"GOVERNMENT BY PALAVER."

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1146, 14 October 1871, Page 2

"GOVERNMENT BY PALAVER."

[AUSTRALASIAN.] Apropos of Mr Vale's grievance, are we justified in anticipating the arrival of a time when the practice of reporting speeches in Parliament will be relinquished ? There cannot be a doubt, *e think, that the evils inseparable from the " government by palaver" are aggravated and intensitied by the publicity given to mere talk. Instead of meeting for the transaction of business, members meet to confabulate, because what they say is noted down and published to the whole colony, just as if they were so many oracles uttering words of wisdom. Now let us see how the opposite system works. We have a civic parliament, which ruses and administers a revenue of ,£90,000, and undertakes the municipal government, of 56.000 people. It. meets once a fortnight, and i',s sittings occupy three or four hours. Broadly speaking, the eity of Melbourne is quite as well governed as the colony at large ; rather better, perhaps • while the members of the council may compare favorably with those of the Assembly. None of our civic rulers have been expelled for takiinr bribes, nor have three of their number stood as convicted criminals at the bar of the Supreme Court, This municipal parliament performs its work creditably, and talks little; but supposing its discussions were fully reported in the press, what would follow ? Three-fourths of thp councillors would be inspired with the ambition of figuring a* orators before the country, Instead of fortnightly we should have

daily meetings. Debate would be raised upon every conceivable subject, and would be continued from f\ny to day to the interruption of all business, and the distraction of the unfortunate town clerk When the periodical vacancies occur in the council ill ere would be a rush of loafers and adventurers; and in due time the municipal franchise would be extended to the roughs of Romeo-lane and the bullies of Bilkingsquare. The councillors would "\ote themselves an annual stipend, municipal offices would be created for the purpose of providing billets for electioneering agents and wire pullers, and the muni cipal government of Melbourne would sink to the level of that of New Yorlf. Fortunately for the interests of our fellow-citizens, their representatives in the Council have no motive for wasting their time in talking twaddle. The newspaper reports of their proceedings are models of conciseness, and we devoutly hope they may long remain so, since they afford no temptation to the councillors to substitute word spinning for practical and beneficial work.