The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1885. THE PAST SESSION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2101, 22 September 1885, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1885. THE PAST SESSION.

After being in sossion for three months and eleven days, the second session of the ninth Parliament of the colony drew to a close to-day. During the period named our legislators have been actors in the most extraordinary farce that lias ever been played in the political arena of any British colony in the southern hemisphere, From beginning to end the Ministry has been without sufficient support to carry a single one of its Policy Bills in its entirety, and measure after measure was condemned by the House; yetj almost throughout there has been an undercurrent of anxiety to keep the Ministry in, A little display of judicious courage would perhaps liave led to better results; but the mere intimation on the part of the Opposition that they would be glad, for the reasons given, it a certain measure that was about to be discussed were not made a Ministerial question, was invariably sufficient to induce Ministers to swallow the most elearly defined principles, aud to bow to the wish of the majority, It would require more spice than we are inclined to afford to go over the various Bills that were introduced as " policy bills," and then either thrown out, abandoned, or mutilated to such an extent that the original shape was almost entirely obliterated, for with the exception of the Land Bill, absolutely nothing has Lewi left that can be pointed to as nst'ful and important. And even the Land : Bill is little more than a consolidating measure, Even at the last moment the temper of the House showed itself mostnnmistakably.

The Speaker having given a ruling to the effect that the District. Railways Bill was a money Bill, and could not therefore be amended by the Legislative Council, Sir Julius Yoqel moved 1 that a new clause introduced in the upper Chamber should be accepted. The House seemed to be up in arms at once, and the proposal was rejected, notwithstanding the threat that the Bill would be thrown out, But worse remained in store. The Treasurer wished to introduce a Bill without giving notice. At such a late period of the session it was to be taken for granted that the measure, was an urgent one, and that every facility would be given to the Government to bring it forward. But the House objected to depart from the ordinary course, and the leave asked for was refused, and the Treasurer had to give notice in the ordinary way. The Stout-Vogel combination might very properly be called the rag-and-tatters Ministry, for they have nothing but rags and tatters to show as the result of the two sessions that they have been in office. It wouldv.be absurd in the present state of parties in the House if the next session were allowed to terminate in the usual way. Members would not be doing their duty to the country if they did not insist on the resignation of the Ministry or a dissolution, . A dissolution would follow the end of the session in any oase, and as an appeal to tho country appears desirable it might as well be made then as later on,