THE Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1893. MR MASLIN'S ADDRESS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2578, 7 November 1893, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1893. MR MASLIN'S ADDRESS.

Me. W. S. Maslin has opened the ball in the Rangitata district with a vigorous ' first-attempt speech. The speech on the whole is to be highly commended, but it has its weak points, and the3e he will doubtless strengthen. The number of subjects on which he spoke was rather limited, while on some subjects he had more to say than was necessary. For instance, the Education Question may be dismissed with half-a-dozen words. All that is necessary on that point is to say that one is is in favor of the present system, and against any change : that is, if one has no change to suggest. Mr Maslin had none, and wasted a great many words on saying so, while he might have been better employed in giving his views on other subjects. There is one idoa in Mr Maslin's speech which we cannot endorse. All the Conservatives are now advocating an Elective Upper House, and Mr Maslin agrees with them. We trust he will see his way to change his views on that point, for without doubt it is not a Liberal idea. It looks so, aud persons who have not studied out the subject may well be pardoned for regarding it as Liberal. But the effect of an elective Upper House would be that we should have a very Conservative chamber, undoing everything the popular chamber did. The first thing that must be remembered in connection with this is that we cannot have the Legislative Council elected by the same class of electors as the Lower House. If we could get the Upper House elected under the prasent frauchise there would be no objection to it, but this cannot be, for it would merely mean duplicating the Lower House. This is not what the Conservatives want. What they want is that the Upper House shall be elected by the owners of freehold property, and if they could carry that they would set up a solid wall of Conservatism that would block all Liberal legislation. Let no one make a mistake about this. Iu Victoria there is an elective Upper House, and there the result has been mischievous. Who has not heard of the deadlocks between the two chambers there, and the serious consequences attendant thereon 1 An Elective Council looks beautiful and popular, and Liberal iu theory, but let no one make a mistake about it. It would be beyond the control of the Government of the day; it would simply snap its fiugers at the Lower House, and refuse to pass its measures, and it would render progress impossible in New Zealand so long as it existed. At present the Government can make fresh appointments to the Council, and compel it to pas 3 its measures, but if elective it could not do so. The Council is therefore practically under the control of the Government, and it certainly ought to be. If, however, Mr Maslin is greatly enamoured of an elective chamber, let him adopt Sir Robert Stout's proposal. . He proposes that the members of the Legislative Council shall be elected by the members of the House of Representatives. To that we have no objection, although we think the present system just as good, but we say this, without hesitation, that the man who votes for making the Council elective by freeholders only, votes away the liberties of the people. This is the Conservative idea, but it is only recently they have been converted to it. Their conversion is due to this fact: they see the power which they once monopolised slipping away from them, and they are now endeavoring to set up a Council which would act as an effective break on the progressive Liberalism of the present day. In a few years the Tory element of the Council will die out, and we shall have a chamber of progressive Liberals. These will be in harmony with the progressive ideas of the people, more especially as they will hold office only for seven years. We trust Mr Maslin will see his way to alter his views on this point, as it is a vital one, and then we can without hesitation recommend him to the electors as a Liberal candidate. Indeed, he has shown a good vigorous grasp of political questions, and an excellent capacity for giving his views on them. But if he were to go to Parliament pledged to support an elective Upper House, he would find himself greatly fettered by it. Supposing, for instance, the Conservative parcy succeeded in getting into power and introduced a measure to make the Upper House elective, where would Mr Maslin be '{ All the Liberals would oppose the measure, but Mr Maslin would have to break his pledge or support it. If e would, therefore, find himself on the horns of a dilemma. If he is wise he will at once adopt the Liberal idea. He may well be pardoned for believing the elective principle the Liberal one ; hundreds and perhaps thousands labor under the same delusion, and the Conservatives know it, and are trying to make cat's paws of them. We feel certain Mr Maslin is too intelligent to be caught with Conservative chaff of this nature, and will not yot6 for setting up such an impenetrable impediment to progress as a Tory Legislative Council. Mr Maslin is so far the only candidate for Rangitata on the Liberal side worth talking about, because he is the only one who has the ghost of a chance of winning. We advise Liberals to rally round liim at on,ce and return him at the head of the poll.'" J "

