The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 1891. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2154, 24 January 1891, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 1891. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

The action of the present Ministry in flooding the Legislative Council with new members is a fitting wind-up to a scandalously corrupt Ministerial career. How it is that the people have borne with them so patiently passes understanding. Never has there been such maladministration; never such bare-faced, unflushing, patronage, and corruption. The last three-year’s Government can give long odds to any other “ for ways that are dark, and tricks that are vain,” and so lost are they to all sense of honor, honesty, or responsibility, that they have not even resorted to the doubtful expediency of a death-bed repentance. Here they are dead to all intents and purposes, and yet they have not ceased to inflict injury on this colony. At the late elections the country absolutely decided against them, but they refused to take the hint, and have been “ nobbling ” ever since in the vain endeavor to buy over a sufficient number to carry them on. In this they have failed so absolutely that they have decided to lie down and die without attempting to fight, yet, notwithstanding all this, they have not hesitated to advise the Governor to add six new members to the Legislative Council. This is scandalous and Lord, Onslow has disgraced himself in consenting to such an unconstitutional arrangement. We are glad to find that the Liberal party is rising equal to the occasion. We learn from Wellington that they have signed a protest against the appointments, and if this fails, as it is said it will, they will complain of Lord Onslow’s conduct to the Colonial Office. This is a very decided step. It is, perhaps, the first time in the colonies’ history that a Governor’s action has been complained of to the Colonial Office, but we do not think the matter ought to stop here. Indignation meetings ought to be held throughout the colony, and a vigorous public protest entered against such scandalous abuse of power. This course would have th effect of sending Lord Onslow Home disgraced man. He would have to fly from the colony just as Sir Arthur Gordon had some years ago, and it would teach Tory Governors in future that the colonies are the wrong places to practise their Tory proclivities. As for the way in which the appointments have been made it appears to us that they are absolutely illegal. The Evening Post has threatened Sir Harry Atkinson with a Supreme Court injunction if he is appointed Speaker of the Upper House. On the surface it looks as if there were good grounds for the threat. The position is really unique. Eor instance, Sir Harry Atkinson resigned his seat in the Lower House, consequently he was no longer a member of Parliament. He had absolutely no public position —he represented nowhere yet he still retained the position of Premier of the colony. Now it is only reasonable to say that the moment he ceased to be a member of Parliament he ceased to be Premier, and the moment he ceased to be Premier his Ministry ceased to exist. The resignation of the Premier involves the resignation of all the Ministers, therefore all the Ministers had no right to exercise any functions whatever after the Premier had resigned. And yet this Ministry tendered advice to the Governor, and the Governor accepted that advice. Will it be said that Lord Onslow consented to be a party to this disgraceful transaction in ignorance of his duties ? No, Lord Onslow knows his duty, but he is a thoroughbred English Tory, and has taken this step to help his friends, the New Zealand Tories. At any rate there is room for doubting the validity of the whole affair, and we sincerely trust that the threat of the Evening Post will be carried into effect, and an effort made to upset this shockingly disgraceful business.