THE FEILDING CHRONICLE ADVERTISER. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 5, 1879. "THE DESPATCH OF, BUSINESS."

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 89, 5 November 1879, Page 2

THE FEILDING CHRONICLE ADVERTISER. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 5, 1879. "THE DESPATCH OF, BUSINESS."

The last Parliament was summoned to meet for " the despatch of business " early m July ; buc before any of tht real business of Ike Session wad. brought. | forward, a motion of W^uit' of Gonti- ■ denoe m the GitEi Ministry was tabled, aud, after a very protracted debate, carried by a large majority, and his j£xcel-' lency the .Governor granted a dissolui tion. During the fourteen days the Session lasted, not a single v ibeastire ot Uolonial importance was "passed.* The time vvas frittered away m this party— or rather faction— warfare ; and as fo» '.the Colony, well, that might go to the dogs, so long" as, the a'll-importaut question of which of the contending factions should rule her destiuies, wuo settled. This, short and barren Sessioii ■ cost the country upwards of £2Q,Q00, without there being; anything to show for it. The v electic&is' took place, and the new ' Parliament was summoned to meet for'"' the despatch of business " toVa.'ds the end of September. Anothei Want of CouQdeu«« motion occupied' the early days" of the Session. Thr : GrßEr Ministry were defeated by a narnow majority and resigned. The leadei of the Opposition was sent for, and after some delay succeeded m 'forming •a Ministry, th^ constitution of which, however, was distasteful to a majority ! of the House, and even before they hac | taken their- seats on th^e .Treasur.) ' benches, yiforma.l notice v of another Want of ■ Oonfidence motion was given, which has barr«d the progress of public business up to the v present time. We ; l\av*,how entered lipon November with- ; out a single measure for the good of the Colony at la,rge, having b ; e'en passedr Our Parliaineifarymen must surely hare sadly degenerated when they can postpone the interests of - polony at a critical Jime like ? the. preseut 'to their own ambiti'pns aims., VIG-radual de-^ i;ade)ice m the tone ; and. .spirit of ; our Pai-liaineat^ is be«.g.^ang[ b}xt too ;

fully evident. Patriotism, which oould at one time have commanded large sacrifices of private ends to the country's good has been on the wane, and at last seems to have given up the ghost, oppressed by the baneful' influence of the lust of place and power; else we should have had presented to us m the Senate such a spectacle as we have ; #it-. nessed during the last few weeks. With, an enormous deficiency and a failing revenue, with a loan to enable her to corn- . plete her phblic works, still unnego- [ tiate,d, but already -largely hypothecated, the future of New Zealand stands trembling on the balance, and, yet "statesmen," with sublime indiffer-ence-to attght but their own ambitious aims have allowed week after week, to be wasted m umseemly struggles for place and power. To our mind, the Press of the Colony is not without blame m this matter, for instead of prudently endeavoring to check the grow-* " ing evil, th*v have , m the heat of their . blind • par } a isMp, but egged on the -combatants, and we shall be surprised iE they have not cause to repent their, remissness m this respect. Whak.if th'e £2,000,000 loan fail to; be negotiated P ' More improbable 'events have occurred. It is just possible that Home Capitalists, finding that the Colony is expending at fcne rate, of £600,00 Q. a; year-tor, even more.-r-o.ver and above, its revenue, without her- legislators making the slightest attempt to retrieve her falling, fortunes — recklessly overrunning 'the 1 constable, without the least endeavor to make batii ends meet by^ imposing additional taxation, and instead o£ doing so, wasting time and money m, bitter and. fruitles wrangling.and struggling.fpjr supremacy, may feel disinclined to negotiate ' the ' 16a,n. 'What, then, would be tl^e result, with one hall of the amount r already/ hypothecated P, Simply^a, catastrophe, the like of which tas nevejf. befallaria young colony such,' • : as this, which with anything like prudent management, -should become, the wealthiest and ; most^prosperous on ..the, I face of . the : eartlvrrnational bankruptcy. ! and repudiation, wliich would effecI tually blast her predifc for ages to. come, ! and spread ruin and misery broadcast I through the land ; or taxation so ex- | cessive that the. people would not sub-^ ; mit \o it. Either alternative N is su£S- ; ciently appalling to those "who f have the welfare of their adopted country at. ; Heart, and we cannot too strongly de\ ; precate the course which, certain factions, m the House have} chosen to adopt, — ' nor top earnestly exhort hb;n. members_. to sink all minor Considerations, and zealously to : unite' m endeaypring; /to restore. New Zealand to that position^ which she is justly -entitled, to — the' foremost and most prosperous' of the Imperial depedencies. *