The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5384, 29 June 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1878.

A rumour is current as to the probable policy of the Government in the ensuing session which is so extraordinary that we should hesitate to pay any attention to it if it did not reach us from different quarters generally supposed to bo well informed as to the intentionsof the Ministry. It is somewhat remarkable that being within less than a month of the opening of Parliament, the publiohave had no intimation as to the nature of the Bills to be submitted to the Legislature, although publicity was proclaimed to be one of the cardinal points of the Government policy. It is true that we have had much flourishing of trumpets, much travelling, and much talk. But it has been as the trumpeting and the travelling and the talk of the mountebank who enlivens the stage in front of the village show: “ Walk up, ladies and gentlemen. Walk “ up. Pay your money, and you will see “what you shall see.” The gentleman in motley discourses fluently, and with apparent detail, as to the weight and dimensions of the giant within ; but from time to time another showman appears to act as a foil to his colleague, and warns the gaping crowd that all they have heard is not to be relied on. Thus the mystery is kept up, till one or two early and favored visitors come out of the tent and confidentially inform their intimates that the giant is a very ordinary creature — not terrible at all—not half such a giant as went the round last year. Was it not a grand thing to hear the Premier of the colony describing on many platforms the glories of the coming age — of an Arcadia where no one was to have more than a few acres and a few sheep ? where manhood suffrage was to bring everyone to a level, except, of course, one superior being from, another sphere, who was to be worshipped by all as he is now worshipped by a favored few. All the steps, too, were shadowed forth — vaguely, perhaps, but still intelligibly to the eye of faith—by which this happy golden age was to be introduced. The land throughout the country was to be classified for a land tax ; duties were to taken off tea and sugar ; no one, however large and scattered his property, was to have more than one vote ; —there was to bo no fantastic attempt to give a wealthy minority any influence. The majority in number wore to rale absolutely, and to divide the spoil. A “spurious aristocracy” was to bo nipped in the bud ; but young men obedient to the voice of the prophet mights look forward to being taken to England by him, dressed in the most beautiful uniform possible, and introduced to the Queen without the intervention of Governors or “minions” such as notoriously compose the British Cabinet. A President will rule over an independent people disunited for ever from the effete old country; and we shall never run the risk again of our towns being bombarded and our patriots poisoned by Imperial authority. While the country was all aglow with delight at the promise of such a wonderful transformation scene, Mr. Ballance appeared, not to solve the mystery, but to trickle alittle cold water over his colleague, and to quench the general excitement. “Pray don’t mind this old gentleman,” Mr. Ballance virtually said, “ he does “net count.” What did it all mean? Was there to be an Arcadia after all, and if so what was it to bo like ? Towards the close of last session two or throe of those horrid, wicked, wealthy men, owners of counties, masters of untold flocks, suddenly followed in the wake of the Arcadian shepherd, and danced to his piping. They had seen the errors of their evil ways—so the shepherd told the Southern folks—and wished to help him to put all things straight. It was evident that they desired a tax “ to burst up big “ estates,” and a state of society where no man should make his neighbor jealous by owning too much property. Arcadia had already made its appearance, and these disinterested friends of Sir George Grey had really urged him to hasten the execution of his communistic plans. Alas for poor human nature. It will come back even after you have tossed it out with a pitchfork, or with a shepherd’s crook. It is rumored that these wily aud unregonerate owners of counties and big runs were playing their little game—that, to use a vulgar but expressive phrase, someone had”tipped the wink to them—that they knew it was safe to fool the Arcadian to the top of his bent, and that they were risking nothing after all. It is said that they have been allowed to get behind the scenes, that they have seen the public Bills, so carefully kept from the people, and that they are perfectly satisfied. The late Government they now think was far more likely to be dangerous to their interests ; in fact, Major Atkinson and his colleagues had mischievously liberal instincts. There is none of this sort of danger now. Sir George Grey has been allowed to trot about the country and to hoodwink the public, but his colleagues will make their rich friends safe, and they, as we are told, are perfectly satisfied. Can this be tine ? Wo have good reasons to know that it is firmly believed by some of those who are most deeply interested; and if it is true, we should like to ask is Sir George Grey a party to the trick, or is ho only the tool of his more astute colleagues? The composition of the Government is so incomprehensible to most ordinary minds that these rumors as to the character of the coming policy will not very much astonish lovers of Constitutional Government. Bui, poor creatures as mere constitutionalists are, they must be excused for entertaining an antiquated regard for a straightforward policy, and for preferring the most extravagant rant, if it is honestly meant, to the most subtle underhand scheming. Wo shall soon know now whether we are to have the Premier’s Arcadia, or legislation with which the county-owners and shepherd kings are perfectly satisfied.