The Westport Times. FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1872

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 990, 26 July 1872, Page 2

The Westport Times. FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1872

Now that the New.Zealand Parliament lias again met in-solemn conclave, the moat important political question which the people, the pcess, and poli-ticians-of wery shade aud hue discuss, is, wWthw tiie present Ministry will .retain their seats during the session, <or be compelled by the loud expression of discontent without the walls of •the Council Chamber, and the covert -marshalling of opposition forces within, ■to retire from a position too long filled with little credit to themselves, and less honor or profit to the country Whatever plans have been maturing t«» strengthen the opposition, the leaders therein have well concealed their tactics, hut present indications ■presage a coming storm, a strong party fight for place and power ; and before the real work of the session commences, a struggle for supremacy must ensue. The mysterious rumours in circulation that a new Stafford eum Fitzherbert party has been formed, has some foundation in fact, and the •opposition, moreover, is likely to carry sufficient weight to expel the present Ministry, unless the majority of the peoples' representatives are corrupt enough to be still lured into blind obedience, by the tempting baits and promises so lavishly scattered, as means to an end, by the Fox Vogel connection. So far as public opinion is concerned all confidence in Vogelian tactics Ins vanished. The Tailway scheme; upon which the whole fabric of his lofty aspiration was base 1, has failed, and the development of fubpid : ary reproductive works are as yet in nuhibus. In 1870, with a loud flourish of rhetorical trumpeting, and confident predictions of success, Mr Vogel's famous financial statement was introduced, wherein it was proposed 1o devote £850,000 per annum for ten years for railway purposes, upon the anticipation that the investment would he reproductive, in tho very first year to the extent of £SOOO ; and in increased ratio, each succeeding year until the tenth, when as, foreshadowt d by Mr Vogel's glowingfancy, the Railways of the Colony wouid realise an income of £130,000 per Annum. The money, to the tune of a million and a half, has been borrowed, sit a heavy annual interest, the major portion of tho loan has been expended, and the second year has arrived; wherein, according to Mr Vogel's estimate, £IO,OOO was to he the result " over and above working expenses from the railways opened up to that time." The public know too well that the railway scheme has not yet realised a single penny as returns ; and th.it, moreover, if the ordinary revenue* of the Colony cannot be made to yield the interest on the loan, in addition to ordinary expenditure,

further taxation must of necessity follow. They ar.e permitted to gain such consolation as they may from the statement made by the Governor at the opening of the session. " Contracts for sections of various lineß of railway have been entered into upon terms which I trust you will consider favorable. The surveys of other lines are approaching completion.". A. state financier's miscalculations may be forgiven, the too sanguine predictions of a popular politician accepted at their just value, unforeseen events, and casual contingencies, admitted as reasonable excuses for the m>n-cninp!etion of a scheme, in which the people of the colony were asked and encouraged to place implicit confidence - y but nothing can palliate the wasteful expenditure of public moneys, and the lavish distribution of places of pay and power to all and sundry, directly or indirectly aiding to support in position a Government whose first duty, seeing that the misconception of one great scheme had resulted in serious financial failure, was to en. deavour by judicious economy to mitigate the loss of revenue. In this respect the action of the Fox Vogel Ministry has been to flagitiously disregard all precepts of political honesty or prudence. It may still maintain its power to work further evil, inasmuch as there is too evident cause to believe that in the House of Representatives, a majority will be always found base enough to barter votes for such tempting bribes as the present Ministry freely offer; but public opinion is strongly adverse to the Ministry, and the Colonial Treasurer may find that the organisation at present marshalling its forces, will exercise an influence sufficiently powerful to counteract even his most seductive blandish ments.