The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1879.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 150, 31 May 1879, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1879.

Of the few members of the General Assembly who still call themselves the Opposition, two more have got relieved of a burden upon their mind. Mr George McLean, an ex-Minister of the Atkinson Government, has addressed his constituents at Waikouaiti ; and notwithstanding that he has, by delaying the meetingtill so late a period, had an opportunity of picking up somewhat from the various post-sessional speeches of other members, he has made but a sorry job of it after •all. The member for Waikouaiti is not a gentleman that ever gave any evidence of being a man of great ability—more ready to walk in the footsteps of others than chalk out a course for himself. Like most of the other members of the Opposition who have gone before him, he sees nothing good in any action of the present Government. After a rehearsal of the promises made and broken by the Grey Ministry, without the least explanation of the circumstances in which the Government found themselves placed (by the determination of a number of those who bad previously expressed the warmest friendship), turning against them for purely personal motives, he follows the footsteps of the Opposition members who have gone before him, knowing well the old adage, that it is easier to defend with a shilling than pursue with a pound. Mr McLean" dwells much upon the faults of the Government and the faulty nature of the measures proposed by it last session. Nothing in short which the present party in power proposed or suggested met with the approval of Mr McLean or the faction to which he belongs. Ono thing is noteable in his speech —not a word of condemnation of what is termed the Tapanni job ; and he forgets, when condemning a railway running parallel with the Thames, that he himself was a warm supporter of a line from Dunedin to Port Chalmers, which, it must be admitted‘by most people, was much less a necessity than the line alongside: the river Thames in Auckland. But these are matters affecting Otago, and are to him tabooed. Nor when he is condemning the land purchases of the present Government iu the North Island, is there one word about the notorious Piako Swamp swindle by the late Government. His abortive mission to Melbourne is also left in oblivion. The speech of the member for "Waikouaiti will not, however,- disappoint anyone, for no one expects to hear of anything original from that member. Sweat of intellect is with him a thing unknown. He would be quiet himself if others would let him alone, but|the disappointed ones catch at at anything to keep them afloat in the face of the great billows that so often dash against them with such crushingeffect. There is not a word about education. Being in sdeh a hot bed asDunedin is on that question, lie doubtless is afraid to open his mouth. The only one point in which he sympathises with.the present Government is in the matter of another loan. Yet, when it was proposed, to borrow a larger sum last session he opposed it. From this it may bo gathered how far he is prepared to give it his support when the question comes up again. A sore that rankles much in his mind is that certain journals were successful in obtaining the Government advertisements which were let by lender. Had a certain daily been the successful competitor, it is morel than ' possibje Sir George Grey would have been a much abler administrator than he is. Tudeed, this must undoubtedly have been the case unless the journal referred to is an advocate of higher morai principle than he gives the others credit for. Touching upon Native questions, his speech is an echo of others who, like him, have denounced the Native policy without being able to support the statements they have made by facts. Drowning men/ he says, catch at straws. What a. triumphal shout there would be if by any chance the Natives should be goaded on by unprincipled agitators to take up arms against the Government. We, can imagine the eagerness with which the Opposition journals scan the political; horizon at the present moment, greedily grasping at every telegram which contains nows of native movements with the'hope that it will contain an account of' some rash act which will complicate the Government to an extent that would compel it to have recourse to extreme measures. Of this there is, however, little prospect, the ba.ck of the rebellion is broken, and wo all know that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Another ex-Minister has addressed his constituents, fhe member for Kaiapoi. Mr 0. C. Bowen we must admit is a man of a different stamp, j and we do regret the necessity which .compels him to take up arms against the present Government. Mr Bowen was also a member of the Atkinson Government, a bastard member he must have been according to Mr McLean’s theory, as he was taken from the civil service and placed over the heads of others as Minister of Justice. Mr Bowen was, however, the right man in the right place, being a well-known, long tried, and faithful administrator of the

