THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1873.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1599, 19 September 1873, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY , SEPTEMBER 19, 1873.

Anotheb. dead-lock with the dead-heads. Punctually at a certain period of every Parliamentary session history thus repeats itself. Haying drivelled together for weeks, the Legislative Council ' determine in the end to die game. They have done so annually, after the fashion at the footlights, since the Public Works Policy has been the play, and once more they come upon the stage, " with harness on their backs." If their wiU or power to do good during the session is imperceptible, and if as a legislative body they drag drearily in the rear, at the session's close they come fiercely to the front, intent on the murder of innocent measures of legislation, and on the assertion of their own self-importance as a section of the Legislature. The conspiracy culminates usually in a contest of words called a conference, and too often the conference comes to a lame and impotent conclusion. The supernumeraries being only too ready to leave the stage towards the end of the play, and the principal actors sympathising with them sufficiently to seek refreshment or repose, the epilogue is uttered and the curtain falls before the plot is perfected, and "enterprises of pith and moment turn awry and kme the name of action." Measures are mutilated, and principles are sacrificed on the plea that it is better to have half a loaf than none,, or the session closes with the Council enjoying the questionable satisfaction that theyhave at least promoted procrastination and postponement— that they have kept the country back in the march of intellect and extravagance — that they haye 3 in fact, fulfilled the purpose of a " drag " — the probable purpose 06 their personal •and public creation. Thus, at least, it : has been in the past, -and thus itprojmises tonbe again— fitfe the Province of ; Westland and Provincial Loan Bills ; but | the Premier apparently is not disposed. :to deal with the latter" measure in ;'a ! dilletante way, and hence the [adoption of the unusual course of calling an outside meeting of its supporters. "By the pricking of our thumbs, something wicked that way .comes." The patient camel may have ; hitherto borne the . imposition of straws upon hi 3 back, but he is not quite propared for the reception of this last straw, and, having waxed wroth, we should not wonder should he kick. The Council as at present organised, and as at present tempered, is an incubus upon the Colony by whose excessive courtesy they exist as a body, and, since there is schism among themselves, the time may be suiting for a seizure of the privileges upon which they so much presume. Stands Scotland where he did, the hon. gentleman of that name is not unlikely to sympathise with sentiments in that direction, for thus he spoke on a recent occasion in the dread presence of fogeyd^m :— "I do not believe the people entertain any spirit of veneration for the Council ; on the contrary, I am rather inclined to think there is some foundation for the belief that the Council is very unpopular, for I cannot close my ears to what I hear around me every day. lam very often told that the members of the Council represent nobody but themselves ; that they have no sympathy whatever with the people; and that quadrupeds — cattle and sheep- -are better represented in the Council than human beings. I must say that since I have held a- seat in the Council there has occasionally been manifested a great want of sympathy with the people of the Colony. (The hon. gentleman was here interrupted by loud, cries of ' No, no.') Hon. members may say ' No, no,' but I hold my own opinion upon the matter. During the first session in which I had the honor to hold a seat in this chamber, a Bill was brought in for limiting the number of members in the Council, a [ project which, if it had been carried out, would have made the Council a most dangerous powor in the country. . . . 1 have also seen many injudicious J attempts on the part of the Council to i deal with money Bills in a way in which they should never be interfered with by a nominated body. lam si.rry to say that I have also seen a very unkind spirit displayed by soma members of the Council towards - their poorer brethren in the Colony. I have seen members possessed of tens of thousands of cattle, and tens of thousands of acres of land, begrudge the the poorer settler a few acres of land on which to keep a few cows. Hon. members of that disposition only desire to see two classes of people in the Colony — the runholder on one hand, and the shepherds and hewers of wood and drawers of water on the other. It is the existence of that spirit which makes the Council unpopular, not so much the question whether members of the Council shall be elected or nominated ; but I must say that I myself am nofc in love with the nominated principle, becans.H in considering the appointment made under that system, the question generally is not who is the m^st fitted or who is the I?est acquainted with the feeliugs and wants of the people, but who can best afford the time to attend the sittings of the Council; in other words, what gentlemen are in the most affluent circumstances. ... If the adoption of any other system were to bring another set of members into the Council, I should not stand in the way, but at once tender miy resignation."