The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1879.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 441, 5 July 1879, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1879.

As the day fixed lor the assembling of Parliament draws nearer, the interest attaching to the post-sessional, or presussioual utterances of members increases. We have before us the addresses of two gentlemen who are somewhat important members of the House of Representatives the Hon E. Richardson of Christchurch, and Mr Bryce of Wanganui. The former gentleman says that lie went to Wellington last year with the intention of helping the Government to carry out those promises which the Premier in his tour through the colony had made. To fulfil those promises would be to benefit New Zealand for all time. But he found that the Ministers were “so divided in their opinions on various measures, that it was very difficult for an independent member to know what they intended to do.” This has puzzled people who are not members, until quite recently, when it became clear that what the Ministry intended to do was to lio'd office to within a few days of their third and last Parliament. Mr Richardson goes on to give his reasons for opposing various measures introduced by the Government. The Electoral Bill was good in us far as it provided for registration at any time of the year, “ but it failed in the most important question—the redistribution of seats.” This, ho says, ho will insist upon this year, before he can consent to the extension of the franchise. Certainly it is a very important matter. Even in an old country like England, the relative population of constituencies varies so rapidly that there is almost a perennial outcry for the redistribution of seats. In a country like Now Zealand, the difference of growth between the various parts of the colony is still more striking. There are ever growing cities, like Wellington and Dunedin ; there are stationary towns, like Nelson; and there arc retrogressive counties, like Westland. This being the case, no Government should hold office through three sessions of Parliament, without doing something, or proposing something in the way of equalising representation. With regard to the Maori dual vote, Mr Richardson said that had it been carried, it would have enabled the Government to swamp eleven constituencies in the North Island. We have no doubt that had any such power been placed in the bands of the Grey Government, it would have been used to the full in the event of a general election. The objections that the speaker urged against the Land Tax are not without force. First, it is unfair to tax a mortgagor for his land, while the mortgagee gets off scot free. Second, to tax land at present, in Canterbury, on the valuation of January last, is unjust, insarauch as land has fallen greatly in value since then. He went on to condemn the Government for their miserable native policy, their action in the Waikato Railway affair, and their silence as to what they intend to do this year. Mr Richardson says he is no obstructionist, and will probably support the Government should they introduce measures to meet his views. He will apparently not make one to punish them for their past offences, irrespective of what they promise this time. But it is pretty certain that a gentleman who could not support them through last session, will not find it easy to support them through this one. Mr Bryce, at Wanganui, evidently felt ill at ease. He began with long explanations as to what was fidelity in a party, what constituted a “ a good party man,” and as to his not being a stick-at-nothing party-man himself. Throughout the speech, the effort to be consistent, and yet to conde an the Government in sufficiently strong terms to please his audience, is very apparent. The numerous rather thin compliments that he paid the Wanganui electors were only a kind of pleading that they would hear him, and not censure him. According to'jjis own account the past session was a scries of ‘ sells’ to him. He was very simply expecting all through that something would turn up. He was confident that the Government intended to do something; that they had a complete and perfect scheme of legislation laid down, each part of which was essential to the usefulness of the whole. Each successive measure, or failure, was an eye-opener to him, and when at last the Session terminated he was dnmb-foundcd to find that the Government had no policy, that there was no connexion between their various measures, and that nothing had been done. Poor man ! He is either very innocent, or he thinks other people are. - However, Mr Bryce is sorry, and perhaps will not do it again. It must be refreshing to the members of the Cabinet to find their most stanch supporters apologising for supporting them. If nothing else occurred to call their attention to the hopelessness of their case, this would be sufficient to convince them that those who never mistook the side on which their bread was buttered expect little more from them. How constantly

,« doeth love on fortune tend,

And who not needs, never lack a friend.’’ But there are reminders for the Cabinet much nearer home. Two gen-

lleman wlio have staggered under the bin den of their “screw” all through the year, have fainted in the last month of it, thanking their stars that an excuse was to hand at the right moment. No doubt Sir George Grey is an unpleasant coadjutor, and has a nasty way of “ bossing it” ; but his despotism over his colleagues is tempered by something more substantial than was the old French regime. Is was a despotism tempered by epigram. His is a despotism tempered by £ 1,500 a-year. But a small portion of theyear, and a small portion of .-the £ 1,500, could not temper as much despotism as the whole could. Forgetting this Sir George pilot! it on, and discovered that Mr Ballance was not over anxious (o make the Financial Statement. Thus this powerful and popular Government has carried a vote of want of confidence in itself. Sic transit gloria asinorum.