THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1270, 24 August 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1872.

For several days past our readers, if they possessed the requisite leisure, patience, and political tastes, have had the opportunity of perusing somewhat lengthy telegrams of Parliamentary intelligence — intelligence which it has lately become the practice of the Press of the Colony to publish at very considerable cost, and without any change in the circumstances either of the couutry or of newspaper proprietors to warrant the outlay. Leisurely and patiently they might, and may, have read an apparently well-abbre-viated report of the speech made by Mr Stafford on the occasion of his moving his resolutions, and, if they read it with tho intelligence only of ordinary readers of the morning papers, we venture to think that, viewing it as an indictment of the Government, their verdict would beNothing in it. They had opportunity also of perusing a summary of the Premier's reply — one of the series of replies expected to emanate from the few but closely allied members of the Ministry to the attackß of the many but disunited items of the Opposition ; and those acquainted with the history of parties are likely to admit that Mr Fox gave as good as ho got, and made an honorable and reasonable defence of his colleagues, Messrs Yogel and M'Lean. As compared with the telegrams of these two speeches by the leaders of the House, the report which we {jive of the continuation of the debate on Thursday evening is contemptibly brief, but it seems to us to contain one sentence the wit of which is as admirably brief. Mr Swanson, of Auckland — a man of rare shrewdness and originality— is the speaker. He "blames the Government for many things," as he may probably with reason do, the Government being as liablo to err as other small groups of the extensive human family. "But," he adds— and in thi3 "but," coming from him or from any other member, there is considerable meaning— "he wants to know the programme of oach side on .several important subjects before deciding which way to vote." People who want to know, you know, are not usually more welcome than was the original Paul Pry, and ie may be fairly presumed that this " wanting to know" on the part of Mr Swanson was (•timated by tho Opposition to be a most I reprehensible, if pertinent, peroration. To hare Swansoa aiding them by gentle

zephyrs to sail straight into the enemy's harbor was pleasant enough, but it was unkind to blow backward and forward, hot and cold, in this manner. " Produce your programmes," says Mr Swanson, addressing both parties in one breath, and the possession of these programmes, and their characteristics, are precisely the matters upon"whfcnrthe~House has to" decide. So far as concerns the Government, Mr Swanson cannot surely have to seek far for their programme, though he may fairly desiderate that they should faithfully carry it ont. With tho Opposition, we fear it is somewhat different, and that Mr Swanson will find its members in the occasionally convenient, but as frequently cold, condition of his countrymen. He cannot take the " breeks " off a Highlandman in full costume, and for the very best of reasons. He will find the same reason apply to the characteristics of the programme of the Opposition. In this instance, there may be said what cannot always be said of the nether garments of the Cclt — the article in question is conspicuous by its absence. The Opposition have no programme. "Story, bless you, they have none to tell," or, if they have, they are very slow to tell it. If it is, by diligent search, possible to discover the shadow of a programme in the resolutions and speeches of Mr Stafford, it simply amounts to this — " Yours are the measures ;we are the men to carry them out. You are habitually absent from Wellington ; we shall be perpetually present there. You avail yourselves of Provincial machinery ; so shall we." Having this programme before him, Mr Swanson is not sufficiently satisfied with it, and rudely asks for more. It is sincerely to be hoped that he will be afforded the information, and that, if there are sound reasons for unseating the Government, there will at least be a show of reason why the members of the Opposition should take their places. Their mere ipsc dixit that they are the better men for the particular purpose of administering the Public Works policy is scarcely a sufficient programme to please the country; and, with Mr Swanson, the majority of the House are likely to be slow, but in the end sure, to decide that it is better "to bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of."