New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4832, 16 September 1876, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16.

- The report of Parliamentary proceedings in yesterday's issue of the, New Zealand Times left the House of Representatives "sitting." The members sat. because Mr. Rees, acting for the Opposition; started to talk against time, jand talked until some time after six o'clock in the morning, when an adjournment until 10 a.m. was taken. On the resumption, we cannot say of business, Mr. Rees renewed his loquacity, and kept up until 1 p.m., when a further adjournment .was taken until two, at which hour he started fair to talk, it was said, until three o'clock this morning, subject only to the intermissions for dinner and supper. Now, we are about to write plainly of this matter, and just ask the Opposition what it is they have in view 1 They will probably answer—the welfare of mankind and of the couutry, and a regard for the principles of eternal justice. That is all very well; but seeing that nobody believes in their sincerity, we may dismiss this plea at once. The plain matter is, that the Oppositiori,th"oughinadecidedminority,seem determined by every means in their power to impede the business of the country, and in the most selfish manner to sacrifice the public interests to a pertinaceous persistence in their wild and incomprehensible theories. The technical mistake (if there were a mistake) in connection with the formation of a Ministry upon the retirement of Sir Jtjlitjs Vooel, has been seized upon by them as a means of hampering the Ministry and the majority of the House; and though the colony suffers by their unfair and unconstitutional mode of procedure, they do not care so long as they see a chance of embarrassing those whom they know will be victors in the end. Now, there is but one way out of this state' of affairs. The Ministry must act firmly and promptly. They have fairly given the Opposition a latitude which has gone beyond the utmost courtesy and consideration incident to party war. Government by party is the government of the country, and time has approved such a form of government as the freest possible. This being so, it is impossible that the party in the minority can force its opinion upon that in the majority. Parliament has been distinctly elected to carry out abolition. A discontented few in the House have wasted the time of the session until now, and seem prepared to sacrifice that time altogether in future, in order to prevent the wishes of the country being carried out. The duty of the Ministry and the majority is obvious. If "the Opposition will not listen to reason, if they will persist in their mischievous and obnoxious course, they must be taught the power of the people, "and learn that the majority which the electors have returned for a particular purpose are not to be browbeaten or wearied out in their accomplishment of that purpose. What is known in Victoria as the " iron hand" resolution must be put and carried. It has worked with, singular , efficacy for many a year in the United States, South Australia, and other countries possessed of representative institutions. It enables a question to be put without further discussion, and acts as an effectual preventive of such performances as Mr. Rees for the better part of two days has treated the House to. If the Opposition will not recognise that, being in a great minority, it is their duty to offer no factious opposition, why then heroic treatment must be adopted to cure them of : their mental derangement, and the sooner that treatment is adopted the better. - :