THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi.` SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2117, 16 October 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi.` SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1875.

As far as the Representation Bill and the Government are concerned, meddle and muddle are convertible if not synonymous terms, and as far as any good is likely to be the result of the present abortive attempt—if attempt it be—to enter the much-vexed, and much-heeded question of representation it were better never to have meddled, with the present arrangements of seats at all, than hating meddled with it to produce such a muddle as seems likely to be the result of the deliberations in Committee upon this aforesaid Bill. Two things must force themselves on the minds of those who read the telegrams which from time to time appear concerning the bill. The one, the dul-headed obstinacy and pig-headedness which the Government display in refusing to be convinced of a state of most glaring, injustice; and the other, that, if not thoroughly mulish in their determination to resist any attempt made to move them from what they have determined on, they are certainly utterly incapable of dealing with such an important question as that now before them. It were hard to say which fault is the worst on their part, but one of them must certainly be laid to their charge. Personally speaking, we should be inclined to say their conduct savoured of both, a resolve so fixed —that obstinacy is almost a feeble word to express it—not to allow us to be righted, and an incapacity first of all to frame a Bill at all—if the present Bill be an honest attempt at a fair settlement of the question—and secondly an incapacity to deal with a Bill even when they themselves have framed it. Of their incapacity to frame a just Bill on the subject, if, as we have said, the one now before. Committee be an honest attempt on their part, there can be no two opinions in any unbiased mind; and their incapacity to deal with it even when framed, the telegrams of yesterday sufSce to show. To be sure, the telegrams seem to stultify each other, but the House seems so bent on stultifying itself that we readily believe they are true. How, we may well ask, can the Government with a decided majority at its back, as slavishly bound to follow and approve of what it says and 4 doe3 as ever was Mr Gladstone's majority on the question of the Irish Church — take for example Messrs Luckie and Yon der Heyde — Laving once decided, .after proper deliberation we will presume, that it is good, and fair for the colony to have eight ad'Jitioiiarmeiiibors in the House, and no move, and jiaviiig given out that it will take

its stand on this ground and allow neither j more or less, support such «a motion as " that all the new electorals be eliminated except the Thames and Dunedin," which if the telegrams be right w u as carried.by a majority of 43 to 25 ? teetb/>f this motion just carried we have the proposition that Timaru should not be accorded another member negatived "by' 46 to 6, apparently stultifying the fornier"resolution carried. Nor is this all. In spite of the determination announced by the Government to have no more thau eight fresh members, and these for the constituencies specified by them, in spite of "the resolution carried that save the Thames and Dunedin "all new electorals should be eliminated," we have, on the motion of Mr Bryce, another member given to Wanganui by a majority of 29 to 25. We are tired of expecting justice for ourselves from the Government in this matter, but we at least hoped that* the injustice would not be made more glaring — were that possible—by-other smaller constituencies being accorded additional members. But in this as in other matters we are doomed to disappointment, somewhat balanced, it is true, by the hope now held out to us, that as Government seem to care nought for their reputation, except as it may be conducive to their majority and help to keep them in office, so perhaps we may at no distant day be amused, and pleased by the spectacle of Government emphatically declaring on one day that the Thames shall only have one member, and the next day turning round and declaring just as emphatically—perhaps by a majority of 46 to 6—that we ought to have at least half a dozen. There is a sort of morbid satisfaction in finding from the conduct of the Government that this sort of thing is at least possible, while if the community can but make up their minds to adopt the suggestion of our playful M.P.C., and promise to send six good and true, and fit and proper, but utterly will-less men to the ministerial benches it may be even very probable. If that were the case it might seem strange, but nevertheless true be that Mr Yon der Hyde being defeated by Jai S. at the next election should still have an opportunity of tendering his vote at the command of the Government by being returned in triumph for the Thames! Seriously speaking though, the present Bill is worse than useless— the present Government either dishonest or incapable. What the colony really wants is not additional members being given to constituencies whose numbers have increased, but a thorough redistribution of the seats which at present constitute the House. The present number of members is quite large enough for work and too large for pay. Seventyeight men are amply sufficient to manage the affairs of such a colony as ourselves, are amply sufficient to look after all interests if they were fairly and properly distributed. This is what is wanted and this we in common with others wish to see. To keep on patching up the House, so to speak, by affording every rising constituency a fresh member as soon as it grows large and strong enough to make itself heard, is not—or should not —be the end and aim of a representation bill. Unfair dealing is as much manifest in unjustly according members to constituencies who are not entitled to them, as it is in withholding members from those who are. We want nothing more ©r less than a complete re-organization of the whole system of Parliamentary repre sentation as it at present stands.