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WEEKLY BULLETIN.

(From tbe New Zealand Mail.) The legislators returned from their Southern trip on Tuesday, overflowing with grateful acknowledgements of the hospitality and kindness of their Southern ' friends, and full of admiration of the resources of the country through which they travelled. This is the way, rightly regarded, in which the “iron horse” works towards the complete unification of the colony; and the realization of the idea to which practical expression was broadly given for the first time seven years ago, naturally and justly brought the name of Sir Julios Vogel before the people. The people, more generous and loyal in their instincts than their present rulers, and not blinded by a mean j ealousy which can see no merit in a political opponent, made the occasion one of honor to, and public recognition of, the statesman who inado the railway linos and opened up the land for settlement, and who did not content himself with stump speeches, with discovering wrongs which had no existence, with creating imaginary grievances which no man ever felt, and with making promises, not one of which has been, or is likely to be, fulfilled. The contrast in these respects between Sir George Grey and Sir Julius Vogel is 100 striking to bo missed by the people of Canterbury and Otago, and the weak effort on the part of Ministers to divert v the stream of popular enthusiasm had the effect simply of emphasising still more strongly its generous expression. All , honor to Mr Mooiuiouse for his Canterbury tunnel, to Or. Menzies for his Invercargill enterprise, and to Mr. MauANDBEWforhis thousand and one projects for the aggrandisement of Otago—from the old Panama steam project down even to the Tapanui railway scheme. They have none of them discovered steam power or its use in traction engines on railways or in sea-going ships; they have endeavored usefully to apply these discoveries. This is all that Sir Julius -Vogel has done, but lie has done it better than any of them, and on a larger scale, at the right time, and ho lias found the necessary means to effectually carry out his project. That is his merit, and the people will not consent that ho shall bo deprived by Sir George Grey of the credit that is duo to him. Ministers now put forward Colonel Whitmore’s ; claim to share in the honors of the Public Works scheme, because in 1807 he wanted to prevent Provincial Governments from making railways without the consent of the General Assembly, and to enable the Colonial Government to take out of the Provincial lands reserves for railway lines. Both these were very good suggestions, but at the time, under the Provincial form of government, they were simply impracticable. The Land Tax Bill was read a second time, without a division, on Wednesday. Nearly every member who spoke upon the subject found fault with it and with the Government financial proposals, of which it formed a part; and none were more uncompromising in this condemnation than Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Swanson, and Mr. Bryce, all, in the last session, warm supporters of the present Government. Ministers, unable to lead the House, are abandoning measures of colonial policy to private members. T)r. Wallis has undertaken the making the Parliament triennial ; Dr. Hodokinson proposes to adjust the representation ; and Mr. De Lautoub to reform the Supreme Court. “We have not,” said Sir George Grey in December last to the people of Auckland, “We have not yet “ obtained anything like a fair represen- “ tation ; that is a thing yet to be acoom- “ plished, and until that is gained nothing “is done. ... Now follow what I ■ “ mean by saying that at present there is “no fair representation. First of all, the “ country is not divided into fair electoral “ districts. Representation is in no de- “ gree apportioned to population. Thera “ are some places with perhaps twice, or “ even three times the number of mem- “ bora that they ought to have in propor- “ tion to their population.” Of course this “wrong” is not going to be set right, and yet without doing so the Government talk of a dissolution. Bocal works are beneath the consideration of men whose care is for the countless millions of the future. On a question of building a bridge somewhere, brought forward by a private member in the House on Thursday, the Premier burst into ungovernable rage and abused everybody in general, and his own friends and obedient followers in particular. Having been called to order by the Speaker, and having “ lost the thread of his discourse,” he stopped, and was incontinently “sat upon” by Mr. Wason, who expressed the general sense of the House in his reprobation of Sir George Grey’s insolence and misconduct. .A Boad Board Bill, which is a consolidation of the various Provincial Highways Acts, has been introduced in the Legislative Council by the Colonial Secretary. It is understood that it is not desired that it shall be passed this year. At . the present rate of progress, and in the condition of helplessness in which the “[strong and united Government” finds itself, the prospect of the termination of the session is distant. The advice of Mr. George McLean, that the Government should withdraw all their Bills, get an Appropriation Act, and bring the session to a speedy close, judicious, and, as the member for Waikouaiti now offers his patronising support to Ministers, [[the chief objection to acting upon his advice may fairly be considered to be removed.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18780914.2.23.2

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5450, 14 September 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

Word count
Tapeke kupu
916

WEEKLY BULLETIN. New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5450, 14 September 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

WEEKLY BULLETIN. New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5450, 14 September 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

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