THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1873.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 212, 21 March 1873, Page 4

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1873.

Electoral qualifications will, in all probability, be of considerable importance before long, It was very evident

last session that the two parties in the House of Representatives, led by Messrs. Yogel and Stafford, could not long oppose each other so closely without it becoming necessary to appeal to the country as to what power —rather than what policy—should carry out the Public Works Scheme tbat New Zealand is, whether for good or bad, irretrievably committed to. The atmosphere of the House is not so pure that either party can work without a.little handling of pitch. It is a favorite idea of Mr. Stafford's supporters that he—the immaculate—and hisparty are martyrs to a purity of thought and action, which could not contend against the log-rolling and billet-pro-mising incessantly going on among the Vogel party. We are not sc hopeful. It would be comforting to think that one-balf of the House was composed of nprigbt, conscientious men, who were desirous of nothing except their coun--1 try's welfare. We have not so read [ ' U ausard.' Tbere is a great difficulty in getting good men to aspire to political honors. As a rule, such men coming to New Zealand do so to better tbeir position and settle their families, and they cannot afford to neglect tbeir own pursuits for the sake of assisting in.the government of the country. From this cause, constituenciesare driven to select as representatives either capitalists, adventurers, or aspiring lawyers ; and, broadly, we may 1 say that the Assembly is entirely com- ; posed of these three classes. If we iturn for a moment to the Groldfields members, we find tbat tbey nearly all belong to tbe middle class—tbe ad venturers —and yet tbe people wonder bow it.is tbat Goldfield law is so deficient and unsatisfactory. Looking back to the last election of a member for Mount Ida, we find the candidates were a squatter, a rising lawyer, an up-country Mayor, aud the successful candidate,. Mr. Mervyn. We think we cannot be. contradicted when we say that not one man out of the lot was at all fit for tbe position of a Groldfields [ representative in the House. It ,apipears, then, that we have to choose i between money, brains, or want of principle. Eor our own part, we think money has tbe best of it; for it, ab any rate, has the ring of personal success, which is no bad guarantee of shrewdness and ability, and, besides, always carries weight and influence in such a body as the House of Representatives. When the Assembly meets —probably in May—a struggle for power will be made. The Stafford-Munro-Eeid party will take advantage of the weakness of the Government—shown in the resignation of Mr. Waterhouse and the subsequent difficulty of re-constructing the Cabinet—to make an attack on their policy ; and if, as is probable, Mr. Yogel finds he cannot command a working majority, we do not see how be can be very well refused a dissolution. The question is far above a personal one, for now that the loan is deeply dipped into, and the large public works are so generally commenced, any delays will be suicidal, and a source of enormous expense. A dissolution certainly means expense, but it is small compared to the loss incurred by the inability to carry oat the large railway and other works with promptitude and despatch. In the face of a large personal opposition it is impossible that this can be done, and these delays and barren results, made so much of by Mr. Stafford and Sir; David Munro, are the direct result of the vexatious and personal Opposition they themselves have raised. *

If, as we expect, a dissolution shortly takes plate, the District will have to make up its mind who to return to the House. We believe several men of good standing and position are willing to stand, and once more we shall have the chance of selecting as a member someone who will not be a useless ornament, or, on the other band, a byword and a reproach, drawing the odium which is due only to himself on the district for which unfortunately he 13 the representative. There must be many in the district who are not qualified to vote ; we would„urge all such to at once place their'names"on the -Roll. The 31st of March is the last chance for registering, and all who value the right they "have of making their voice heard in the government of

the country should take care to register their names without delay. The country must insist, with a loud and no uncertain|voice, that the Public Works Scheme be carried out without tiie vexatious delays forced on by a factious Opposition.