The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1884. THE GOVERNMENT,

Temuka Leader, Issue 1132, 29 January 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1884. THE GOVERNMENT,

In our last issue we stated that when the Christchurch Press began to? abuse the present Ministry it was time for true Liberals to reflect, and see for themselves whether our Government was not thoroughly Kndical, Daniel O'ConneU used to say that he never felt he had done his duty unless he was abused by the London Times. No true Liberal can expect to do anything in this colony without being held up to scorn by the Press, and consequently we think that the present Government must he somewhat Radical when that paper finds fault with everything they do. In a letter to the editor of that paper a writer who signs himself a '•' Selwyn Elector " exposes the nonsense which tlie Press and Mr Wakefield have been indulging in. He says the articles of the Press are of a most washy character, an.l goes on as follows :—" You ' endorse ' Mr Wakefield's position with regard to the borrowing policy of the present Government. You back him up in stating ' that the present Government has been drifting away from the foundation upon which Sir John Hall raised his Ministry ' (sic), and at the same time maintain with him that there was no. public demand whatever for the three million loan. Any ordinary mortal would suppose from this that Sir John

Hall was unfavorable to borrowing, and that the present ■ Government has departed froai the principles which he laid down. What are the facts ? Let Sir John Hall speak for himself. This is from his often-quoted speech at Leeston in November, 1881: —'The Government should come do.vu to the House next session with a scheme for raising the amount of money they decide the country can fairly afford to raise, and stating the works upon which that money is to be expended, so that we shall not borrow money first an 3 scramble for it afterwards. Of course it would be premature at present to I attempt to indicate in what diecction this expenditure should take place, but I think two prominent features of any scheme of the kind should be the completion of the main trunk lines of railway communication, and the construction of such road works as will open up Crown Lands for settlement. I believe that this colony can afford to use its credit still further than it has done.' " Thus he shows that Mr Hall before resigning had contemplated borrowing money exactly on the same principles that the present Government acted upon. Poor Press, to be thus shown up as ignorant of this fact. The next assertion in which the Press backs up Mr Wakefield is that- the present Government is too extravagant, and that it had no necessity for borrowing money, but here the Selwyn elector shows up its ignorance again. He quotes from Blue Books as follows ; 1879-80, £1,728,664 (B. 1, 1880, pp. 50, 51, nine months only). 1880-81, £1,919,641 (B. 1, 1881, pp. 54, 55). 1881-82, £950,718 (B. 1, 1882, pp. 56,57). 1882-83, £897,037 (B. 1, 1883, p. 55).

Let it be remembered tbat h-lr John Hall was Premier during the two first years mentioned above. It will thus be seen that since he resigned the Ministry have become far more economical. There is the Press bowled out again ; and there Mr Wakefield's idol—Sir John Hall tumbles to the level of ordinary people. The resignation of Sir John Hall was evidently 1 the best thing that could have happened for the colony. The writer winds up with the following : " We want a man of whom we can feel that we know'wbere we have him. We do not want a man in Wellington ' sprawling all over the shop,' one thing to-day, another to-morrow, voting one side in the House, talking another in the lobbies, and writing in half a dozen ways in half a dozen different newspapers injthe country. Pray, Sir, stir up the candidates to be a little more definite r.s to what they mean on public questions. We can find out facts for ourselves ; let them tell us what they mean to do in Parliament. Mr Wakefield is going to maintain the national system of education, but he is going ' to remove discontent from any quarter where it 'may exist.' (The electors of Geraldine know all about this.) He will vote against Mr Rolleston's land proposals, bat he will rote for perpetual leasing with a purchasing clause. What are we to understand ? Wo r ds are said to be given to men to disguise thoughts. Let us have a little less fluency and a little more plain speaking and common sense. Anyhow we are not to be caught with chaff, and the Selvvyn electors will be found voting for one they know and believe in, rather than for the unknown and incomprehensible." «, IRISH. SHERIFFS. The Irish agitators are very ingenious. Under an Act recently passed the law with regard to the appointment of Sheriffs in Ireland was changed. Formerly sheriffs ware appointed by the Lord Lien tenant of the country, but under the new /ct the City Councils nominate three men, and the Lord Lieutenant appoints whoever of them he thinks best. It was usual with the Councils to place at the head of the list the man whom they wish elected, and as a matter of course the Lord Lieutenant invariably fell in with their choice. Last year, however, through dislike of agitators he deviated from this rule and refused to appoint the chosen of the Councils. This year the Councils were even with him. They placed at the head of the list the man they wanted in office, and so that the Lord Lieutenant could not refuse his appointment the other names they submitted were those of the most out-and-out Nationalists. Thus they forced the Lord Lieutenant to appoint the men they wanted, for if he did not do it Ik*, would have had to give the position to some one far more advanced ; n his tu-ws. This is ingenious- and clever,