Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JULY 14, 1891. The End of the Debate.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 14 July 1891, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JULY 14, 1891. The End of the Debate.

There will be a feeling of thankfulness that the debate on the Financial Statement has come to an end. There, -has been good debating and Iverylhatd hitting on both sides, and more members seem to have taken part» in proportion to the number in tfte House, than has. been the case ; for u sonW'timei ! 'We trust now that 'meiibefs' will settle down to work atiJ !i | ii?iproVe fi th?' Bills the Go ; v^fißtnieiit.hjay bring down. The Opposition many times asserted that the rPfemifcr' held the- policy Bills " up his sleeve," so that they might be ' altered tb suit the majority; this it seems is correct, as the Premier, in replying, admitted that they had not received 'their final revision, as he agreed that the wisdom of the House was greater than that of ft single member. This is a nice way o f wplaining an old custom of count-

ing noses before showing your hand. The Ministers have got the " grjp " of the majority, the labour representatives having yielded up their in dividuality, and Sir George Grey has been gracious. The debate has shown this, so that the Bills will probably soon receive their final revision which will be towards framing them more against the wealthy land owners than was at first thought safe. We do not want to go over the incidents of the debate, but we regret that those members so recently elected, with their hustings declamation against party government still ringing in their ears, should have bowed down to this power the very first time they were called on. The amendment proposed by Mr Duthie was merely a political move to prove how far the labour candidates would bend between their principles and their party. The Premier is to be complimented on his speech, it. appears to have been given with good temper, and free from the miserable tv quoque's of the Minister of Lands. The courtesy of Captain Russell in suggesting that the reply of the head of the Government should be delayed for a full House, was timely and fitting, and placed the final hours of this long talk on a gentlemanly and proper Parliamentary footing. We only trust, in the wordß of the Premier's preoration, that the' Government will so legislate as to be for the good of the country as a whole,