The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1879.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5783, 11 October 1879, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1879.

After making a short and, to some extent an incomplete statement of the position taken up by the Government, Mr. Hall yesterday proceeded to move the second reading of the Triennial Parliaments Bill. The following is the measure brought forward by Sir G. Grey: — “l. The short title of this Act “is the Triennial Parliaments Act, 1870. “ 2. After the dissolution or other deter“mination of the present General Assembly, the House of Representatives “shall continue for a period of three “ years, to be computed from the day “fixed for the return of the first writ “issued for choosing such House. But “ nothing in this Act shall be deemed to “limit or control the power of the “Governor to dissolve the said General ‘ ‘ Assembly, in exercise of any power or “ authority vested in him.” The amount of brain power brought to bear upon it was clearly not great; nevertheless, Mr. Hall proposed an important amendment to the measure, by which it should affect not only future Parliaments, but also the present one. In a short speech he proposed the second reading of the Bill. Sir G. Grey objected to his bantling being thus summarily handed over to a new guardian, but the Speaker decided that the Government had a right to inherit and adopt such measures of public policy as were left them as a legacy by the previous Government if they thought fit. Mr. Sheehan asked for a fair fight on Mr. Macandrew’s motion of want of confidence, and moved the postponement of the second reading of the Triennial Parliaments Bill. A long debate followed. Mr. Whitaker opened the ball with a well-delivered energetic speech, in which he pointed out that the responsibility of obstructing the public business rested on the Opposition. Mr. Macandrew explained that the Bill was obstructed in order to force the Government to debate the no-confidence motion on Tuesday. Mr. Bowen declared that all constitutional precedent went to show that on the formation of a new Ministry, it had a right to claim a fair trial and a fair hearing, such as the Opposition wished to deny to the present Ministry. Major Atkinson accused the Opposition of having shown an indecent haste to regain their lost position. Having thrown over their late leader, they hoped to oust their successors at once, and avoid the exposure of the very acts of maladministration for which they had been condemned by an unprecedented majority of the last Parliament. Despite their desire to conceal their shortcomings, they would be exposed before the present Ministry left office, and he his colleagues would within a few days let the House and the country know the real financial condition of the colony for the first time for many months. Mr. De Lautouk pretended that because the policy of the present Government was the same as that of the late Ministry, the latter had the best right to introduce these reforms, But it was clearly shown that none of these measures were ready to lay before the House.

It was pertinently asked, What is the present Ministry to be condemned for ? and the electors throughout the country will doubtless ask themselves the same question within the next few days. Leaving the debate on one side, it is clear that the members who voted last night really did not know of any sound reason why the Government should not be carried on by the Hall Ministry. In a week or two their full policy will be laid before the country and the House, and members will then be in a position to judge fairly of their merits. At present they are in the dark. Two consecutive votes of want of confidence in the Grey Ministry have been passed:as soon as a new Ministry is formed, and because one or two malcontents have gone over to the Opposition, the cry is at once raised that Mr. Hall ought to have reconstructed the late Ministry, or have avowed his inability to do so. The Native Minister, speaking for himself and his colleagues, made this course impossible. This is what he said, on October 3rd, not a quarter of an hour before the division took place : —“lf we “ are beaten, hon. members of the Oppo- “ sition will be left to select members “ from their own side. Coalition, I say, “ is not only impossible, but unfair and “dishonest, and not a single man on “ these benches will listen to any proposal to join in the formation of a “coalition Ministry. Of course I may “ be told they do not want me. It may “ be so. I will bide my time. I am “ perfectly certain they will not have Sir “ George Grey. He will bide his time “ also, and, to my mind, a very short “ time indeed. There are on this side “ of the House men whom the Opposi- “ tion would like to have ; and not one “ of them will join the new Government. “ We are determined that, if we are “ beaten on this occasion, we will stand “ with our party. If we are beaten, we “ will take defeat in a proper parliaraen- “ tary sense. It may be so —I do not “ know —but if the hon. gentlemen oppo- ‘ ‘ site succeed on this occasion by a vote “or two, then their troubles really,

“ begin.” Coalition was rendered impossible by this statementnot a Minister ever dissented from Mr. Sheehan’s declaration, arid Mr. Halt, was consequently forced to coniine his choice to his own side.

The division taken last night clearly proves that, despite the boasting of the Opposition, if all the members of the Government party had been present last night the Speaker would have been called upon to give a casting vote. There were Messrs. Ormond and Hcssell absent, and they would have made the balance even between both sides. The no-conlidenoa debate has not come off yet, and as soon as ever the question can bo fairly tried the Government will be content to abide the issue. In the meantime the business of the country ought to be proceeded with, and we agree with the petition of the Maoris lodged yesterday that members should leave off fighting at least until such time as the new Government have been allowed to lay their measures fairly before the House and the country. Members are not returned to Parliament to keep on struggling for office, and we sincerely hope that this unseemly obstruction 'by the Opposition will be abandoned. The division last night may have been a mistake, as exposing a weakness, but it also demonstrated the strength of the party. The partition of the spoils had clearly only alienated two doubtful friends, and the Opposition tactics had given the Government one new ally from the Opposition, for the time being.

The great pro-consul and regenerator of mankind had been forced to consent to an apparent retirement into political obscurity for an indefinite period. Members must now see that some coalition will be necessary before a working-majority can be secured for either side. If the Hall Ministry fail to secure an accession to their ranks, when they have had a chance of disclosing the undoubted and indisputable mal-administration of their predecessors and of unfolding their own plans and measures, then they will be quite content to allow another set of men to take their places. Reconstruction was denied them by Mr. Sheehan ; obstruction of the public business by the same gentleman, if persisted in, will be far more likely to give the Government a good working majority than to reduce their ranks. The damning fact remains that the second reading of the Triennial Parliaments Bill has been delayed indefinitely by the factious opposition of the late Government party, plus two malcontents. The latter are still free to vote either way on the no-confidence motion when it comes on. By that time the true financial position of the colony will be known ; and members will do well to suspend their judgment until then.