The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1878. POLITICAL SUMMARY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5473, 11 October 1878, Page 4

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1878. POLITICAL SUMMARY.

The danger from within, which, in our last month’s summary, wo indicated as threatening the Ministry, has developed itself, and on Friday last, in the House of Representatives, there was an adverse vote on the motion for the second reading of the Beer Tax Bill, the Government being defeated by a majority apparently of two, but really of four. The Land Tax Bill, the Customs Tariff Bill, the Beer Tax Bill, and the Companies Income Tax Bill were the measures embodying the fiscal polioyof the Governmont;allof which they regarded as essential, and by them, as they declared, they had determined “ to stand or fall as a Ministry.” The two first-mentioned Bills have passed the House of Representatives, after having undergone considerable modifications, and are now before the Legislative Council. After the adverse vo°e above noted the Government consented to withdraw the two latter Bills, so that their fiscal policy is practically out in half. _ The deficit produced by proposed remissions of duty on tea, sugar, &0., &c., the changes in the tariff, cannot be covered by additional taxation at.present ; but the Treasurer has hit on the ingenious device of taking the money appropriated for colonial harbor defences to help him through the year. Thus, as we said a few days ago in describing the situation, “ the Government having declared their determination to stand or fall by their fiscal proposals, they fell. But they appear determined to lie where they have fallen.” This is a new phase of constitutional government, quite- exceptional. So also is the fact exceptional that we have an ex-Governor for Premier, who was always officially in antagonism with his responsible Ministers, and who, himself a responsible Minister, is now in constant antagonism with her Majesty’s representative in this Colony. For the moment the constitutional practice is subordinated to the personal influence, and although members flout at and mock the authority which has set itself over them, they are content that for the prosept it shall lie where it has [fallen. But the glamour is gone; the gilt of the gingerbread is off. The tenderness which covered and sustained and would have saved the Government if that had been possible on the part of the House of Representatives was touchingly exhibited in the case of what is now known as the “Tapanui Job.” The Minister for Public Works made a contract with a well-known Dunedin firm —Messrs. Proudfo'oi and McKay—for the construction of 151 miles of railway from Waipahi, on the Dunedin-Invercar-gill lino, to a place named Kelso, at a cost of £01,500. The General Assembly was in session at the time this contract was made ; no intimation was given ; no appropriation of money or sufficient authority of any kind had been made or given for such a work by Parliament, and yet when the House of Representatives was moved to express an opinion in regard to it, the following resolution was actually negatived by 44 votes to 30 ; “ That in view of the large expenditure “ now proposed on railways and other “ public works, this House is of opinion “ that in future no contracts should be “ entered into by the Government until “ the money for such work has been “ duly appropriated by Parliament.” Fidelity to party which loads men publicly to deny a constitutional truism could no further go; it was arrested there, and its recoil has been fatal to Sir George Grey’s Ministry. They are still in office, and in receipt of pay, but there mana, as the Maoris call it, is utterly gone. The Native Minister made what is officially called a “statement” on the 10th ult. The report will bo found elsewhere. It has been justly characterised as an impudent “ stump” speech, full of boasting assertions, without proof of any kind being offered to sustain them. We are glad to believe that none of the powers of corruption in dealing with Native lands, or with Native votes, which Mr. Sheehan desires to obtain, will be entrusted to him or to any other Minister or Ministry in New Zealand by the re-‘ presentativos of the people. Some time ago a gentleman of considerable ability practising at the New Zealand Bar was committed to prison for a month by a Judge of the Supreme Court, for contempt. The Judges wore patient and long suffering, and the wonder amongst reasonable people was that they should have so often endured the disturbance of the orderly conduct of their business in their Court, with reports of which the public journals teemed from day to day. The gentleman in question, whilst still suffering imprisonment, was by misdirected popular enthusiasm returned to Parliament as one of the members for Wellington City. The consequence has been that the Judges of the Supremo Court have been, so to say, arraigned before the House of Representatives, leave having been given to introduce a Bill for the issue of a judicial commission to inquire into the authority claimed by Judges of the Supremo Court to secure the orderly transaction of business before them, and with special reference to the case of the officer of the Court whom the Judges had been compelled to punish. We are obliged to record the fact, and we do it, for the credit of the colony, with great regret, that all the members of the present Government in the House of Representatives, excepting the Attor-ney-General, allowed the judicial branch of the Executive to bo assailed, and voted with the assailants. The Premier’s speech upon the occasion was the wildest of tbo many wild speeches which his evil genius has impelled him to deliver within the last few years. Wo are glad to be able to record the fact that the representatives of the people were wiser and more loyal to the popular interest than the Government, and tljat the second reading of the inquisition Bill was negatived by a largo majority. In'another place in our columns will be found two letters, one from Mr. Justice Richmond, and another from a Wolhn Dton Barrister, to which wo direct (Men-

tion. - They give some indications of the source of the erroneous information upon which the public case against the Judges has apparently been based. The Government in its present condition of humiliation is naturally desirous to get rid of the Parliament, and it is said that within the month the prorogation will certainly take place. The session has now lasted for nearly three months, and, excepting perhaps the Ministry, nothing can be said to have been “done.”

The city of Wellington is making rapid strides in progress. The population is steadily increasing ; builders, although active, do not keep pace with the demand for house accommodation ; and the value of land in, and for a long distance around the city, has increased to an extent which to the old identities is hardly credible. The opening of the railway to the interior, which will take place immediately, will add another and a long link to the chain of progress,- and will help to make the “ fishing village ” of the days of small things the real Capital of the Colony of New Zealand.