The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5212, 5 December 1877, Page 2

The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISH ED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1877.

A discussion took place in the House of Representatives on the subject of the ministerial residences, which we trust will be singular, it any respect is to be paid to the Parliament of the country. It has hitherto been the custom that when a Government quitted office during the session its members continued to reside in the residences until the prorogation. The advantage of this is obvious. Those gentlemen who may become members of a Ministry while Parliament is sitting have already made their arrangements for the session, while it is not likely that outgoing Ministers would make other arrangements than those already existing. Hence arose the understanding that any Minister retiring from office should not vacate his residence until the close of the session. This would be as fair to one Ministry as another, and would do away with the inconvenience of removal—an inconvenience to one, without any commensurate benefit to the other. It is utter nonsense to say that the matter is one which concerns the country. It is simply a question between Ministers and Ministers, and in laying down a rule for guidance the interests of all who take part in the Executive Government of the colony should be considered. To expect a gentleman with his wife, family, and effects to remove from his residence at a few days’ notice, would be grossly unfair, and no private landlord would dream for a moment of asking such a thing. Are Ministers of the Crown, who have been placed in their position by the voice of the majority of the representatives of the people, to be treated worse than ordinary tenants? No man with any foresight at all, who keeps up a respectable establishment, would leave himself in such a position as that ho could be turned out of house and home without adequate notice, or at least such sufficient notice as would afford him ample opportunity of looking after another place. If the Grey Ministry had its way no one would care to occupy the ministerial residences. The late Ministry loft office on the 13th October last, and at that time it was confidently expected that the session would not last longer than five weeks. In such a case no one with any gentlemanly feeling would have expected the members of the outgoing Ministry to have broken up their temporary homes, thereby compelling them to form still more temporary ones. The whole subject resolves itself into one of courtesy, good taste, and good feeling. However, these are not the qualities one would expect from Sir George Grey and those who act with him. The late Ministers, acting on established custom, desire to retain possession of the residences for the few weeks that would elapse before the end of the session. This does not seem to meet the views of the present Ministry, and we can assume that the latter in their action had been actuated by no other spirit than that of malice, and a desire to injure their political opponents in the eyes of the country. A great deal of talk took place in the lobbies on the subject, and at last the members of the late Government received notice, written under instructions from the Minister for Public Works, to appoint an arbitrator to confer with another gentleman appointed by the Government, so as to fix an equitable rental for the ministerial residences during the time they were occupied by late Ministers since leaving office. The. whole thing was petty in the extreme, and wo were glad to see that the conduct of the Government did not moot with the support of the respectable portion of their own party. The notification to ex-Ministcrs was evidently sent with no other object than that of annoying and insulting them. In Mr. MuLean’s case there was no excuse, for that gentleman had left the house he had occupied some considerable time previous

to the offensive letter being written. It will be worth while to mention that there is a large house now vacant at the disposal of the Government, and no attempt has been made to occupy it. It is perfectly plain that had late Ministers vacated the residences on leaving office, the houses would have been still vacant, and men doubtless would have had to be paid to take care of them. But considerations of this kind are nothing when Sir George Grey wishes to have a fling at a political adversary. To effect some final arrangement with regard to these residences, Major Atkinson moved that the whole affair be referred to the Public Accounts Committee. That committee fecommonded that the late Ministers should retain possession of the premises till the prorogation, but that in future Ministers should vacate the premises within thirty days after leaving office. On that report a debate arose, and several members did not hesitate to go into details of the private lives of gentlemen. The Premier and the Native Minister expressed an opinion that the members of the late Ministry had been treated too liberally, and that they should be called upon to pay rental for the premises for the time they occupied the houses overthirty days. That would be about three weeks. Well might Mr. Bolleston express his regret that the matter had been brought forward, and inform Sir George that the question was one of good taste, and not of bargain, and that he should not attempt to prejudice gentlemen in the eyes of the country. Mr. Reynolds also spoke strongly on the subject. He said it was only right that retiring Ministers should retain the residences till the end of the session, and that it would be a contemptible thing to ask for rent, and further, that it would be preposterous to expect a Minister with his wife and family to turn out at a moment’s notice. Mr. Pox also spoke warmly on the subject, and said it was a vulgar appeal, made in an extreme Radical spirit to the vulgar outside, in which no risk was attached to the party making the appeal. There can bo little hesitation in stating that the attack was mean, underhand, and utterly cowardly, and such, happily, as would have no weight with any class in the community, for all must desire to see our public men treated with some degree of respect. It would not be fair to close our remarks without stating that no member of the late Ministry refused to pay rent, and that they were quite willing to do so if calledupon. Major Atkinson stated that he would have the matter ventilated, but we fail to see that any good would come of again discussing it. It would simply give certain lion, members an opportunity of indulging in coarse personalities.