The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1886. A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNMENT BEFORE HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2198, 19 January 1886, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1886. A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNMENT BEFORE HIS CONSTITUENTS.

The Eos. W. J. M. Lamaoh, Minister of Mines, addressed his conatitiiß.iti on Saturday night, At the outset he took pains to explain that he was about to speak as a representative, and not as a member of the Ministry, In this respect Mr Larnach differs entirely from his colleagues, all of whom appear to have been only too eager to explain their own particular share in steering the ship of State through the decidedly dangerous seas which besot it during the last sessiou, and to show that they contributed very materially tothesnccess of the helmsman, According to their view of the case, the many cooks did not spoil the broth. We do not consider Mr Larnach to be a vory bright light in New Zealand politics, nor have we ever been able to realize how he could reconcile his principles, which he has declared in no half-an-half language since he has become a member of the Ministry, whith those of the remainder of the Calinet, or even with thoso of any other individual member of it. We are, however, bound to give him credit for honesty ot purpose, and as he has chosen tospeakasa private niernbor, the manner in which he differs andfromhis colleagues is not onlyuuique to the point but also, in some instances positively refreshing. He, for instance, regretted ■ that the Government had not resigned during the early part of the recent session, when a dissolution must have followed; and that would have been the only remedy for the present state of parties. We think Mr Larnach could not have been nearer the truth. It may, perhaps, bo said why he did not resign if that was his opinion. We think he acted consistently in holding to the party with which he had allied himself, unless, indeed, he wished to do it an injury, as he certainly would have done had he left them. Besides, the matter was not one of principle, but of policy. Mr Larnach had already left his principles at home, and, as questions of policy are unusually left to the leader of the party, he was unable to remain in the Cabinet without being guilty of any fresh act of inconsistency. He is very weak on the question of Free Trade v Protection. For instance, he said that he had compared the relative positions of New South Wales and Victoria, and had come to the conclusion that a Free Trade policy would not answer in a young country competing with other young countries, To bo logical he would have to' admit the vory principle thai 'i .

the younger the country the more necessity there would be for Protection against other equally young countries, but that there would be little necessity for Protection against older countries, which generally have their .manufactures well advanced, and. would be in a position to flood' the market of a new country, Arguments, of that description will, we think,, 'materially strengthen the Free Trade party. We are glad that he appeal's to be sound on the question of borrowing, on which he said that the colony should not borrow money to make up any deficiency in revenue; but when, they borrowed money on reproductive works that was quite different, and he should. be in favor of borrowing whenever he felt assured that the proposed work would pay, But while this argument is faultless, we' must not overlook the fact that Mr Larnach supported his colleagues in the East and West Coast and Nelson railway.scheme, which he could hardly expect to pay, and which even his colleagues admitted would do little more than pay interest for years to come. He will, perhaps, admit that when he,, as a Cabinet Minister, undertook to speak as a private member he had a task to perform to which he scarcely found himself equal. We must not omit to notice that portion of his speech in which he refers to the ensuing session, and in which, we are inclined to think, he spoke as a Cabinet Minister, in spite of himself, lie said the Government policy would be different from what it had been in years past, and would not be of a rash and imprudent nature, and when the time came for an appeal to the country, he hoped the people would not hesitate to say whetlur they approved or disapproved of it, It ia hard to say whether this statement will be borne out by facts, or whether it has been thrown out merely as a feeler, the same as the dark hints on borrowing eight or ten millions. Sir Julius Vogel is undoubtedly prepared to go either way, and he may be watching for the result, as expressed by members of the House, or through the Press. The statement bears a significance which was lacking in the utterances of atl the other Ministers who have spoken,