THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M Resurrexi. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2087, 11 September 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M Resurrexi. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1875.

The frogs in the fable who were pelted by boys with stones, having borne with it as long as they could, complained* that what was sport to one party was death to the other, and besought. the disturbers of their peace to desist from what could bring them no good, but caused others much harm. Now, however much it may please certain members of the Opposition to protract beyond the bounds of decency a debate which has long ago been dragged beyond the limits imposed by sen«e, yet, on behalf of the Colonists of New Zealand, we must take up our parable and protest against the time of the House—paid for be it remembered by public money—being frittered away simply because Sir George Grey wilL insist on resorting to any expedient which may enable him to ride his hobby horse for a few months longer, and some dozen or more members actuated perhaps by pride of place, sheer obstinacy, or it may be even the own sacra fames offer themselves as ready tools to assist him in making the House of Assembly ridiculous. Thus we have the spectacle —comical enough no doubt to those who have not to pay for it—of a colony paying members simply to act as obstructives to a measure agreed on as advantageous by two thirds of the entire number of representatives, and endorsed by the opinion of two thirds of. the public meetings held to consider that very question. We'have a member so lost to all regard of what is due to a newly formed nation struggling under the burden of debt, incurred with a view to hasten the development of its resources, as to persist in wasting the time of a House whose members that nation can hardly afford to pay, and opening his speech with an assertion, perhaps never before heard in any similar House in the annals of a nation, that he really had nothing whatever to say for or against the subject under conideration, but that he only spoke to gain time ! "What- would have been thought of such miserable expedients in England, when Mr Gladstone in 1868 resorted to an equally unconstitutional measure, and abolished the Irish State Church, if the Conservatives had spoken against time, and so had been able to go to the country again when that country had had time fully to consider the weighty interests involved ? If the Obstructionists in New Zealand —some 17 in numbercan by speaking six hours at a stretch on every petty word or detail of a bill stave off the time of passing that bill for seven or eight months, surely the 200 and odd followers of Lord Derby could have talked for five, or if necessary for ten years , in a similar manner.. But can it be for one moment supposed that the country would have stood silent at beholding such a spectacle—worse than foolish; or that though, the members are not paid for their time, yet that they would have been allowed to waste that time on petty dispute and splitting straws ? Then why should this colony submit to such a trarestie of Parliament being performed in their senate ? The questions the House of Representatives are called to discuss and the measures they are asked to pass—sometimes by their constituents, sometimes by their own party—are fully as important to the Colonist as are Parliamentary measures to the Englishman at home ; and yet they are to be cast on one side and allowed to remain uncared for— nay the very progress of- the colony is brought, in some cases, to a standstill because these few men—having said all they can and done all that the most exacting constituent could require at their hands-rrwill persist in blindly clinging to their own opinions. Thus we have the picture of members not considering it worth their while even to enter the House to listen to the debate going "on, so silly is it, but simply waiting in the library or Bellamy's to be ready if need be to vote when called on. How long is this obstructiveness to last ? If; is obvious if this kind of thing is to go on that a small opposition, especially if compactly organised and banded together by personal as well as party motives, would be able to prevent any measure from becoming law. Even three disaffectants, by quibbling over every word, would be able to cause the country much loss. And the question which will arise in the minds of constituents anxious to oppose any imminent measure will be to elect, as their member, not him who can speak best, but him who can speak most. Is it necessary that the members of our House of Assembly should be either compelled to listen to a veteran member speaking utter nonsense about a measure, —as even he must allow—and asking, in the hackneyed language of Hood's poem the "Bridge of Sighs," whether a Bill had a father, or a mother, or a sister or a brother, and when it was to go home, and such like absurdities, and

rather glorying in than being ashamed of such trifling, or else if they don't like this, that they should bo obliged to seek shelter..in the library or coffee room P Surely it was not for places in which to speak such twaddle that the Houses -of Parliament wero built, or to cause so much waste of time that members were elected; . then why are they allowed to go on? Government have succeeded in passing tho Abolition Bill on the second reading, and getting the principle thus endorsed by a majority in their own House. Unless the people approred of that principle they would long ere this have made themselves pretty loudly heard ; and with the House and tho people both on their side, there can be no roason why they should allow themselves to be held up as a laughing stock and byword to the whole universe by permitting such chicanery to pro ceed.

