Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878] FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1892.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4190, 12 August 1892, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1892.

Beino tub extended title op the Wairarapa Daily, with whioh it is identical.

The Government may have been smart but they were not chivalrous, when, on the motion for the second reading of the Land Gill, they, straining the position, insisted on viewing Mr Bruoe'a amendment as intended to carry "No Confidence" in its train, whipped up their pack, and made it a trial of strength. Of course they scorved an easy victory.

Wo do not, however, share the opinion of our jaundiced old friend the Evening Post, that the Opposition were more desirous of securing a party victory and a display of party speeches in Hansard than of dealing; with the question of freehold tenure. The suggestion, if it had emanated from a country newspaper, would have been characterised as" improper,"" impertinent," and bo on, That it should come from the Evening Post is, we suppose, to be taken as indicating nothing in particular except that the Evening Post siill lives, and (like tbe false tongue mentioned by the psalmist) loves to do hurt, At all events, we are persuaded that the amendment was moved in good faith, with the real objeot of removing some of the very restrictive conditions that surrounded the possibility of acquiring freehold under the proposals of tbe Minister of Lands.

But to allow tho amendment to be moved by a private member was tantamount to declaring that it was not intended as a vote of No-Confi-dence. Mr Rolleston's acquiescence was, indeed, soughtand obtained, but only at the last moment, and only for the Bake of showing that there was no division in the Opposition camp; and it redounds rather to the credit of the Premier's intelligence than of his honest that he shoal,d have insisted on its significance as showing a dirept attack by the Party in force.

As a matter of fact, the division over wljich thu New Zealand Tims chuckles contentedly, is " a famous victory " whiph wins nothjng at all, Ministers have been careful to tell the House that the mind of the people shall bo their guide. They must say this, of course jit is their ier to obey the Demos, Jiut it must have been more curious than asjrppable Ip them to discover that the mind of the people bag been expressed by the people's representatives with argument and energy against each and every pet method by which they hoped to restrict the freehold till it should be reduced to vanishing point in the future, In view, then, of the evident unpopularity of this crncifl clause, backing down is to be a prominent part pf (he Ministerial tactics. The Minister of Lands promises that he will consider all desired amendments Ip his Bill in Committee; oi)d j,t wjll he admitted thqj he pan hrfy W mjove. {jext to a wise Minister, it js good fo have an obsequious one. When the Pill emerges from Committee, we predict that it will have lost so many of its objectionable features that its paternity will be doubtful. And, knowing Jlr splleston's strong and thoughtful views pn the lajuJ giption, we think it .quite possible tjua.t the prpprbial intelligent foreigner pasted in the facty if Jip were told that .this w Biljl of ono %rty jjs ppposed to the other, might express liimself |n his own language as one of our ppets has p#t it jn ,an Eiigljeh,classic;— "Stjtange all this diferenc.e should be 'T\vi»t Tweedledum an,d Tpesei}io J"