THE HERO OF DUtfEDIN. My Fish ia the hero of the hour in Dunediu. Together with being a candidate for Parliament, he is also a candidate for the mayoralty, and from a meeting of the Women's Franchise League held in that citv we learn that no one can bo got to enter the lists with him. The league hajyjtei the mayoral office through the city with fchs view of getting some one toiightMr Fiah, bijit in that city there was not to be found a warriGjt' doughty enough to do battle for its fair daughters. Tho league was in the last esftrei»ity of despair when Mr Chapman, who itei hem ' of ten defeated before, thought that " try u%m >' m* .». maxim,andteiuleredhis service*, awdsuQijer than allow the election go by default tfte si.oa.'.;ue accepted. A few days af fcer, however, Mr~Chap.ijy.aii was caught in the act of wife's name on the roll in virtue of a "Greenhouse." The social purity proclivities of the league ; werp offended, and they denounced Mr Gh'apinan as guilty of corruption. Mr OJjapmin 'explained that th.ere was no

necessity for him to place his wife's name ' on the roll in virtue of the greenhouse, as he had any number of other properties which would have served the purpose as well. The greenhouse, however, was a separate property which belonged to his wife, who got all the profits from it, andthere was nothing wrong in his action. On last Thursday the Women's Franchise League met and after an animated discussion rehabilitated Mr Chapman in their confidence. Some of the discuscussion was amusing, and the following is a sample of it:— " Mrs Rigg said they were there on behalf of a league which was bound to maintain purity in every branch of the community. " Mrs Wildy (to Mrs Rigg) : You belong to the church called Christian, don't you ? " Mrs Rigg : That is not the question. " Mrs Wildy : I want to ask one question. You know very well the law that is laid down in the Book on this very subject? You know it as well as I do. If your brother offend you, take one or two with you and consult with him. If he confess his fault it is well; if he does not, take a few more with you; if he does not then confess, take him before the whole community.—(Hear hear, and laughter.) I know you know that law as well as I do. This is a direct order for us, as those are Christ's exact words. You are going against the Divine Word. " Mrs Rigg: We just did what this lady, who is quite unknown to me has suggested. We had Mr Chapman in, and gave him a good dressing down—(laughter)—and he did not confess his error. " Mrs Wildy: Has he confessed yet. " Mrs Rigg: No.—(Cries of ' Yes.') " Mrs Wildy: I understand he has. " The Chairwoman: This is not a matter for discussion here." How Mr Fish can laugh at all® this. He has served the publicans well, and they appreciate his labors ; they are not the people to repay him with more kicks than half-pence, and the consequence is that no man of any standing in Dunedin is ready to contest the election with him. Happy Mr Fish ; he has played his cards well, and he will have his reward.

THE UPPER CHAMBER.

Sir George Grey has suggested at a meeting of ladies whose suffrages he is seeking that the Legislative Counc ; l should be abolished, and a Chamber consisting exclusively of ladies should be appointed instead. This is a matter which has been joked about ibefore, but Sir George is now turning it to account. He wants to win the confidence of the ladies, and doubtless believes that this sort of thing will flatter them. It is poseible that it will, because they gave him a vote of thanks and confidence, but in our opinion they will only laugh ac such a nonsensical proposal. The day may come when women will occupy seats in both Houses of Parliament, but it is certaiu that they must wait until they have given some study to politics before the functions of the Legislative Council will be handed over to them. The Legislative Council performs important functions. The House of Representative wastes too much time in unseemly squabbles, stonewalliug, and useless discussion. For instance, a month is invariably spent in discussing the Financial Statemeut and other matters which never reach the Upper House at all. The Council has comparatively little to do, and consequently its members have time to read aod consider the measures which are brought before Parliament. They have the time, and they employ it in reading and studying the various measures, with the result that they often correct aud improve them. Women cannot jump into the position all at once, and doubtless women would not, even if they could. Sir George Grey was of course poking fun at the lady electors when he made this suggestion, and doubtless they will appreciate it when they think out the absurdity of his proposal.