The Auckland Star, ever ready to impute evil intentions to those who think not as it thinks, asserts that the people of the Thames have joined in maligning the fair fame of the Superintendent, and under the guidance of Mr William Rowe of Caledonian renown (so says the Star) have inflicted a backhanded slap on the man who came at the unanimous call of the people to the rescue of the Province, and has ever been a staunch advocate of Thames interests. Now the Auckland Star —as is not seldom the case with that journal- -is entirely wrong, for though the Thames people were among the first to declare their wish for Abolition,' as a remedy for some of the wrongs under which they suffer, yet their unanimous wish was not to spurn the assistance of Sir George, for whom they have ever entertained the liveliest regard, bnt simply to do away with those institutions which, by absorbing themselves monies which might have been devoted to more necessary uses, have become long since worse than useless. 'I he Auckland Star evidently knows very little of the state of public feeling at the Thames, but that does not prevent it from indulging in assertions both reckless and untrue. Not one word was said at the meeting, to which the Star refers as an insult to Sir George, in any way disparaging to him, and the people of the Thames have as little ill feeling against Sir George Grey as Mr William Eowe had influence in guiding popular opinion to the point at which it has arrived.

We would call the attention of the members of the Roman Catholic Church to a telegram which we publish to-day, to the effect that in consequence of the Rev. Father Chastagnon being detained in .Auckland by a severe cold there will be only one mass at Grahatnstown and Shortland to-mcrrow; the former at 9 a.m. and the latter at 11 a.m.

We have received Provincial Government Gazette of date Friday, 10th September; New Zealand Gazette No. 49; No. 11 New Zealand Parliamentary Debates; Estimates for the General Government service and a number of Parliamentary Papers. The special correspondent at San Francisco of the New Zealand Herald says:—"The Duke of Edinburgh has just concluded a very smart business transaction, in the sale of his right to the throne of Saxe-Coburg to the German Government. The consideration would keep an American Sovereign in toothpicks and plug hats. It amounts to an annuity of £80,000. Inspector Thomson, A.C., has been summoned to Wellington to give evidence before the Select Committee of the House, regarding the Ohiuemuri Miners' Eights business. The Rev. Mr Agnew, who lectures at the Academy of Music to-night, is to deliver a lecture in Auckland next week on " Freemasonry," of which order Mr Agnew is ' a distinguished member. Apropos of this subject we learn that the reverend gentleman will be invited to deliver a short address at the Sir Walter Scott soiree on Monday evening next.

The Thames Amateur Dramatic Club ! will on Wednesday next perform the comedy of " Caste for the benefit of the Ladies' Benevolent Society. We fully expect and hope for a good house. The comedy itself is of sterling character free from sensation or any stage nonsense." And the popularity of tlie piece may be imagined when we inform our readers that on the occasion of its production at the Prince of Wales' Theatre iv London it ran for over two hundred nights, and after being played in nearly every large country town in England was again repeated on the London boards with every mark of success in the shape of large and appreciative houses. The comedy will be followed by a farce, not designated as " screaming," which is one recommendation, and to which, we have before referred as being unobjectionable in detail. Miss Amy Thornton has been engaged, to play in both pieces, and in the comedy will sustain the difficult role of the heroine Esther. The annual soiree of the Lodge Sir Walter Scott will take place in the Academy of Music on next Monday evening. There will be tea at a-quarter-past six, and, as soon as that portion of the programme has been disposed of, speeches by the, Rev. James Hill and other gentlemen, interspersed with musical and vocal selections by the Masonic choir. On Saturday next a new story will be commenced in the columns of the Star. In answer to numerous enquiries we maystate that the commencement of this story has been delayed for some time owing to the demands upon our reading space by parliamentary news, but arrangements are completed by which the publication of an interesting story will be resumed, and the reading matter will be considerably extended, whenever rendered necessary by the exigencies of the time.