The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 1876.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 142, 19 August 1876, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 1876.

Tur attempt of Bar George, Grey and Ids infatuated followers to dismember the colony, and thereby utterly ruin its credit and destroy its prestige, lias failed signally, so signally indeed that it is now clear any hostile attack on the existing Government can have Imt one ending, defeat, during the present session. This was deemed the most dangerous of the many perils to which the Ministry could he opposed, as it was thought that a union of Use Auckland party, ready to join any other that could he formed on any pretext, so long as the expulsion of present Ministers iron: office was part of its programme, with Canterbury and Otago, determined a 4 nil hazards to preserve their cherished land fund, would secure either an actual majority, or at least he defeated so narrowly as would constitute a victory. Happily, many on whose votes the Opposition implicitly relied, have voted in accordance with common sense and reason, and the (Separation will-o-the-wisp has been invoked in vain, Reasonable people naturally expected that on the failure of the last .attack, these idiotically impotent attacks would cease, and that Pail lament would he permitted to proceed with the business of the Colony, now hung up for .some two months through the absolutely criminal folly of a few. Xu .the Buiko Swamp matter, the Government wire virtually impeached on a charge of shameless corruption and venality, hut the majority they obtained when they forced a critical judgment from the 1 louse, harmlessly exploded the maliciously meant torpedo,, and triumphantly exonerated them from blame. Mr Whitakers•.resolutions foil us innocently, and lastly •Sir George went,up on the Separation rocket, "and has come down as ignominionsly as its stick. This should .surely -he enough to exhaustfcho patience of the House, and prevent the recurrence of almost interminable debates on dv-eiy hopeless motion that may he ■ brought, forward by the Opposition forlorn hope. Another is still on the paper, and Sir George' Grey again dons the cap and bells,"the object of attack this time being the Counti -s Bill. Ho has given notice that on .that measure being proceeded with, lie will move that it be read that day six months. This, as probably all our readers know, amounts in fact to throwing it out nlfogethcr. Having affirmed the principle of. Abolition, and given effect to such affirmation by fixing a date for it to be carried out, Parliament cannot of course stultify itself by refusing to proceed with, measures that Abolition renders necessary, the Counties aind Financial. Arrangements Bills notably. It is very evident, then, that this latest development o r the Kawan craze cannot moot with even the small modicum of support that its opposition predecessors have secured, for though groat liberties may he taken with both measures before they become law, tli-iv principal points

will be l substantially ro tainted _ under any circumstances. No doubt bir George depends on his Auckland contingent to hack him in any insanity Unit he may think fit to indulge in, and he hopes that the provincial guerrillas will also flock to his somewhat bedraggled standard. He may calculate tiirthcf on some southern member:-, bat, with all, he nmat and does know that the motion eunnot he carried, and tne wildest fanatic or visionary in' Parliament knows it too. It is brought , forward merely for purposes of embarrassment and obstruction,'*without the possibility of success, and in all* probability those bogus attacks will he incessant, unless some means be devised to put a. stop to them. How this can be best achieved may he difficult to say, but noisy blatherskytera like the leaders of the Opposition have been silenced elsewhere, and if tilings go on as they” have of late .should be summarily dealt with in this colony. As one step towards this end, it would be well if Government supporters, on any of these transparent shams being-introduced, systematically declined to speak a word, and-, thereby let the wfutJDags have the talking- nil to themselves. . The nuisance is really becoming uiibearab! ■, and whilst the colony is wanting needful ■ legislation, whilst its future financial' a (Hairs are, waiting to be dealt with, and the. Estimates to be con- # sidcred, whilst its public; works stand still, pending Parliamentary action, whilst the political condition of New Zealand is con fused, superanuated ex-Governor, with his special legal Jack Pudding, and supernumeraries occupy tiie aivna, a.id not only waste valuable time themselves, but prevent others .from turning it to account. Every constituency in New Zealand suffers through the outrageous delay thus occasioned. and it becomes a positive dnty to let their representatives emphatically know that time enough Ims been wasted. The 1 loose has met some two months, and practically nothing whatever lias been done ;■ should filings go on at this rate, the business at present before Parliament will not be got through in twelve more. The people generally are disgusted already, and discontent is general at colonial interests being set aside, in order that n . few political Punchinellos miiy be provided with amusement in throwing dirt at abler men.than themselves, it is just possible that the silly notice of motion referred to above, may bo Sir George Grey’s last Hing; should such not be the case, it behoves the. Government to take, some decisive measures, sons to put an end to the obstrnctivcness by which a few harebrained and frothy imbeciles effectually and indefinitely retard Parliamentary progress of any kind.