THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1880. THE POST-SESSIONAL ADDRESS CAMPAIGN.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2078, 21 October 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1880. THE POST-SESSIONAL ADDRESS CAMPAIGN.

The post-sessional address campaign has been opened, as far as this part of the colony is concerned, by Messrs. Saunders and Bowen. The former has addressed his constituents at the extreme limits of his district, namely Kaikoura, the latter, last night, gave the electors at Kaiapoi his views on the political situation. These gentlemen, both belonging to the same party, may be fairly said to represent two classes of politicians, the personal and the philosophical. Mr. Saunders, his enemies say, is too bitter in his attacks on his opponents ; his mind is swayed by personal antipathies ; and his course of action is biassed thereby. Mr. Bowen’s worst fault on the hand is made out to be that ha is not sufficiently practical, and that his theories are not in the habit of developing themselves into facts. Now, to take this latter accusation first, it may be well to point out that Mr. Bowen has been mainly instrumental in cont) oiling one of the three great questions which are influencing the present generation. We allude to the present educational system. Yiewing the outlook broadly, the three salient questions in New Zealand politics are the public works question, the Native question, and the educational question. The public works question is, if not absolutely shelved, at all events practically not open for present consideration. There is yet money to spend, but the question of future borrowing to forward an idea is not on the cards. The good or evil that has been done is before us. The tree has fallen, and there it must He. The Native question is still in a state of flux. But the educational question is fixed and yet alive. The existing scheme has its bitter enemies and its staunch upholders. The former say it is extravagant and godless; the latter that itgivesthehighestpossible benefits to the rising generation, irrespective of creed or position. And the initiation of this scheme is the work of Mr Bowen. Ho has fairly in this respect a right to say that he has assisted in raising a monument more lasting than brass, and that ho has been one of the main instruments in forwarding a state of affairs the benefits of which will bo reaped by our children’s children. So much for the member of Kaiapoi not being a practical man. With regard to the accusation against Mr. Saunders, there can be no doubt but that there is much truth in it, but on the other hand it does not do to be oblivious to the fact that the personal cast of his politics does not blind him to the true merits of the questions that are brought under his notice. He left the Grey Government and adhered to the present one because ho saw that the acts of the former were not conducive to the good of the country. True that he may now personally attack his former allies, but that is evidently more a matter of temperament than of principle. And in their respecive speeches the qualities to which we have alluded come strongly forward. Mr. Saunders, at Kaikoura, makes the members of the late Government pass under the ploughshare in a somewhat vigorous manner. For instance—“ Sir G. Grey squandered money for the purpose of rewarding his friends and favorites; Mr. Macandrew to satisfy toadies, and Mr. Sheehan to satisfy selfindulgencies.” And then he passes on to the present Government, and proceeds to dissect their characters in an airy and impartial manner. Major Atkinson knows finance, and can talk about it better than any man in the country, but he does not know sufficient about politics. Mr. Hall is henest, but ho devotes himself too much to minor affairs, which should be handed over to men of smaller intellects. Mr. Bryce is a good man allround. Mr. Rolleston is honest, but eccentric and occasionally makes mistakes. Mr. Oliver is the weakest man in the Government, The style of the speech is picturesque and vigorous, but no broad views appear to be inculcated. Mr. Bowen, on the other hand, does not mention a single name of either the past or the present Government, but devotes his time entirely to more general questions. While his speech, in comparison to Mr. Saunders’, loses in depth of local coloring, it gains in breadth of treatment.

The member for Kaiapoi subordinates all the questions of the day to the one great one of economy. He asserts that party feeling is not dead, but that there is no active feeling in that direction abroad. Political parties in young countries aro mostly ephemeral combinations of men. There are here no great parties growing out of the national history of the country. “ Therefore,” he says, “ in a young colony it appeared a farce to talk about such a thing as party Government. Indeed, it was worse than farcical, because it led to misconception in the minds of men, who were thereby induced to act in certain directions and do things which they would not otherwise do, under the belief that they were carrying out the objects of a system of government which in reality does not exist.” And later on he gives what he considers to be true lines on which every man should choose the party to which ho should elect to belong:— “ But above all things, they must see that those entrusted with the conduct of public affairs should be men trusted in private life. He did not care much what men said on the question of party politics of the day, he had seen so many changes in this direction, but he again repeated that he did care to see that the men who were entrusted by the people with the conduct of public affairs and the government of the colony were those trusted in private life. This done, he had not much fear for the future of the colony. But ho did fear when, like he [saw in other colonies and here, adventurers and men who had no stake in the colony taking the Government in their hands, when it was well known that these men would not bo entrusted by the electors who returned them with the conduct of their private affairs. This was a point which he desired most particularly to impress upon them as being exceedingly important, the more so as they were about to reconsider their representation. If this was borne in mind and acted upon there need he no fear whatever for the future welfare of the colony.” It is, therefore, to be inferred that Mr. Bowen looks upon those *

politicians who raise party cries for the solo object of parliamentary power with the greatest disfavour, and in this all sensible men must agree with him. With regard to the constant cry of the weakness of Ministries, Mr. Bowen’s explanation of the circumstance is that the Legislatures do not now allow Governments to hold the position they had been accustomed to hold in the administration of the country. This may be true enough in a certain sense, but on the other hand the strength or weakness of a Ministry is a matter of comparison. During the palmy days of its existence no one complained of the Beaeonsfield Ministry as a weak one. The perfect drill of the main body •£ supporters rendered such an imputation impossible. It is more probable that the looseness of the bonds which hold parties together in this country render perfect subordination impossible, and that wo must be content with weak Ministries until some burning question comes to the surface which will weld parties into more compact masses. Agreeing with Mr. Bowen’s speech in the main, we must, however, beg leave to differ with him on one point, and that is with regard to the past conduct of the public works scheme. These works, no doubt, have advanced ns one generation in civilisation, but the member for Kaiapoi was, to our mind, considerably too lenient as to the manner in which they have been carried out. Ho ignores altogether the log-rolling, which is mainly responsible for our present financial position. The construction of political lines is passed over without comment, and we are told that the existing pinch was all along to have been expected, and that those are foolish who complain of it. To this we distinctly demur. The policy of borrowing money for reproductive works was, of course, always sound. It is the formation of unproductive works through political influences which now weighs upon us, not only by reason of the interest we have to pay annually for their construction but by the introduction of questions, such as that of tariff rates, where the evil effects of the existence of these same unproductive lines is felt, and will be felt for many a long day.

Into Mr. Bowen’s account of the treatment by the present Ministry of the various questions of the day, we have, at present, no time to enter. The Native question, the railway question, the reports of the various Commissions, the fates of the Licensing and the Hospital Aid Bills, the treatment of Native Lands, the subject of taxation, and others matters were all passed in review. The speech is worth careful perusal, as being, on the whole, a very fair and judicious statement of facts as they appear te a member who his worst enemies cannot complain of as taking a narrow view of the political situation.