The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1877.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 21, 29 December 1877, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1877.

The second session of the sixth Parliament haß come to an end, and the general feeling appears to be one of disappointment. The ypte of, "no confidence " by which the Atkinson Ministry were defeated; has led directly and indirectly to distractions, squabbles, and delays that have more or less occupied the attention of the House to its rising for the recess. The business that has been' , transacted during -the latter part of the session has been transacted under difficulties such as, m a properly, constituted House, should not beset a Governnienfr that is dealing with the vital concerns of the country. However unsatisfactory and meagre are the measures that have been within the last few, weeks pushed through the House, it is almost surprising that; amid such a babel, even they could find their way to the statute book. "We have given, and we do give, the Gt-rey^ Ministry the -predit of beingmore earnest and thorough workers than their predecessors, and we consider it, to be a good' thing for this country that such a radical change was made m the administration when it was. Still, we believe that had the Atkinson Ministry -kept the Treasury^benches there would have been less of obstruction, less of complication, and less m the way of Ministerial and Vice-regal collisions than there have been. Parliament would have had more time for attending to the business of the country and more legislation would'have been effected before the rising of the House. "Bufrundoubtedly much jpf the legislation would have been* of a very unsatisfactory? character, and the statute book would be cumbered by measures tha;fc a subsequent Parliament would have *to sweep away to give place to legislation, of a more thorough character. Although the session has been hurried to its end amid a storm of angry voices, and the business of the country has been neglected, this, we think, is better than to have #the House setting its seal on futile legislation. Next session the Government will probably produce measures adequate to -jihe. country's need or if they fail m so doing they will fail" without the very reasonable excuses that 'have now covered their shortcomings. The Opposition are responsible for mjuch of the malversation that has * distinguished Parliamentary proceedings during ■, the last few weeks. Sir G. Grey stated the truth when he said he had* been worried and badgered at every turn since he took office. The Opposition evidently wanted .to shew the Government off at their very worst. They occupied the Government with

paltry disputes so as to prevent them making any of those thorough reforms foreshadowed m the Ministei'ial Statement, doubtless with the idea that if a dissolution should be suddenly brought about the Government might be weighed m the balance and found wanting before the tribunal of the people. This may legitimately belong ';to Parliamentary tactics, but if so, Parliamentary morals are many degrees below the social morals that govern the relationships of man with man. But if we consider the conduct of the Opposition to be about as bad as it can be, we certainly consider the conduct of the Government to be no better than it should be. Sir George Grey is himself to be blamed for many of the delays that have occurred m the transaction of public business. Much of the time of the House has been taken up on questions, of privilege arising from differences between the Governor and himself. " It appears to us that m these | matters ,the iPr^emier was mainly m the wrong. But mere errors m judgment are condonable on the part or; a minister, provided they are based upon principles that are consistent m every phase of his public life. Sir George was punctilious m * vindicating his character as the responsible adviser to his Excellency m the matter^ of the appointment of a member to the Upper House and m other cognate matters; But a punctilio that would raise a storm m the House on such matters does not come well from a Minister who two or three weeks before continued to hold the reins of Government despite half the House declaring against him on an adverse vote." His over nice perception of points of etiquette m the one case may be tolerable alone, and his unmistakable breach of etiquette m the other case maybe tolerable alone; but the two taken, m connection read very lite an epitaph on ministerial consistency. But if circumstances will glint over a shady spot m political morality Sir George may b€> pure comparatively at least. His adhesion to office contrary to the law of usage may have been due fco patriotic motives. Of this we will be better able to judge when we see the practical result of the' much talked of deliberations of the recess.