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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4809, 21 August 1876, Page 2

The debate on the second reading of the Counties Bill commenced on Friday evening, to terminate when it is impossible to say. And yet, if we are to take the discussion of Friday night as any indication of the rest, it will not be too much to say that though the debate last until the end of the week no new light will be thrown on the subject at issue, and no useful end accomplished. No one denies that the Bill, as it at present stands, must be modified in committee. The Government have admitted this themselves. There is no opposition of a tangible nature to the Bill per se, and why therefore there should be a lengthened discussion on its second reading the public will not easily be made to understand. The debate on the separation resolutions has, as a matter of fact, been as decisive on the second reading of the Counties Bill as it was on separation. Each night now spent in discussing that second reading, therefore, only represents so much time wasted,; for should the course of the discussion turn on the details of the measure, it is plain that all this will have to be gone over again in committee, whilst if a few speakers confine themselves to talking against the Bill as a whole, they are merely delaying business, as it is pretty well agreed that the Bill must, as a consequence of_ abolition, pass its second reading ; and," after th e necessary amendments in committee, must become law. It is probable that for what we have written we shall be accused of wishing to stifle discussion, but such a charge cannot lie. Parliament has passed more than two months in pure discussion, without resulting progress in public business. Surely there lias been something too much of this. It has, we allow, been mainly caused by the action of the Opposition ; but at the same time gentlemen on the Ministerial side have not been altogether blameless. Some have taken it upon themselves to hold the Government responsible for much of the delay that has taken place, contending chat it was the duty of the Government to stop what .they considered needless discussion. But whilst discussion may be recognised as needless, it would be very unwise to check it until it became absolutely necessary to do so. And even now, though the business of the country imperatively demands that the Counties Bill should be got into committee with all convenient speed, it will be much better to trust to the good sense of the great majority of members for the accomplishment of this object, than to exercise any power for procuring it. A good many of those who blame the Government for the facilities they have afforded the Opposition for debate, would perhaps be the very first to complain if the Government refused such facility. We do not put it in this light. We simply point out that certain work has to be done, and that certain time has been wasted, and appeal to members to get to real work as quickly as possible..