The Temuka Leader. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1878.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 85, 9 October 1878, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1878.

We had almost made up our minds that the present session of Parliament would he allowed to come to an end without such scenes being enacted as those which have hitherto disgraced our General Assemblies ; but, unfortunately, this is not to be. The present Govern • ment opened with fair promise of being unusually useful and its measures productive of good. The Premier, Sir George Grey, gave evidence of being actuated with a desire for his country’s weal. Their policy—particularly that part of it shadowed forth in the Public Works Statement—was hailed with delight as being fair and equitable to all, spending the land revenue on public works in the locality from which it was derived. Nothing more could be asked by the most exacting. The ravings of the most rabid in the House were hushed, and Ministers must have considered their position one of the best held by any Ministry for some years. A carping spirit or two could see nothing good in anything that the Government could say or do, but the great majority of the members had apparently made up their minds that the best thing to do would be to help the Government to carry their measures, make a short session, and save their scats. But, alas ! our dreams of peace and progress were but dreams ; and spite, not principle, brought about a surprise. The silliest forms of intrigue, the most bare-faced attempts to corrupt the weak and the wavering, were made manifest by a determined unprincipled few, who cared only for revenge and power. The speeches of some of

these as recorded in ‘ Hansard,’ and the disclosures of former scheming bv the Atkinson Government, must convince everyone that there is some truth in the saying of the Maori member, that all men are liars. Truly it is a sad spectacle to see men of education and a certain amount of refinement giving themselves so completely over to work wickedness. Conscience seems to have no hold of them. Shame they have none. Honesty of principle they know not what it means. Jobbery (roguery would be a better word) prevails to a fearful extent. One wonders how they can make up their minds to go on in such a course. They remind us of a remark made by a certain clergyman in his sermon the other day ; it was this : The world is going too fast ; the future has now no fears for men ; religion has lost its hold. The influence of the preachers of the Gospel is now almost nil. Example is nothing. The most profligate are flattered. Crime, sometimes even in open Court, is applauded. If such be the state of society, need we wonder at men sacrificing every noble principle of honor, uprightness, and truth. Take away the fear of punishment, and you take away the last check to crime, and although like the old Eastern King they may exclaim, “Is thy servant a dog that lie could do such things ?” They may be shocked at the very idea, but take away the fear of con* sequences and you leave nothing to breafc or check the downward career which they have entered upon. The old Roman warrior was famed for his magnanimity, yet none of these were free from some of the grossest crimes. Henry the Eighth was capable of performing some noble deeds, but he nevertheless was guilty of the most deplorable crimes. Napoleon the Great could point to the moon and stars and exclaim they must have had a Maker, hut his ideas ©f that Maker were so hazy that they deterred him not from crime. Mapy of our modern men seem to be devoid even of this sentiment. It.may in truth be said of many of them they are worldly, sensual, overreaching. How then need we be surprised at the turn that has taken place in affairs in the General Assembly during the last few days. The most trifling excuse is sufficient to cause some of the members to break their most solemn pledges to their constituents, to their party, and to their country. We will carefully note the proceedings of some of our most prominent members, and perhaps in some future issue or issues of this journal we may review the public life of some of those closely connected with South Canterbury for the three years at least that they have represented themselves to be the mouthpieces of the people ; meantime we wait with patience the result of the present crisis in the dealings with the Land Tax and other Bills by the Upper House.