as Resident Magistrate at Christchurch, where his faithful discharge of the duties of that office gave im versal satisfaction, and although not a fully qualified lasvyer he showed an amount of adaptability which captivated the Ministry then in power, and he gave, we believe, while Minister of Justice, general satisfaction. It is therefore with regret that, as in the case of Mr Montgomery, ho is hampered with certain surroundings. Mr Bowen is, however, a gentleman who is of an independent turn of mind, and it would not surprise us to find him soon upon the Ministerial side fills present opposition is simply the force of circumstances ; he may be said to be the only member who gives the Opposition the right to be considered respectable. The member for Kaiapoi, like the others, deems it his duty to condemn the measures of the present Government, dwelling particularly upon the Beer Bill, Joint Stock Companies Bill, and the Land Tax Bill, but his reasoning is of a higher order than any who have spoken upon this subject before him. The Land Tax; Bill is the one which ho most unreservedly condemns, and certainly it has its faults. He was happy in his choice of this point of attack, but next session will show the wisdom of the Government in feeling the pulse of the Colony in this way of handling it. The amount of information obtained by the Government on this subject gives it a basis for future structures which must be built upon it. Taken by itself it may be said to be a failure, this not so much because it is a bad measure as because the tax is too small to allow a margin for any surplus after the heavy expense incurred in collecting it ; with a different system of collection and allowing it to take the place of subsidies to local bodies, and by increasing' the rate, it could be made a most valuable adjunct to local self-government. This tax in its present form may bo objectionable, but coupled with a property tax and an income, tax, which will doubtless be proposed early next session, we do not see anything to prevent it working well. Those who have property are entitled to pay for the protection of that property, and those who have an income from five hundred to two thousand a year ought to contribute a share of that income towards the expense of the colony to whom they are beholden for that income. The member for Kaiapoi is more reasonable in . his demands upon the Government, and not so sweeping in his condemnation of -it as the member for Wakouaiti. On the education question, for instance, Mr Bowen is very outspoken in favor of the present Government system of State Education He is quite of ■our opinion that the religious education of our children should be more looked after by the clergymen in the various school districts. This, wc believe, is the only way our children and youths can be properly taught the truth of the Bible. Of course, with others, we regret that the Bible was driven from our public schools. Some, by burying their convictions for a time, were satisfied to allow our legislators to grant the petition of the Homan Catholics in the hope that they would unite in supporting the Government in its efforts to provide a really good elementary education. In this their efforts are neutralised by the attitude now taken up by that body. Seeing that all past efforts have ■ been futile-* (so far as securing harmony is concerned) we join in the demand that the Bible be again introduced and read in our schools. This we believe is all that can be obtained, nor are we anxious for more, but it does seem a barbarous stale of things to have the Bible, which is the bulwark of our country, debarred from making its appearance amongst the less correct, sometimes valueless, school books used. The very reading of the Bible is to some extent calculated to inspire awe and reverence for the great Creator in the minds of the young. Mr Bowen, who originated the present system, sees no reason for departing from it, but is, like ourselves, content with bare reading rather than return to denominationalism. The member for Kaiapoi, although smarting under the disappointment which ousting from office brings with it, does not indulge’ in vituperation to the same extent has other members of the Opposition, or f of the more rabid Opposition journals. One thing is remarkable ! : None of these ex-Ministers go into the subject of local self-govern-ment. It is much to be feared that this subject, notwithstanding its importance, will be lost sight of in a coming session, and a further prolongation of the present jumble in the shape of a Couuty Council Act will be allowed to confinuo. The question of representation aed re-distribu-tion of seats for the General Assembly has been but lightly touched upon, and it would be a good puzzle for any one to find out what the Opposition would do were they in office ; the prospect of a dissolution of the present Parliament seems to Lighten them, knowing full well that the present Government would be re installed with greater power than ever. There is no denying the fact that Sir George Grey’s party stand high with the country ; in a dissolution it has nothing to fear. The colonists just now are not,’ however, in a humour to go into contested elections, everyone, fas Mr McLean truly said, has enough to do to look if ter his own private affairs. A factious opposition would come oft with the worst of it, and after all what would a new Government give us. If there is confusion, to put the present place-hunters into office would only lead to confusion more confounded. In look ing around us we fail to see the right materials for forming a new Ministry, nor do we believe there is any possibility of a strong opposition party being formed for sometime at least.

A Warning to Ploughmen. —Tiro Government notify thoiv intention, through our advertising columns, of indicting the highest nonalty —viz., £50 —in every case where a conviction Is obtained against any persons ploughing up survey pegs either on his own •land or on land that ho may be at work upon. Thu Earth-closet Question.—-A cor. respondent has handed us a list of householders who have neglected to comply with the order of the Board of Health relative to the substitution of closet-pans for the old pit system. We do not care for bringing settlers names before the public, but in this case we have no alternative. If others have been put to considerable expense in order to protect the health of the town, we do not see why those whose names are mentioned should get off scot free; and moreover, endanger the health of the inhabitants of this town by being allowed to keep up an accumulation of filth to poison the water that goes down our throats. This should be looked into by the Inspector of Nuisances, Land Tax Valuation. —It will be observed from our advertising columns that an opportunity is given objectors to the land tax valuation at the police station, Geraldine. It is a pity that the Land Tax Commissioner did not appoinfcjmore places for this purpose. It is a hardship for people living at Milford, for instance, to have to go such a distance for this purpose. The Temuka Court-house should also have been a place appointed. Sixteen days from the date of advertising is all that is allowed; it is therefore needful that wo warn our readers, or they may find themselves a day behind the fair. South Canterbury Coursing Club. — A committee meeting of this Club was held at the Royal Hotel, Temuka, on Tuesday last, when the question of holding another coursing meeting during the current season was brought forward, and the committee being in favor of the same, the lion, secretary was asked to take the necessary preliminary steps in the matter, and report at next committee meeting. Another meeting of the committee was held on Thursday, to consider a letter received from Messrs Walker and Clogstouu, inviting the Club to hold a day’s coursing on their estate at Mount Four Peaks on Thursday, June sth. It was resolved to accept the invitation. In accordance with the terms of the invitation, the entries will he received and the drawing take place at Four Peaks at 10.30 a.m. on the morning of the meeting. How is it Done ? — A meeting of creditors of S. Durham, vcteriuai’y surgeon, was held this week at the Court-house, Timaru. The liabilities of the bankrupt were shown to he about £l5O, and his assets about £SO. Mr Durham was asked various questions about his mode of living, and on this subject the creditors cross-examined him very severely. From the statements furnished, it appeared that the bankrupt had boon living at the rate of nearly £SOO a year, whilst his earnings were about a third of that amount,