The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1884. CORRUPT GOVERNMENTS

Temuka Leader, Issue 1239, 13 September 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1884. CORRUPT GOVERNMENTS

One of the most serious charges made against the Atkinson Ministry was that they kept their seats on the Treasury Benches hy buying votes. The more recent combination piloted by Major Atkinson, and which included Mr Wakefield, had recourse to the same kind of strategy to keep their seats, and in all probability if they had been given time they would have bought as many votes as would have enabled them to hang on to the Treasury Benches. They were taken unmercifully sudden, however, and prevented from “ maturing their felonious little ■'lans,” but, short as they were in , they gave an instance of their qu.. in the bribery line. They pledged themselves to accept tenders for two lines of railway—one the Nelson creek and Brunner line, and the other one the Gatlins River line ; the amount being £22,686 —and they carried it out in order to secure the votes of the members representing these districts. They were in power only 37 hours, and, in that short space, they accepted tenders amounting to the sum mentioned above, and they obtained the support of the members from these districts. This is what is ruining the colony, but so long as members encourage Ministers to do it so long will corruption last. Mr Wakefield used to hold forth in all his addresses on the immorality of this system, but he found during his 37 hours of office that after all a little of this sort of thing was not so objectionable. The fact is, Governments must do it, until constituencies resolve upon sending to Parliament men bent upon doing the best they can for the colony, intead of watching for an opportunity of getting a few pounds placed on the .Estimates to do some little jobs in their own districts. The cry always at election time is “What will he do for the district?” No one seems to think of the colony, and if a member legislates with the wisdom of a Solomon for the Nation at large, and neglect to secure something for his district, the chances are ten to one that some button-holer incapable of grasping any subject of a graver import than a bridge or a culvert in his own locality will be sent to Parliament in his stead. Members know this, and Governments know it. They know very well that if they get a sum of money for some work in their own district there is not the slightest danger of their being rejected next election, and in order to secure this they sell their votes. It is evident from this that corruption begins with the con stituents, and that if we are to have pure government, the people themselves must be pure. There was a great deal of noise made over the log-rolling of the “ continuous Ministry ” but what were they compared with Sir John Hall’s Ministry. When Sir John Hall took office he was actually in a minority, but he made “ billets ” for almost half the members of the House by appointing “ Royal Commissioners ” to inquire into all sorts of things. In this way he shut up the mouths of those who expected portfolios, and secured a majority. The Atkinson Ministry did nothing of this kind, nor do we think they did much that was at all shady. They were very weak Irom the start ; in fact the only thing that kept them in office was the split in the Opposition ranks, and consequently they were not, able to carry out several measures of which they gave notice it is flu; p,., j,1,. i Im m-five- that make corrnp 1 • i<iv rmninn‘ s, and if is, then fore, uselesto expect ai.sM.ing rise unui the, people read <■ this f:ic. Tt ere is no doubt, h.nv vr, tln-t the ac Opting of tiles. tenders hy the Atkin-aui-Wakefield combination was extrem ly hud, From the

moment they were sworn, a noconfidence motion was hanging over their heads, and it was ibe very height of corruption to interfere at all in such a matter until that had been decided. However, their successors appear reluctant to carry out what they undertook. The Premier on last Thursday night said there was not sufficient funds to carry out the work at Gatlin’s river, and that consequently it would not be gone on with. The next we shall hear is the member m charge of this job selling his vote to Mr Stout, on condition that be will find fu ■ is for this work.