The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5467, 4 October 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1878.

The Ministers’ journal is no doubt an accurate reflex of the Ministerial mind. The “ strong united Government, bound “ together by well understood principles, “and with a definite object before it,” certainly has a variegated mode of expressing those principles; the definite object’ is clear ; the principles are “ mixed.” On Tuesday night, in the debate on Mr. Barton’s Judicial Commission Bill, the Ministers, excepting the Attorney-General, threw all their strength into the scale against the Judges, the Premier delivering a ranting speech in favor of the second reading of the Bill. The House of Representatives rejected that Bill by a large majority,' and on Wednesday one section of the Cabinet, through the Ministers’ newspaper, congratulated the House and the public upon the defeat of the other section of the Cabinet. Ministers now seem greatly disturbed regarding the condition of the Legislative Council. The Government has done its utmost to the constitution of the Council, having since their accession to office added no less than five new members to it. The object was at once to elevate the tone of the Chamber and to provide the representative of the Government there with the necessary political support, which it was feared he might find to be deficient. The Chamber is now crowded, and it has been found necessary to provide two of the honorable gentlemen with seats on the floor. There has never been in the Council any party organisation, except such as the present Colonial Secretary himself attempted when in opposition to the late Government. The majority of members have always judiciously and successfully discouraged exhibitions of political party feeling, and wherever there have been any signs of it they were confined to two or three individuals. The desire of the Legislative Councillors has always been and is to devote themselves to the transaction of the public business, and to discuss every measure brought before them with reference to its merits and to its operation on the public interests, without regard for this political party or for that. It was not therefore without surprise that we noticed the following “caution” promulgated by Ministers yesterday morning;—“ It is “ said, and we believe truly, that the “ spirit of party is becoming so rampant “ in the Council that the Government “ may soon find it expedient to make a ‘ ‘ considerable number of appointments “in order to restore the equilibrium. “ We had hoped that it might have been “ different —that the Chamber represented the wisdom of the past if not “ of the present. Wo see no reason “ why there, should not bo party go- “ vernment in the Council as well as “ in the Representative Chamber, and “the only other consideration that fol- “ lows is, that the Government of the “ colony must be carried on.” In case this should not bo sufficient, a lucky thought suggested that an appeal to another sentiment should also be made, and the following “hint”'was accordingly given in an evening contemporary which is subject to occasional inspiration : “ Legislative Council intend to pass “a “self-denying ordinance," and to carry a “motion which is to be shortly tabled to “ the effect that it is inconsistent withtho “dignity of a Legislative Councillor to “receive any payment for his services “from the Colonial Exchequer.” Here are three distinct intimations from Ministers that honorable gentlemen had better look out: first there may bo a considerable number of new appointments of Councillors in order to restore equilibrium; secondly, party government may bo established in the Council; and thirdly, the “ screw ” may be confiscated. There is a foreign gentleman named MPM’ HY on the Ministerial staff somewhere who displays considerable ability as a poet; - he is waiting probably the passing of tho -Executive Councillor Bill in order to throw

his “caubeen” into tho ring in the Council and help to restore' equilibrium. In the meantime he translates the tender melancholy of his colleagues into verse, thus:—- . . > Och why did they lave us alone. Ochone, Begorra-we're kilt be our own, Mavrone; - . > We wanted to fight, Ana falx it's not right To lavo us the Govermint hone, Ochone, To pick be ourselves all alone. In that frame of mind Ministers are seeking a quarrel. The offence which tho Council has committed is somewhat similar In kind to that for which the Judges of the Supreme Court have just been impeached. Honorable gentlemen have been sitting upon ,one of their own number, who has set the “call.” of the Council .at defiance, and they have fined him fifty pounds. He happens to be a supporter of the Government; he is made a u Ministerial question 5” censure on him is a vote of no confidence! The party who is becoming “ rampant” is, we fear, the Colonial Secretary himself. He may succeed by perseverance in arousing that kind of opposition which ho so constantly provokes, but which has never yet been exhibited by the Council at any time to any Government so as to interrupt the fair conduct of the public business. He will show prudence by keeping his coattails out of sight, and will do no more than his duty if he protects tho Council from the offenaiveness of his colleagues and their newspapers ; we will not do him the injustice to suspect that he shares in their sentiments or contributes any of the impertinences we have noted.