DEMOCRACY IN THE COLONIES.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1805, 3 December 1879, Page 2

DEMOCRACY IN THE COLONIES.

We read in the “ Pall Mall Gazette” : “ The telegrams from Yictoria and New Zealand both relate to the progress of extreme democratic views in two of our principal colonies. In Yictoria we learn that the Ministerial Reform Bill has been read a second time. That Bill involves a complete destruction of the powers of the Legislative Council, the vesting of the entire power in the hands of an Assembly elected by manhood suffrage, and in all cases of difficulty adirect resort to the plebiscite. It is needles* to insist upon the grave effects which such a measure is likely to produce. Another deadlock appears all but certain. The Council can hardly accept so subversive a Bill—a Bill which to all intents and purposes places the whole property of the colony at the mercy of a chance majority of heads at a time of great excitement. Affairs in Victoria therefore look worse than ever, and there is too much reason to fear that the manoeuvres of the Berry party will end in driving capital out of Victoria at the very time when it is most needed for the employment of the poorer classes. In New Zealand matters are somewhat better. There Sir George Grey’s extreme proposals seem to have been defeated, and it is believed that the moderate Opposition will return with a small majority. At the same time, it is not satisfactory to find that in both colonies there is a large party in favor of the overthrow of constitutional and the establishment of mob Government.”