INNOCENTS SLAUGHTERED.

Mataura Ensign, Volume VI, Issue 285, 31 August 1883, Page 2

INNOCENTS SLAUGHTERED.

The annual slaughter of the innocents id one o£ the great fea f ures of representative government. It is pare ot the precious birthright of Britons and is at once food for gratitude and reflection. For gratitude, because ir all the Bills introduced by- Governments with and without policies became law, the world itself would soon not hold the law books. For reflection, because Governments introduce twice as many Bills as they can pass, and deliberately waste half the session in discussing measures many of which they know full well they will drop. Because also when they reintroduce the slaughtered B 11s they have to go again through all the stages previously passed. There is surely some sense in the proposal to amend the forms of the House so that Bilk may be taken, up at the stage where they were abandoned in the previous session. Ordinary mortals naturally ask whether these Bills ace wanted by the country or not. If they are not wanted why are they introduced, and time, paper, and printing wasted? If they are wanted why cannot the gentlemen who are paid to pass them stay a week or two longer and do so / Among the innocents for 1883 are the following :— Harbour Boards, Settled Land, Municipal Corporations, Impounding, Married Women's Property, Auctioneers, Fisheries, Legislative Qfficers' Salaries, Local Courts, Savings Banks, and Fire and Marine Ip^urance Bills.