The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1883.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4433, 20 March 1883, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1883.

The Treasurer has commenced hi<* promised tour through the South Inland for the purpose of ascertaining the feeling of the people and enabling the Government to mould their plans and bring in new measures accordingly. It is not many yeara since Sir George Grey was bitterly attacked by his opponents for thus looking over tbe heads of representatives and personally stating the views of his administration to the masses, and many of the present Government party were amongst those who were the most antagonistic to his action. It is perhaps as well for the political education of the people that the leaders of the legislature should give the constituencies the benefit of their knowledge and experience, and keep them posted up in such matters as closely as possible. Were this the motive actuating the Hon. If. A. Atkinson, there could not. possibly be any room to cavil at his proceeding throughout the land as he is doing; but, when we arrive at the conclusion that his action is merely prompted by the desire to patch up breaches caused in the matter of Ministerial support; to find out tho advisa~ bility of introducing or not certain measures during the coming session; to gather into the fold a few straying sheep ; and to allay a growing discontent i amongst the people, of the colony; it* is questionable whether we can view the movement'as one worthy of the praise its author would desire. In the first address ■ delivered by the Treasurer, nothing very ■tartjing appears. It would seem that what the speaker desired was to defend the existing state of things, and prove the success of the undertakings of the Ministry of which he is a member. Com* mencing with the usual sophistry to

secure the feelings of bis audience and of some of the readers of his deliverance, he touched—as far as we can learn by telegram—on representation, reform of the Upper House, taxation, land tenure, and some matters of minor importance. In dealing with representation he held that larger constituencies led to better representation, and with this point of hia speech we cannot help agreeing. The number of small constituencies in the colony have rendered our repreaentatire Chamber, more of a Eoad Board that it should be, owing to the perpetual scrambling of members of small districts for a road here or a bridge there, and the numerous members who oppose fur fear of losing a chance of obtaining a share of favors going; yet the idea of large consti* tuencies was always a favorite one with the squattocratic Ministries, of which the Treasurer is and has been a member of. The Major touched very delicately on the question of Upper House reform, and said be hoped that the electors had thought out a scheme in that direction. A voice called from the body of the meeting, 'Bring out your own," which probably pointed out the relative duties of the Government and the governed. Doubtless, before the Minister's returu to Wellington he will—by ascertaining the feelings of the people he will mix with, and the expressions of public opinion during his tour —be in a position to frame a measure likely to suit public taste, and not be used as a test point. We shall deal with the deliverances of the Treasurer on a future occasion, as the subjects disposed of by him require more than the space we can afford in one issue to refer to them. \