The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 1886. ENGLISH POLITICS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1542, 7 August 1886, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 1886. ENGLISH POLITICS.

Thb Marquis of Salisbury has succeeded in forming a Ministry, evidently with some difficulty, but the question is whether he will be much more successful than he was this time 12 months. Vvith the assistance of Mr Parnell he was then able to retain office for a few months. Certain members of his Ministry led Mr Parnell to hope that something would be done for Ireland ; in fact, Mr Parnell in a speech in the House of Commons recently said that Lord Carnarvon, who wag then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, promised a more liberal measure of Home Rule than Mr Gladstone’s, as well as protection for Irish industries. Lord Carnarvon denied this in a sort of way that was not at all satisfactory, and that led people to believe there was something in it. He admitted having had an interview with Mr Parnell, but. urged that the latter gentleman bad put » meaning on what ha sail altogether different from what was intended. The admission that an interview had taken place, and that Lord Carnarvon did not give Mr Parnell’s statement anything like an emphatic denial, argue that something of the sort was talked of, and it is possible that the promise might have been given effect to, too, only that the Conservatives found themselves after the general election too weak to nndertake so important a task. There is in support of this the fact that Lord Carnarvon refused to agree to the policy of coercion which was brought forward by his Government in the Qneen’s speech. He saw the country in a state of absolute tranquility ; no necessity existed for special legislation, and when the Conservative Government decided on a policy of coercion he resigned. This fact goes a long way to prove that he had given the alleged promises, and that it was on their strength the .Nationalists supported the Conservatives previous to last January. And the fact that Lord Carnarvon is not included in the present Ministry indicates to a certain extent that coercion will be resumed in Ireland, In a speech delivered by the Marquis of Salisbury recently, be said that what Irelan.l wanted was 20 years’ coercion, together with a million of her inhabitants being deported to Manitoba. This is not bad. For the last 12 months Ireland has been free from crime. There is not perhaps in Europe a more peaceable country, if we except the Belfast disturbances, and no special legislation is necessary to quell them. In the face of these facts what can he thought of the statesman that suggests a general deportation to Manitoba and coercion ? It appears to us to be a determined attempt to drive the people to open rebellion.

There can be little doubt but that this is the policy which Lord Salisbury would adopt if he thought it would succeed, but the experience of last January will doubtless make him pause before taking such a step. He then tried coercion, and was defeated, and if be attempts it again he will probably meet with the same fate. We ore told that the Marquis of Hartington and Mr Chamberlain will giye bim their support in his Irish policy, but they surely will not vote for coercion. Withrut their assistance he can do nothing. He must secure (he help of either the Parnellites or the Unionists if be wishes to keep office. He has no means of securing the constant support of (he Unionists ; the very moment they become displeased with his actions they will vote against him. With the Parnellites it is different ; they ean be absolutely purchased. By giving them Home Rule they will become his most consistent allies. He would be leaning on a rotten reed by depending on the Unionists ; they would turn on bim any moment, for most of them are Radicals, and have no love for Conservatives ; but the Parnellites care nothing for English politics, and would doubtless vote consistently with the party that gave them what they have fought so persistently for. If Lord Carnarvon bad been iicludad in the present Ministry we should be inclined to think that the Salisbury Government would give Home Rule to Ireland ; but the fact that he is not, and that both the Marquis of Hartington and Mr Chamberlain have promised to support the Irish policy of the Government, leads ns to conclude; that only local government somewhat similar to our County Councils will be given. This will be quite useless. Ireland will no doubt make uia of it, but she will still persist i> bar agitation f or the pewar to make bar own laws, and until the gets that there can be no hope of p«aee. There is one thing certain ; the present Government will .have to mind their P’s and Q’s well if they mean to retain office, and unless It can purchase the vote of the Parnell party they are not likely to be in existence this day 12 months. But it is possible they may do that. They would only thus repeat the tricks indulged in by previous Conservative Governments. A Liberal Government brought forward the Roman Catholic Emancipation Bill, but was defeated. An appeal was made to the country, with the result that a Conservative majority was returned, and that the Emancipation Bill was carried by the Conservatives. Mr Gladstone brought forward a bill for extending the franchise to householders whose valuation amounted to £6 a year. Hu was defeated, and Mr Disraeli (Lord

