THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THUESDAY, JULY 25, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2946, 25 July 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THUESDAY, JULY 25, 1878.

Theee is reason to fear that in a few years the business of " Lobbying " will become engrafted on our institutions as firmly as it is on the system of our American Cousins'legislative departments. The representatives of districts, it seems, are powerless to carry through any measures of a local character unless backed up by outside influence, meu who can buttonhole members of the House on every occasion, and solicit their interest on this or that question of a purely local character. The County and Borough con-

ferences, wo think, can bo made useful, for they will bung together representatives from all parts of the

Colony and ensure a consideration of municipal interests from a cosmopolitan* view point. Out of these conferences we expect to see somo valuable suggestions emanate—valuable to members of the House, and likely to result in much needed reforms in the laws effecting

municipal bodies. In exceptional cases there may be some good reasons shown for sending special delegates to the Empire City during the session of Parliament; but to make a practice of this sort of thing is to be deprecated. There is some talk of sending a delegate from the Borough to Wellington this session, and it is urged that unless this is done there is not the slightest chance of the Thames Valley ltailway Bill being carried. This argument sounds to us like a reflection upon our members, especially the Hon. the Premier, whose sympathies are entirely in favor of having the railway constructed, and who will be able to carry the matter through with ease, as he has such a large majority at his back. Should he discover m the Bill or in the proposed lire some objectionable feature, the most powerful delegates would not avail to force the measure through the House. The most experienced lobbyist will be powerless against the present Ministry ; and if the latter are minded to pass a Bill they will be able to do so without the assistance of local delegates. There may be business of a formal character in connection with the Bill outside the House, which can be best performed by a Parliamentary agent. With regard to all other matters, they should be embodied in a statement to our representatives, and if they and the Conferences of Borough and County authorities cannot succeed in getting justice, neither would delegates though they 1 were invested with unlimited powers, and represented the embodiment of Borough and County wisdom.