New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1871. THE WEEK.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 32, 2 September 1871, Page 10

New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1871. THE WEEK.

Since the commencement of the session neither the discussions in Parliament nor those in the press have been of a character to attract much attention. They can be fittingly characterised as being, on the whole, " flat, stale, and unprofitable." Hitherto the debates have been deficient alike in earnestness, eloquence, novelty, and importance. There has been scarcely a remark made which has risen above commonplace. ' Not a member of the house has yet said or done anything by which ho deserves to be remembered. There has been no display of genius, eloquence, or even practical sagacity. A new parliament, which was not capable of producing a Chatham or a Burke, might have brought forth a Joe Hume or a Colonel Sibthorpe ; but he has not at present put in an appearance. The fact is, that the atmosphere of the house is sultry and oppres* sive, which depresses the spirits of members, and indicates a coming storm. Both sides of the house appear to be expecting it, and each member consequently is thinking more about how he shall conduct himself when it comes than about the particular matter then before him. Until the Financial Statement is made the debates will scarcely be worth reading. In any case we trust that the resolution adopted by the Legislative Council to the effect, that the Government should make arrangements for the regular publication in one or more daily newspapers of a condensed report of the debates, will be carried out. We are glad to see that a Colonial Industries Committee has been again appointed. Under exceptional circumstances, and possibly in future ages, it may be found that that Government is best which governs least, and when the absence of legislation may prove a positive good ; but this is not the case at present. In this colony a do-nothing government would prove a costly nuisance. The worst government would be better than no government at all; for no government is but another name for anarchy. Law is required to protect the weak against the strong in their intercourse with each other, and in spite of the maxims of the economists to the contrary, it should aid the weaker of two parlies in order to place both on level ground. If a local industry stands in that position, and is worth maintainiHg, it should be thus sustained. The policy of fostering new industries, of introducing population, of facilitating intercommunication, of promoting education, and of constructing railways is opposed to the principles of those who object to all Government interference ; and those principles are as much violated by giving state aid to railways, to immigration, or to mail services, as by passing a protective tariff. It will be seen from oir Australian telegrams that the Victorian tariff, which imposes a duty of 20 per cent on all goods which can be manufactured in the colony, has passed the Assembly.

We regret we were not afforded the opportunity of supporting before hand the motion made by Mr Murray in favor of the abolition of the postage now charged on newspapers passing between the provinces, for in a country like this we know of no impost which can be less justified. It is this impost alone which prevents this journal becoming in reality, as well as nominally, The New Zealand Mail ; for, if removed, it would soon attain a colonial circulation. We know of no better means of creating a colonial public opinion, of removing provincial jealousies, and of cementing the unity of the colony than the abolition of the postage now charged on newspapers.

No tax would be more popular than a tax on the property of absentees. The late Victorian Ministry proposed to levy such a tax, and we commend the subject to the serious considertion of our Colonial Treasurer. Such a tax is no novelty. The English Parliament, in former times, passed measures for the purpose of either enforcing the residence of proprietors or for appropriating a certain amount of their income to compensate to some extent for the wrongs occasioned by their non-resi-dence. In the reign of Henry the Eighth the estates of absentee proprietors were declared to be forfeited, and the properties of several of them were seized by the Crown. In the reign of James the First all the property of absentees was vested in the Crown. Since that time taxes on absentees have frequently been imposed, and at this moment the income tax is levied on absentee Irish land holders. The measures of the Government will greatly enhance the value of the property of absentees, and it is only just that they should contribute towards this result.

The general news of this week is unimportant. An Agricultural Association was successfully inaugurated in the Wairarapa on Monday last. On Wednesday a case was heard at the Resident Magistrate's Court at Featherston, in which the Chairman of the Greytown School Committee was plaintiff, and the teacher of the school defendant. It would seem that a new school committee had been recently elected, who proceeded to advertise for a new schoolmaster, though the old one had not been discharged, nor had he been paid the salary alleged to be due to him. The action was brought to compel him to give up possession of the school buildings to the chairman of the school committee. The new Education Act passed by the Provincial Council has not improved the position of either school teachers or school committees; but, on the contrary, it has made the position of both worse than ever.