The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1025, 2 August 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 1879.

PoLtTtCAf. matters wear an aspect such as ; shoutd fully gratify the propensities of lovers of excitement. As might been expected, the cleverly worded memorandum of his Excellency, grouting it dissolution, ia variously interpreted, each party reading it so as to suit its own views. The Premier submitted a proposal to the Opposition that _ the Eket;o?al, ■Representation, and Chinese : limnigrattno .Bills should be passed before the rising of the House, to which Mr. Fox replied that his party had no objection to passing the Loan and Supply Bills, but would oppose the introduction of the others, as the terms of the Governor^3 memorandum precluded them from be tit? brought forward by a Government that lias not the confidence of the colony. Some of the Opposition, forgetting that the leaders of their party had given this as their reason for opposing the consideration of tho three bills to which objection is taken, under the present ret/hue, state that they object because the Governor expressed in his memorandum an opinion that the present Parliament should be dissolved, and that the ncv. Parliament should assemble with the Uaat possible delay. The House should be guided by the suggestions intended to be conveyed by His Excellency. But what does His Excellency exactly mean—" there * the nib. " Is his memorandum enveloped in mystification deeper than that that which usually surrounds such documents ? We think not. His Excellency could not enumerate the i measures that should be passed, and 'everything that the present parliament | should dt>, before its dissolution. Even if it were possible for him to be ! sufficiently welt acquainted with the proceedings and intentions of Parliament, land the exigencies of the country, he ■ would not be so autocratic a3 to i lay down a minute programme for obscr- ; vance. Such a course, it will be generally I admitted, would croata dissatisfaction on ; all sides. Without this the meaning of ! his Excellency's memorandum is so platri that those who run may read. If there were not two contending parties in the Bouse, it would easily have been interpreted to the satisfaction of his Excellency and/'ar'iaiiitrt. J t is tube regretted that the dispute has occurred, and that so much vopom has been eniitted on one sidejfat less». Jt is preii y p'ain that the passing of the E'ectora' and Representation Bills prior to the dissolution of Parliament wott'd be It _wa3 admii*i<ed on a*t side* session that some such iuciwiu'es were slesiraWe, and we e „n only a. l-ribute the changes which i he epiTons of some of the Opposition have undergone io a fear that, at such a juncture a* the present ihe passing of such meastrres would bestow advantage on the fvxty to whom t hey are opposed. We think fhi>f. rl< i* r«>t urgent that the Chinese JrnmiBill •houtd be passed this session. ALhoagh it is necessary Jiat a* little os possst>tc sfiouftl be lost 111 re'julating Chinese immigration, under ! existing circumstances it would be wise ito leave the consideration of the question

to the new Parliament. It, however, appears to us that there is but little chance of the Opposition yielding to the desire of the Premier regarding the other Bills. Mr. Wakefield, who twitted the Premier with being insolent—quite a new failing added l>y the Opposition to the already long list of Sir George Grey's failings —said that if he would only resign these measures would be passed at once. This means that articles which are now brass in the hands of the Government would be converted into gold bj- Mr. Wakefield and his fellowprestidigitators. We question either the anility or the willingness of the Opposition to do more for the good of the country in the future than they have done in the past, and it is not at all likely that Sir <!..">ri'i: Givy, having the whip in his hand, will, at the instigation of those who are smarthi'r under it. lay it down. Sir (Grey is as anxious us ever that the Representation and fcileetoral Uiils should be passed, but he will not make any such sacrifice as that suggested by the member for Geraldine in order to secure such a result. These measures belong to the Libera! party. They are two of the chief items in their programme, and would not have been heard of had the Atkinson clique remained in power. If the}* are desirable for the good government of the country and even the Opposition seems to think that they are the Government should not be thwarted bv factious opposition in iheir endeavor to make ihem law. The excuse for introducing the want of confidence motion was that the Government had failed in carrying the measures contained in their programme. This was almost universally viewed as a subterfuge, as the Opposition had conjured up every possible barrier in order to render the administration of the Government abortive. Those who doubted the correctness of this view can no longer doubt. It is to be hoped that political animus will be bnried in order that the country may receive fair play at the hands of those from whom it can demand it as a right, and that those measures which the Government now seek to pass before appealing to the country, will, if their adoption would confer" benefit without creating really damaging delay, be unopposed. We cannot say much for the tactics of an Opposition that is so unyielding at such a lime as the present, when ihe welfare of the Colony is at stake, and we think that their conduct will imperil the political existence of at least some of them. If the Opposition were to assist in the passing of the Representation and Electoral Hills, and those private Dills which Mr. Sheehan says are to be introduced—and amongst which we hope our Harbor Bill is included —people would be inclined to overlook some of their besetting sins, and to think that they are, after all, not such bad fellows.