Bc'consfield) stepped into power, and granted household suffrage pur* and simple. There would, therefore, be nothing extraordinary in the Conservatives taking a similar Itep as re\ gards Home Rule ; in fact the to do so is greater now than ever it haa been, because it is the only means the# have of retaining office. However, a# are afraid they will not have tire common sente to act «o wisely, and that we shall have one or two more elections before the matter is settled. Mr Parnell has at any rate demoralised the House of Commons, and it will yet have to give him what he wants. TOWN OF AROWHENUA. In the Special Powers and Contracts Bill just introduced power is given to hand the money held by the Govern ment on account of receipts from deferred payment sections over to the Town Board of Arowhenua. The new Board, whoever they may be, may thank this paper for it. We pointed out that they cou ! d not get it otherwise, but Mr Rolleston said they could, by the Road Board getting it first and then handing it over to the Town Board. We also pointed out that this course would b« altogether impossible, and the result was that the matter has been submitted to the law-advisers of the Government in Wellington, who took the same view of it as we did. They held that the Town Board could not get the monay under the existing law, and advised the insertion of a clause in the Bill named above giving the necessary authority to hand it over to the Town Board, If, therefore, we bad not called attention to the matter the new Board would have hod to begin life without a penny, and nothing could be done until next session. There is now another subject agitating the public mind in Arowhenua at present —namely, Who is and who is not eligible for election to a seat on the Board ? and Who can and who cannot rote ? So as to give the public an opportunity of seeing for themselves, we hereby publish the clauses of the Act which deal with the matter : "16 The Board of Oommirsioners shall consul of not less than fire nor more than seven in number, as the Governor shall appoint. They shall hold office for a period of two years. At the first election every householder within the district shall be qualified to be elected a Commissioner, but at subsequent elections no person shall he qualified to be elected a Commissioner unless he shall be rated for the purposes of this Act at an annual rental of ten pounds at least.” “ 17. Every person whose name shall appear on the electoral roll for any riding of the county within which the distrist is included, and who shall own or occupy property situated within the district, shall be entitled to vots at the first and any other election of Commissioners prior to any rate being levied under this Act ; and after any rate shall have been levied under this Act the ratepayers of the district and none others shall be entitled to vote as electors.” With regard to the question as to who is eligible, tlu-re is only one point on which there can be any doubt, and that is, Who is a “ householder ”? The Act does not give a definition of a householder, but danse 6 says “ a resident householder, ” and clause 16, as quoted above, says every householder within the district.” Both these appear to us to mean that the person eligible for election as a commissioner must live in a house within the area proclaimed a town district. Whether a man who lives in Temuka or anywhere else, and owns an empty house in Arowhenua, would be eligible is very doubtful ; it is a very fine point, bat our advice to such persons is not to try it, because it might lead them to a good deal of trouble and .expense. With regard to Who is an elector ? clause 17, as quoted above, is very clear. Any ratepayer who has a vote for the election of a County Councillor, and who owns and occupies property in Arowhenua, can vote. For instance, a man living in Geraldine who is on the electoral roll of the County and who owns a section in Arowhenua can vote, but a man living in Arowhenua whose name does not appear on the County electoral roll cannot vote. The proper guide for the Returning Officer, therefore, is not the rate-roll of the Temuka Road Board, but the electoral roll of the County of Geraldine.* tbatisthe roll under which members of the County Council are sleeted. We are the more anxious to make these thing* public because we ar« ltd to believe that if any mistake ware made advantage would be taken of it to upset the flection, and coni* sequently we think that it is desirabe that il sbotld be put beyend such a pos sibility.