Unconstitutional Government.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 7 January 1892, Page 2

Unconstitutional Government.

♦— — (Evening Post) In Monday's issue of the Evening Post appeared a leading article .with the above heading. It is a very strong " show up " of the present Government's Liberalism, and we take the following extract from it :— That New Zealand is a constitutionally governed country, in . which Parliament is supreme, mtrstuow be added to the list of popular delusions. That the present Ministry has no respect for the Constitution, and never I hesitates to drive four-in-hand through any Act of Parliament which stands in .its way, has been apparent The Ministry's one idea of good Government is Mob Rule. They rely apparently on their ability to lead the mob } by their unscrupulous use of all ana every means which may ■ assist • hio establish and maintain their ascendancy. Neither an overwhelming majority in the House of Representatives nor a packed Legislative Council, however, would quite satisfy the illegal and unconstitutional aspirations of Mr Ballance and his colleagues. The proceedings .of Parliament are open to the world, and are subject to the criticism of , the press. .Mr Ballance dislikes publicity, and abhors, free and independent criticism. He prefers to work in the dark, and by devious methods operating in secret. . . • . . The distinct aim of the Ballance Ministry is to degrade Parliament, and to bring Parliamentary < ovemment into public disrepute. Tf 'they could abolish the Legislative Council they might perhaps manage to manipulate a single ( hamber to their purposes, but, as the Council cannot be got rid of as a revising Chamber, they have hit on the expedient of setting up a third or initiatory Chamber unknown to the Constitution. The new Chamber is termed the National Liberal Federation. It is to stand between the Cabinet and Parliament. It is to control the Legislature established by the Constitution and responsible to the people. It is, of course, itself utterly irresponsible. Its governing body is not responsible to anyone, not even to the dupes out of whose pockets it hopes to extract the money wherewith to work. The Council of the Iteration has been nominated by Mr Ballance, and it is to hold office until it is deemed safe to allow the members a voice in the matter. This irresponsible body is now, it seems, to control the entire legislation of the colony. Mrßuick.M.H.R. the paid Organising Secretary of the National Liberal Association, an office utterly inconsistent with his representative position, announced at a recent meeting in the Wairarapa that Ministers intended to Submit all their measures to the Federation j before introducing them to Parlia- | ment, and that if the Federation ! disapproved of any proposal it Would be abandoned. This pledge plaoea,; the National Liberal Federation in a"

'tea^i. ... '-• •'.-■■ ! . '-7?': '—i ■ position superior to Parliament, for Parliament is not to be even allowed to discuss any measure which the Federation disapproves of. Its veto is to be final. In fact the Federation is to dictate to Parliament what business it is to discuss, and the Ministry are to exercise at tie will of an irresponsible self-constituted • political association the powers which constitutionally devolve upon them as the Advisers of the Crown.