The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1886. THE GOVERNMENT POLICY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1519, 15 June 1886, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1886. THE GOVERNMENT POLICY.

The Government are now apparently safe for the remainder of the session, and anyone who takea any interest in politics will rejoice to think so. If the Government were defeated they would undoubtedly apply fora dissolution, and the probabilities ate that the Governor would have granted it to them. In oor opinion, when a Parliament is elected only for three years power to dissolve it ought not to exist! But the' power io dissolve does exist: it is the prerogative of the Crown to grant or refuse a dissolution, and past experience: shows the Crown invariably grants it on the advice of its responsible advisers. The predecessors of the present Government were granted a dissolution on the eve of a genera! election. Why should it be refused now ? There would be very, little doubt but that it would be granted if asked, and the result of such a course would be this : We would have a general election this year, two sessions, double honorariums, and we would, have another general election next year. What an enormous expense the country would be thus put to I Of course we have no means of ascertaining, but we have seen it stated that a general election costs about £IOO,OOO. If this is (rue, then the expense would certainly be enormous. Double, session, double flection, double everything, would -bring ifhp loavery' substantial figure. Now, who are those who would not scruple to put the country to all this unnecessary expense ? The answer is, the very men who have been going about from end to end of the; land screaming about economy. They are exactly the men who would not hesitate to put us to all this expense, not because they believe the country would gain by it, but because they hope to gain by it themselves. In our opinion the men who voted with Mr Montgomery on his no-.confidenco motion are not worthy of the confidence of the people, for it is evident they think more of securing their own selfish ends thsp of the interests of their constituents. The Government have done nothing so outrageously wrong that they could not be trusted until next year, and there was not the slightest necessity for ousting them at present.

It must not be inferred from this that we are satisfied with the Government. Far from it. We think they have failed to fulfil the expectations they raised; and, not only that, but, that they hare not the courage of their opinions. During the recess they preached protection, but the Colonial Treasurer in his Financial Statement said that after the experience of last session he did not feel justified in making another attempt to carry out such a policy. They also very frequently hinted that they would borrow money to lend it to farmers, and thus raised the hopes of many a poor struggling family, bat this too was thrown aside. Another proposal they gave great prominence to was to buy up large estates and cut them up into small holdings so as to settle the people thereon, but not a word is said about that. Then special inducements were to be held out to farmers with capital to come into the colony to settle upon these lauds ; their passages were to be i

paid, and great efforts were to be put forth to secure theni, bat nothing is to be done. All the fine promises have been broken, the great schemes have been abandoned, and the Government have settled down into such a “humdrum ” style that ought, and would, satisfy Major Atkinson and his followers only that they are impatient to get back to office. In this wise the Government have disappointed many, but after alt it is possible they have taken the wisest course. If they attempted the programme sketched out by them there can be very little doubt but, as the House is at present' Constituted, they would be defeated, and as a matter of course an appeal. :to the country would be the result. That would not ha do sirable under any consideration, owing to the Representation Act expiring next year, and it is probable that it is to avoid putting the country to expense that they pulled in their horns. Our opinion is that the Ministry purposely avoided pulling forth any scheme this year, so as to avoid:a dissolution. They will in all probability meet early next year, submit a programme including the schemes which they- have frequently promised, and. if ..defeated go to the country on it. This is the wisest course they could take* sal it would ;be undoubtedly the best for the country.