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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2636, 20 June 1877, Page 2

Me Gkaham Behey, the present Chief Secretary of Victoria,, "i a recent speech (as we learn from The Australasian) has stated that the two most important objects of his government are to pass a land tax which will tend to check the aggregation of land in few, hands, and to do something to restore prosperity to the mining interest. When the leader of the " Stonewallcrs " can indicate such articles of political creed, it is nearly sufficient to make people wish that in this Colony there were politicians who did not pin their faith to the moafe advanced political economists as their only recommendations to popular suffrages. Mr Berry and his colleagues now in power are protectionists ; they were in one session obstructionists, and the party then in power hnd to come down uj. on them with what is known as the "iron hand" resolution, which limited their talking powers but accelerated business. A turn of the political wheel has placed Mr Ben y in power, and these two itejrs of his government's policy will find favor with the people of Victoria. In c~:u\ying out this portion of the programme the Government will nV;I perhaps some difficulties. The landed r<: > terest is largely represented in the V:;»

toriati parliament, and the imposition f a land tax acay not be so easy as Mr Ec.rj

imagines. It is a popular move, however, and as Mr Perry's government has had a majority returned on popular views, tliero may be some show of crvrying the land tax. The " stonewall" policy had a parallel in orr own House of ParHameafc last session in the talcing against time of tbe Opposition to the Abolition of Provinces. If tha leaders of that Opposition had proposed a land tax "to clieck the aggregation of land in a few haids," and had further attempted to "restore prosperity to the mining industry," they would have deserved better of their couniry than they did for wasting the time of their colleagues by their stonewall obstruction. There is hope for an Opposition next session if they will fake a lesson from Mi Graham Berry end Hs colleagues of Victoria.