Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, OCT. 26, 1895. Impudence.

Manawatu Herald, 26 October 1895, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, OCT. 26, 1895. Impudence.

Oq Wednesday the N.Z. Times. the Government newspaper in Wei lington had the following misleading leaderette : — We had the unprecedented spectacle las* j night of a whole Opposition running away | from the Publio Works Estimates because j they could not talk about them. This after talking for two hours on the first item after they got into Supply. Beaten on the motion to report progress, they found they could no f obstruct any more by farther talking, and they walked out. They have Bhown conclusively that they prefer talking to work. This is the keynote of the long session now closing. The reliable Times desires its readers to understand that the OpV position were to blame and there was no little dodging by the Government attempted, which cau9ed this display of a righteous indignation. Well the N.Z. Tims is fo< I

quently not rignt ariel hardly ever fair to the minority in the House. The facts of the case are, however, very different, On Tuesday, acCuratug to tbe Standing Oriel's tbel'e Can be no discussion oh going into Conimittbe of Supply-, arid. .this was where the trouble arose. The Pre ntfer moved tnat the House go into Committee of Supply to consider the Public Works Estimates particulars of which have been kept back until now, and in the items of which members are generally milch in tevestetl abd always desire the opportunity ot having & ftdrd to 6ay, arid iisiially get it. However on Tuesday theso things were altered, and to put a pleasant face on an unpleasant trick, Mr Seddon said he would not object to an all-round discussion being taken on the first | item on the estimates* This the Chairman* Mr Guinness, objected to ! and ruled it could not be done as the first item (of all the estimates) had long been passed ! Here was a pretty go. The estimates'having been under consideration for some weeks, it is ruled that new matter only just 1 brought under the notice of the House cannot be discussed as the parts can be claimed. as one whole!. Is it to be wondered at that the Opposition resisted ? The inconvenience of the above decision is brought home to the dwellers in this district as in the Statement the following paragraph appeals ;— ' An offer, It stales, had been made for the construction of a loop-line of railway from Levin to Greatford. The matter had been very carefully considered in all its bearings. The proposal was referred to the Bailway Department, and, the i'epr>i't being adverse, the Government had decided that at present they cannot cncoiu'age the construction of this railways nor can they agi % ee to take running powers over the linej as requested^ It was out members intention to have entered into the rights and wrongs of the refusal and in urging that progress be reported he mentioned that his constituents felt keenly the refusal of the Government to sanction the expenditure of £200,---000 in their district. The Premier told Mr Wilson th»t he could discuss the question when the estimates were through, a cheerful way of suggest* ing that be could say wbat he pleased so long as the Government had carried their views. Mr Seddon as Premier and Mr Seddon as the champion Oppositionist and stone waller are two very different people.