The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1887. THE LATE SESSION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1679, 29 December 1887, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1887. THE LATE SESSION.

A glance at the session which came to a cloße last week is not calculated to inspire anyone with a hope that much good will result from the deliberations of the recently elected Parliament. There are people certainly who believe that the beginning and end of good Government is to retrench expenditure and legislate in a direction that will offer facilities to moneyed men to acquire land. "Whatever the retrenchment may do, the present Government opeped wide tbe gates to land speculation, ajs in that they will looked

upon with favor by those who believe in this way of settling the land. But putting the land question aside, and looking at the actions of Parliament during the 11 weeks it was in.session, we do not think that there is much in it that even the most rabid partisan can point to with pride. "When Parliament assembled Major Atkinson undertook to form a Ministry. The first week was spent in parleying, and at the end of it he asked for a fort night to bring down his scheme of finance. The fortnight was willingly granted, and thus three weeks had passed before anything whatsoever was done. When the < Stout-Vogel Government took office in 1884 their whole policy was before the country in three weeks from their taking office. In fact, it was one of their principal characteristics to put the House into possession of their policy as soon as possible after it had assembled, but one of the tricks to which Major Atkinson always resorts is to keep back his policy until the House is tired out. This he carried to extremes this year. Notwithstanding that he had been given three weeks to mature his policy, all he had to lay before members was hi» Financial Statement. In that there was nothing new except the retrenchment proposals. It was a continuation of the policy of the Continuous Ministry, viz., further borrowing, with the addition of retrenchment, which had a peculiarity about it that ought to have at once condemned it. With the exception of the reductions in the Legislative departments, the Premier refused to give the slightest idea as to how he meant to effect retrenchment. He only said that there would be a lump sum taken off the estimates, and that the House would have to trust Ministers to carry out the details. This was equal to asking for an Imprest Supply for 12 months, but the House granted it. Major Atkinson did not appear to have been fully prepared for the gullibility which was shown by the House. No previous Parliament would have accepted such a proposal, and no doubt he was surprised at the readiness with which his ■peculative retrenchment was accepted as actual saving. But this had its disadvantage. He doubtless expected a long discussion if not a hostile motion, and he thought he bad time enough to introduce his other measures. Mr Thompson, the great member for Marsden, came to his assistance here, and probably it was > not without Major Atkinson's connivance that he did so. Just when the House had nothing in particular to do he asked the question which led to the great dispute which culminated in Sir Julius Yogel being named. Three days were spent over this question, and it all ended in the discovery that everyone connected with it was wrong. Not one of the chief actors in the disgraceful affair behaved as he ought to have done; but it had its uses, it gave tha Government breathing time, and they began to introduce their measures. To make a long story short, eight weeks flew over the heads of the legislators, but nothing was done. Then Major Atkinson began to feel his feet under him, and commenced to push bill after bill through by forced marches. During the last three weeks all the business was done. It was hurried through anyhow, and nobody seemed to care how. The party who acoepted Sir Julius Vogel as their leader made an attempt to reduce the loan by half a million, but they were defeated. Next night the Young New Zealand party moved for a reduction of a quarter of a million, but as they refmed to assist the Yogelites on the previous evening, the Vogelites now refused to assist them. Subsequently the Vogelites made overtures to the Young New Zealanders to combine with them in reducing the loan, but the Young New Zealanders would not unite unless they were allowed to lead, and thus between the two parties, Major Atkinson was able to carry everything his own way. According to the Otago Daily Times in the short space of five minutes J 1,500,000 was voted away. Now, putting all other considerations aside, we ask those who expected great things from the change of Government, is there anything in the past session to be proud of? Does it look healthy? Is it a hopeful sign that millions of money should be allowed to pass without the slightest criticism ? It is not, and those who are jubilant now over the result of the elections will sing another song before long. The most incapable, useless, and disorganised Parliament that ever sat in New Zealand is the present one, and time will show it.