TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1878.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 869, 15 January 1878, Page 2

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1878.

A phase m th»- Victorian Political Crisis bus been developed which will cnuse the struggle to. Oiiry with it a 1 the n ore int rest iv New Zealand. For 'lie second time m that colony the 'wo Chambers of he Lesis'ainre have been brought into bitter and proVac'ed antoir »nism with one another, and each time npon a money question. Then, i' was- the granting of a gratuity of £10,000 to Governor Darling; now, it is- the tacking on to the Appropriation Bi! a sum for thapaymentof mrmbiTs. Now, as then, the Council has thrown out the Appi-opria-tloi Bill H> d the wo>ki g m^ch-n^r of the Fx eutive has hi-en b»-o- g'l to a dead 1 ck. The 'onne struggle between the Chnnib-iB wh< » prolonged ot c lasting if we reeoilec rightly some thi^e ni nths, th<> Civil Servants ri'inainiiig unpii!, and the geneiul nnchinery of 'he Governn ent hnvMivr Hr -p>. Ihrowi; out o f t'«a . Tit « '■-(' T iovrf Uouse has tnkeu Ihe '>'„tl by horns and irecipi'ar d a c L»rifP numb..rs of hf Civii tt and amongßt them e>nplc ?n x. depHrtmt'nt.* tha c< not lv s •;■»■•»T. h',ve be ii dUmi.*sed. T-•• gnates* »xci'rment ir< vails, » d nnlena thp Upper Hour-, w! io i mcc's « week earlier thun the Low* r, cm «cc its way to o, seitlemei^fc of

'.the Mi U»te^*m^iia«i^ dilution is Wh,.tj htweyev, Jlas more of interest jtotup i'9j.^'t tllfi . qn"» fc «o» •■would .ppeni- to imje res -Ived itsell into one ;>f a reform of the Upper hoijse. We lea >n from S-it.uria>s telegram thur a bill to reform the Lejris'ative Coui.c:l is bein»* drafted, ami will be a»»mit ed to the House im-nediHtely after ir me^s on the sth |>rox mo— and should, tli « ,„ M BUV, |*HBt'(l l-y tllß Ti-WHI-House, be ivjec • d by he Council, ►■he appeal to the cuntry will be-. m,.leon>he plea that th^ C u.oi reuses self improvement. This wil; bring (be coiuu-y »nd be Council into ,)iiec; is^ue wi.h each other Th«« npah t ot »»U «hirt • >i" ernes»|,|»ai-* to be that the Legislate Cou.ci!, suißry uihaviiw be-m oived to acqui-sce m the impo* ttou of h pnipei-.v tMX, winch o igimted m •he Lower ilou-u-, »n' which the co>in;ry unmisiauehl i siared upon, ln.s t ,k -n advantage ol th As cub y When i! anight, to provi .c payment. for-n.einb-.B m tue Apt ropmiion Bill, by thus ivv,al ati ig "|k>" them. The pin -Hit q lea-.iou --t payment ot members se^m.s, however, likely >o » c merge- 1 atog-u.tr m he more im-po-iant one of Cuiis'.iiifnouai Re iorm involved m the re-model 1 lug oi the Upper House, and this is a question which deeply inieiests not ..uly Vie oria, but New Zealand also. It is a »l,tiiciiit matter o t&;d reform where the body to bi: 0 orated upon b • » so potent a vo'.ne iv the matter as .* dumber ot the Legisl.HU'ii undoubtedly has, and it m onl> m oniony where |»übbc opinion is as strong as it. is m Vi<wrii thai, the contest can bt canu;<i on w.th any eh nice >>t success. -No 1 r inch of thi- Lcgis'a' ure th> re conl«i sa>d a^ainr-t tne ouisi c pressure wnich uiii.-oo ainagpni^m to she popu-.il' will would 6voke. Am ith • iesuit ot Vioroiiau action will form a pivce ii-nt tor other colonies such as ihi-. llrre, too, we need a bill to lelcim tlie L-.gsaive Council, which has falleu belaud the inarch ot progre.-s, and is no meivly, wh it jt was d. signed to bt. tt cluck upon the too rapid re*oluli.m of the wheel of politic il pr<>gre- s but. an h\>u h.xv 'ilium between the .-pokes, which <i-.e.s not check ti:e speed but brings a-I. up standing -.vitb a crash. There liave been • ccasions. . tiling tbf last session of ( .arliatnen m N w Za'and when a reah* popular Government might hnv« brought man crs to an iss.ie, aX [f.i.now buen ilone m V.cci-ria, bu. tincolony as yet lack* the powiif.il uuibide opinion whicti m Victoria must sooner or later force refwroi ili'e Upper House. As w<: t»a\e said, however, 'he success ot the Ass. nib y iv Victoria may establl-.il a jncedetit . aud d > nine • to forward the period of Legisia ive reform iv ocber colon. c-, and m sue') cisc thy «t uggle now hii|<endiug becomes of Ue pti 1 interest t.> us.