The Waikato Times. TUESDAY, AUGUST 28 1877.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 811, 28 August 1877, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28 1877.

E^ual and.exact justice to all men. - Ot' whatever state or persuasion, religious o political # . # * # '#'.-. Here shall the Prcs*i the People's rightmaintain, .. ; *•" Unuwed by mHuence and unbribed by ga'n.

Constitutional Representative Government is essentially government by party. Political independence of action on the floor of tha House may sound very well m theory, but m practice it is exactly that which, introdaped^intp the complicated working of politics, chokes the wheels and throws the whole machinery out of gear. Mr Woolcock, with his mo tion for a change m tlie incidence of taxation, and Mr Reader Wood with his amendment to make the Land Fund colonial revenue, and . thus^enable the Treasurer to dispense with the necessity of increased taxation and with some of those' duties which press heavily on-:>the bulk of the people, are both instances, m their way, of the mischievous effects of unconcerted and illtimed action. The former, like the proverbial member of a clas9 which rushes m where angels fear to tread, did not hesitate to force upon a Honse utterly unprepared for it, the offhand settlement of a questioni, which has puzzled the ablest political economists of the day to work out, and we see no other way m which the Government could have met the motion than that with which they did so, by affirming the necessity for an alteration m the incidence of taxation, and promising to take the matter into consideration daring the recess, with a view to framing the next year's Estimates upon a change in' the direction indicated. Whetner they will do so is another matter altogether, but the' responsibility will be theirs when they meet the House next session. If they shall have failed m fulfilling their pledge, then the Opposition, which will be \ .repared with a fiscal policy embracing such change m the incidence of taxation, will have shown itself deserving the confidence of the Honse and of the conntry. That the party practically introducing such scheme, not as a mere principle to be affirmed, but m the form of a fully-considered and well - digested measure, will carry the constituencies with them, we have no doubt. There is a strong and reasonable feeling abroad that one class is being taxed to meet tue liabilities entailed by the Public Works scheme while another class is reaping the more solid benefits of the expenditure. The construction of roads and railways, and the assistance given to local governing bodies have done much to increase the permanent value of propel ty and raise the price of real estate. Yet the capitalist with his thousands of acres contributes m dutiable goods to the revenue not more than — often not so much as— the smallest landowner m the Colony, or he, perhaps, who--does not own a rod of ground. There is a growing feeling that property should be called upon to pay specially towards that which has so specially benefitted it, and take its fair share of the burdens of the State. The question is one the Ministry is bound to look fairly m the face, and the Press and the public to agitate from all points of view before it. comes on for serious discussion and practical legislation m the Assembly, it was not a question to have been settled theu aud there as Mr Woolcock would have claimed, for ib. involved a complete .-change, and. rearrangement m the fiscal policy of tlie Colony. The ameudment of Mr Wood has been equally untiraed and unhappy,

That the Houae should have been forced into an expression of opinion six to thirteen against the of the Land Fund* is fdue entirely to the blundering selfconceit and irrepressible desire for ij^etßhipqri'th&partbf' fef@Parneli, and the prefsjVre, ;p&i|hiapa, of an independently aotfiig Jeutidn of the Opposition, w|ich thoughtby such means to fliuo^poli-* tical haud grenade into the Cabinet. Nothing can be won to any cause, but it may be seriously retarded by such departure from the recognised* method of carrying on Constitutional Representative Government by orgartisgtl "party" efforts. ' Tlie division on M r Wood's amendment does not represent the true feeliug ef the Boase on the' question of the Land Fund,* and ground has been lost m a detached illtimed rising,? where,, by well conceived organisation of party, -a resolution migfht, at the fitting moment, have been ac-i complished.