The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1879. POLITICAL SUMMARY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5734, 15 August 1879, Page 4

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1879. POLITICAL SUMMARY.

The fourth session of the sixth Parliament of New Zealand has come to a close after a session of only thirty days. The dissolution which was asked for by Sir G. Grey will probably be announced to-day, and already the canvassing for the general election is in full swing. The history of the thirty days’ Parliament is an interesting one. . Previous to the opening of Parliament it was well known that the prestige of the Democratic party, under the leadership of Sir G. Grey, had faded. Two of the ablest and most influential members of the Ministry had retired, because they found themselves ignored and their opinions set at .naught by their autocratic chief. Not one o f the five or six new members elected during the recess had had the courage to declare himself a Greyite, and many former friends and supporters of the Premier had openly avowed to their constituents their inability to support him or his Ministry any longer. The only colleagues whose services the Premier had been able to secure, to replace the Ministers who had resigned their portfolios, were men of second-rate ability, and of little Parlia-

mentary standing or influence. These facts enabled many to discern that the end of the term of personal government was at hand. The first trial of strength which took place between the two parties in the House was on the question of the appointment of a Chairman of Committees. The battle was fought in the lobbies, but finally the Government party gave way, and the Premier actually seconded the appointment of the gentleman nominated by Sir William Fox, who had by that time been chosen as the recognised leader of the Constitutional Party, as the Opposition now calls itself. When the Governor’s Speech was delivered, it was found that the Ministry had-taken the opportunity afforded them of bringing forward once more a number of the proposals which had formed the text of the Premier’s speeches on his stumping tour of two years ago, but which his Ministry had failed to place upon the Statute-book when, being backed by a large majority, they had the opportunity a year ago. During the recess the conduct of the Government in respect to the Maori troubles had been condemned by all sections of the public and the Press throughout the colony. Confidence in the Government had also been lessened by their abandonment of the Electoral Bill at the close of the previous session, because the Upper House refused to pass an amendment giving the Maoris a double vote, which would have swamped the votes of the European electors in about ten of the Northern constituencies. The amendment had been surreptitiously inserted in the Bill during its passage through the Lower House, and many of the Government supporters were greatly disappointed when they found that the Bill was wrecked because this amendment was insisted upon by the Premier. In addition to the mismanagement of native affairs, and the abandonment of the Electoral Bill at the close of the last session, during the recess a number of lucrative appointments had been given to men whose only known claim to the distinction was the strong political support which they had given to the Government. It was _ rumored that some disgraceful excuses had been made by the Premier, in a letter declining to appoint a gentleman who had expressed a hope that he might be chosen to occupy the vacant Speakership in the Upper House. It was also well known that the Premier had turned the first sod, and the Ministry had sanctioned the commencement, of a railway at Grahamstown which had never been authorised, and for which no money had been voted by the House. These and other similar scandals had sapped the very foundations of the Ministry, andconsequently the Opposition had a strong case in their hands. Sir Wm. Fox, in a very severe speech, pointed out the many delinquencies of the Government, and moved a vote of want of confidence in the administration of the Government on the Address in Eeply, without in any way attacking the policy brought forward in the Governor’s Speech. Long before the division was taken it was known that the Opposition would command a large majority, but few expected that the Government would be defeated in the Lower House by the unprecedented majority of fourteen in a very full House of eighty members. Sir G. Obey appealed to the Governor for a dissolution. This request was granted, subject to certain rigorous conditions, binding Sir G. Grey down to time, and insisting that no “contested motions’ should be introduced pending the dissolution, in the event of the Premier deciding to appeal to the country. After some discussion the Opposition accepted the position, passed the £5,000,000 Loan Bill, and supply up to the 30th September. The writs for the new election will be issued in a day or two, and are returnable within a month.

In the Upper House, however, the Government were left, if possible, in a more deplorable condition than in the Lower. When the appointment of the new Speaker was discussed an extract was read from a letter from the Premier to Major Richmond, who had hoped for the appointment. The Premier said that “ There is a necessity in such a case “to give assurance to the public that “the Government intend to carry mea- “ sures of a. certain character, and to “secure, if possible, existing laws. . .

“Acting upon these principles, I fear the “choice of President must fall upon “another than yourself.” Shortly after this the complete illegality of the Grahamstown Railway was exposed in an inquiry which took place about the falsification of a copy of a map asked for by the former Minister of Public Works. The falsification was fully proved, and the object of the fraud also made apparent. Mr. Waterhouse consequently tabled a motion to the effect that “the action “ of the Government in commencing the “ line of railway from Waikato to the “ Thames at Grahamstown was a violation “ of both the letter and the spirit of the “law.” The description of what happened is, we believe, unparalleled in the annals of Parliamentary history. The Colonial Secretary, Colonel Whitmore, expressed his intention of voting against the motion, but requested the mover to withdraw it. Several other lion, gentlemen then spoke strongly in support of the motion, but without any one of the many recently-appointed Government supporters getting up to volunteer a defence of the action of the Ministry. Finally, the mover expressed his determination to proceed to a division, but the Ministerial party was so weak that the Colonial Secretary preferred to allow this very condemnatory resolution to be passed on the voices without risking a division. When the no-confidence motion was first brought forward by Sir W. Fox the general impression was that the Ministry would resign if defeated, as it was exceedingly unlikely that a dissolution would be asked for. The Governor’s Speech proposed that before the next dissolution, measures should be passed to provide not only for the electoral reform to which we have referred but also for a re-distribution of seats, and for the introduction of triennial Parliaments. It is true that these measures in one form or another had all coma before the House in the previous session, but the two last-named were not favored with Ministerial countonance or support last year, and fell through for want of it. It was evident that a dissolution without the

introduction of these measures was tantamount to a postponement of the reforms demanded for at least three years. The country cannot afford the expense or inconvenience of frequent general elections, and consequently a dissolution was equivalent to a declaration by Ministers of a determination to stick to office even at the cost of postponing indefinitely all tfie mostimportautreformsintroduced into what is now known as the “ Great Liberal “ Programme.” It is significant that many of the very innovations upon which the Grey parly more especially pride themselves had been previously promised by prominent members of the Opposition. The polio}’’as a.whole meets with general support, but it cannot be considered a parly policy. The chief question, therefore, which has now to be decided by the country is, who shall be entrusted with the duty of carrying out the more pressing reforms which are being discussed. Sir G. Grey has promised to resign if tlie elections should prove that he has forfeited the confidence of the country. We question very much whether there will be a dozen members returned who are prepared to promise their support to the Grey Ministry. It is scarcely necessary to add that hardly any legislative business was done during the session. Nevertheless, with one exception, all the members drew their honorarium of £2lO.