OPPOSITION MANIFESTO.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3694, 23 December 1890, Page 2

OPPOSITION MANIFESTO.

liOglelatWo Oounoll Appol&tats.

Christouurou, December 22,

During tho last few. days Mr Perceval, tho Opposition whip, has received communications from several inemberp qf the Opposition, suggesting thata petition to tho Governor should be drawn up and circulated for signature throughout the colony, protesting against the proposed appointments by the Government to the Legislative Council, A desire having been expressed that the petition, should bo nnifsrm, Mr

Ballanco on Saturday telegraphed to Mr Perceval, requesting him to draft and circulate a petition, The following is the text of tho petition as dra,wn up by Mr Perceval

'•'To Hia Excellency the Rigb HqtiQurablo William Hillier, Eai of Onslow, Governor in and oye

Her Majesty's Colony of Now Zealand and its dependencies, May-it please your Excellency,— We, Her Majesty's dutiful and loyal snbjocts, electors of the Colony of New Zealand, having good reason to believe that it is the intention of yeur Excellency's Ministers to recommend that certain fresh appointments should be made by your Excellency to Ihp Legjalatiye. Counpfy'beg'most respectfully (purge:—. ' . !!(i)Th>t a.fly recommendation made by your Excellency's Ministers to increase the Legislative Council, as at present constituted is contrary to the wish of the people of Now Zealand" as expressed at the recent general election, "(2) That your Excellency's Ministers ore in ft decided minority In tho new Parliament, their avowed supporters being little more than one-third of the present House, Thoy therefore cannot be said to represent the people of New Zealand or to possess the right .to advise your Exoelleiicyoiianißtteof such importance,.

"(8) That the people of % Zealand hayo, a.t tho recent general ejection demanded a reform in the constitution of the Legislative Council, and that until tho'now House Lob had an opportunity of considering the question, no new life appointments should be 'made,

"(i) That the present Premier of tho .Colony,' Sir Harry Albert Atkihson,in his Financial Statement, givenin November, 1887, stated/in referring to the intentions of his Government with .regard to the Legislative Council, as follows ;- ' They (tho Government) will also during tho present "session invite the Legislative Council to devise a pip by which their nunibpifpy he redqeodio. thirty-five, one-half of the number of members proposed for this House, and, therefore limited to that number.'-' The members of the Legislative Council aro still more than thirty-five iti number, and fresh appointments cannot, therefore, be justed,, V : .','•■. 1 " (a) Tbjtyour Excellency's Ministers are not even justified in olaiming what has been stated •' on very doubtful authority to be the privilege rf a'defeated GoTernment,; viz, the nomination of members to the Upper Chamber, because they dfoline 1 : to adniit their, defeat. '

"Your petitioners, ;,therefore, .reß|)Cotfully urge, your Excellency to defer aoting upon any reoomniehdation made by your Excellency's present adriserstomake freßh appointments to; the; Legialatiyo Council, untp;' t|ay have niet s<l ah'; oppojtanity■ 6E; : co)lsi^eriiig '. I thje