held that astute gentleman too .cheap. The game was bluff. ! and be of Patea is a past master of tbe game which Mr Seddon only knows bow to play in a rough up country fashion. Mr Hutchison wanted to get at the reasons why the colony helped the rotten banks and wbo pulled the strings. Mr Seddon wanted anything but that and there has been a game of seesaw with Mr Seddon and his followers at one end and Mr Hutchison at the other. The Premier has stonewalled right through the proceedings and tbe chairman, Mr Graham, has had a rough time of it, but he has been gradually cornered by his by his opponent and now he wants to turn the newspaper men out, and to terminate the enquiry altogether if possible. He finds that the Legislative Committee is making steady progres*; while he is blocking evidence and as he dreads the consequences of exposure of his own sharo in tho matter he is supremely anxious that the enquiry sbould uot reach that point. It is rumoured to day that ho will endeavour to get over the difficulty by bringing tbe session to an abrupt close before the Legislative Council can report. But if he endeavours to play that game he has to face a good many obstacles. Tbe Opposition will not grant him supply and will block him on the estimates by discussing every item. His own followers will not like tbe idea of sacrificing their £20 per month so that it is morn than likely if he tries to end the sessiou he will fail. Tho Representation Commissioners have made it known to-day tbat the electorates of Waikouaiti, Eangitata and Inangahua are wiped out of existence. and next week the new boundaries will be made known in both islands.