The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1872.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 78, 29 October 1872, Page 2

The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1872.

The second session of the fifth Parliament was brought to a close on Friday last; it commenced its sittings on the 16th July. The Houses have therefore been in session for three months and a half, and the question we are naturally called upon to answer U, " What have they done ? " His Excellency the Governor was pleased to remark that several large and important measures have been passed. There are only three, however, that he seems to consider worthy of special notice: "The Public Health Act," "Water Works Act," and "Public Works Amendment Act," In fact these three acts, with the exception of some private bills, are all that he could have called attention to, as the result of the very " great care and attention." That few laws have been made is probably a matter for congratulation rather than otherwise, but. to what the great care and attention of the Assembly has been devoted through three weary months, except the abuse by one party of the other and. the same thing repeated, we are at a loss to perceive- Tiie whole farce, for it has been little else, emTy unfortunately somewhat after the style of the Legends, reminds one forcibly of a good *2d gam* we u»*d to V la 7 before Wβ had any preten-

sion3 to niauhoood, or wore the unmentionable garmriitM which an. , its outward .-symbol. '" lam King of the Ca.-tifc, &c\," i» a very niee and our It'gislatoce we must credit with being thorough waster* of it, more particularly as regards the use of the expression whieh we, forth') *ake of politcneo.?, have condensed into &e. U'giulatuig for New Zealand colonUta L-, a most unenviable tank. Seventy or more men gifted with, it is fair to presume, intelligence above their follows, appear to have "one down to Wellington for the Hole purpose of either making other* their tool.s or being the tools of others. The uninitiated into the niy.-ter.e* of those eur*es to young eol.>nu.-d — Parliaments—will ask, what has all thia a<io been about? So far a.s wo are able we will tell them. When the House assembled, the tox-Vogel Ministry was in power, and had been o<; through the three previous He.ssions. Mr .Statibrd, us the leader of the Opposition, moved eertuin resolutions whieh were tantamount to a vote of want of cjniidenee in their administrative ability, in fact that they had conceived idea.s which they either did not possess the ability or the industry to carry out. Tiiirt abstract sentiment was pretty generally endorsed by the public whose only muaiid of judging of a ministry is by results. It was generally thought, and we believe justly so, that the progress made in the construction of public works and the importation of immigrant into the country j were not commensurate either with the time that had elapsed or the money that had been expended. The Sun .Francisco Maij .Service had been made a bungle of; we were bearing the whole expense of a service which, in itself was beneficial, but much too costly considering our means. On division, the Ministry was defeated by a majority of three. Mr Slatl'ord was then sent for and formed what hetenned a ministry. After an almost unprecedented short reign a direct vote of want of confidence, moved by Mr Vogel, was carried by a vary small majority. Mr Stailbrd and his incongruous collection of followers placed their portfolios at the disposal of the Governor. Mα- Vogol was then sent for; Mr Fox in the interim having expressed his intention not again to take office, the result being the formation of the present Ministry. To sum up the really material work of the session' therefore, in a lew words, it has resulted in the substitution of Mr Waterhouse for Mr Fox and the accession to the ranks of Mr Hall. This is what the country has got for the expenditure, in honorarium alone of over £10,000. Had all this chopping and changing taken place in consequence of a difference in political opinion between one party and the other, it might be possible to look back upon the Session of Parliament just passed without a feeling of shame. As t is, our members have tacitly admitted thai there is no possible combination of men in the House to whom it is safe to entrust the conduct of the aiiairs of the colony. No less than two Ministries within a fewweeks have been turned from ollk-e for no other outward or acknowledged eaiue. There is, however, a hidden reason which it is only too unfortunate that the people of this colony are not more keenly alive to. Each government that co lies into jO-ver has-of co'.nve unlv a limited number of billets to give away, and all who have watched New Zealand politics are well aware that when these are all allotted to supporters, and as many more invented as the conscience of Ministers will admit, of—and experience has taught us that this is a very elastic material—-the Ministryis tolerably certain to be voted from power during the next session. This is a truly discreditable state of affaire to New Zealand as a colony, and reflects more or less discredit on every man who takes part in her government by recording his vote. We are glad to see that the Governor in his speech promises a searching mquiry into the condition of the Civil Service, and it is to be hoped that we shall hear no more of the Commissioner of Flax Industries and half-a-dozen others -whose duties are a mystery, but whose services are well known te be useless.