The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1890.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2121, 6 November 1890, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1890.

DEGENERACY OF PARLIAMENT. Thebe has recently been raised a terrible scream about the degeneracy of Parliament. The class of members we have been getting lately are not equal to those of years ago. There is a great difference between now and then. Many years ago the functions of Parliament consisted in borrowing money and spending it; there was any amount of money to spend, and the highest aspiration of a candidate was to get some of it spent m his own district. While the money lasted things went smoothly. Noisy members were silenced by giving them what they wanted, and by a system of logrolling government was carried on | without a hitch. Things have changed ; money is scarce, and it is fearfully difficult to make both ends meet. It must be evident that consequently it must be far more difficult to manage things now than years ago. When money is plentiful, and all can get a share, men are generally better tempered and more easily managed than when they are wrangling over cutting down expenses. Still there can be no doubt that the late Parliament did not show to any great advantage, but it was a Parliament that was elected on a scream. It went in on the scream of retrenchment, and the skinflint element was only a natural result. There can be no doubt that the skinflint element was the chief demoralising agency. The skinflints were followers of Sir Harry Atkinson, but would not agree to turn him out of office. Just as the Conservatives who supported Sir Robert Scout used to say “Keep the Ministry in and their measures,” so tbe skinflints said “ Keep the Ministry in but cut down their estimate,” and thus they destroyed the usefulness of Government.

and demoralised politics. Another party trom whom great things were expected proved a terribU failure, and that was the Young New Zealand party. The whole colony looked to them to do something good, but taken as a whole greater noodles never crossed the threshold of the House. Por instance, they held a caucus on their own account, and amongst other things resolved not to give any assistance to harbor boards The Premier gave £SOOO to the New Plymouth Harbor Board, and Young New Zealand backed him up in it, aud now Young New Zealand is before the country defending the action of the Premier in handing over public money to the New Plymouth harbor. It is remarkable that the people who are screaming out about the degeneracy of Parliament rre the most thoroughgoing Tories in New Zealand. Mr Bryce is one of them, Mr Ormond is another, and so on. It is also remarkable that these men hate the very ground Sir Pobert Stout. Mr Ballance, Mr Hutchison, and Mr W. P, Peeves walk upon, yet no one can say these gentlemen lack ability. The defect in these gentlemen is not that they lack ability, but that they are too clever and too well able to expose the chicanery of Tories, Would Messrs Bryce and Or-

mond vote for any of these gentlemen P Not they. It is not defer men they want in Parliament, bat pliable tools that can be bought and silenced as in the old days, but these days are passed and something mere tangible than a retrenchment scream is required. What is wrong at the present time is : the people are gulled by sham Liberals who go into Parliament pledged to Liberal principles, and are sworn enemies of the Liberal leaders. These sit on a rail, keep Ministers in and their measures out, and are a nuisance in Parliament, a delusion and a snare out.'of it, and ought not to be elected Electors may complain of Parliament, but really it is no use to expect any improvement until the electors improve themselves and take an interest in politics. The reform must begin with the electors, sud the sooner it begins the better.