The Waikato Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1879.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1139, 14 October 1879, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1879.

Equal and exact justice to all men, OX whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. - Hero shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

Tins notion of the Opposition in J attempting- to force a want ot confidence motion on the House, before even the whole of the Ministry have hacl time to assemble in Parliament, i« not only ungenerous, but indecent. Such haste, it" is freely said, is not the result of a wish to proeeed with the public business, but of a desire to drive a hostile Ministry from office before. its Memb. rs c»n have had lime t»di-*co ver or an opportunity to make known the ..Wadministration if its predecessors in more tlvn one department, which is openly Said So have existed.- Ghaig-shave been m-ide aa=»iust the conduct of certain departments, whioli, for the honor

and credit not onJ& of the Ministers r concerned, but ot The colony itself, demand that thn most searching investigation shall be^madc. II Majoi' Atkinson aucl Mr''^&\yce can substantiate tho.e charges, (hen, however damaging Ihey may be to the lite i- occupants of offiu?, the intei'O.-Hs'of the colony will bo best served by bringing tliem to light, tf on the other hand they cannot be proved, tli on the position of the lute Ministry will be strengthened, ancl deservedly so. To refuse an opportunity either (o prove or disprove them has, on Ihe A\ce of it, a most suspicious appearance. Nov can we look with any but the strongest feelings of distrust to the nowly formed alliance between Aaickland and Otago. The experience ot the past should tell Auckland nieu what this part of New Zealand may expect from any such com pact, which can mean nei thev more nor less than the sacrifice of Auckland interests to the furtherance of party, a price which this portion of the colony can ill afford to pay for the indulgence of mere political feeling. The Auckland phalanx, as it is termed, made a mistake in the first instance in tacking itself on as the mere appanage of an individual, but when the exigencies of party demanded, the deposition of their leader, and they were iguominiously forced into such a concession, tbey should have gladly hailed the opportunity of taking a free course, and, like the man. dispossessed of devils, should have come forth from the political tonibs clothed and in their right mind. The glamour which had bewitched them should have been at once dispelled, and they shoold have seen the falseness and hollowness of the political creed which, in their blindness, they had pledged themselves to follow. And what that creed was, we have but to turn to the Governor's speech, on the opening of the present session, to see. Professedly the programme of the Libeia) party, what of liberalism does it contain ? Framed by a ministry, two of whose members were Auckland men, what me_tsare of justice to the North does it provide ? We look in vain for either the one or the other, and may well wonder that any Auckland member could be found voting with the late Government. The speech was a direct bid for Nelson and Canterbury support in the proposed construction of railways from Christehurch to the West Coast, and from Nelson and Marlborough to Cooks Straits — works which would have cost fully two millions sterling — while not a single reference was made to any Auckland line; or admission of wrong having been done to this part of New Zealand in the speech. But then the Premier held sixteen Auckland votes in his hand ; Nelson needed buying, and Christehurch rewarding- for.h.s seat ! As the programme of a-self-stylei Liberal party, the spfech was equally open to censure. What, as we have said, of liberalism do we find there? Nothing but the same old story of electoral reform, on which all sides of the House and the country are determined. We find no reference to the critical state of nativo affairs, but rather a misrepresentation of existing circumstances'; no suggestion for the re-ad- . justment of finance; no promise of a more economical ad m inistra tion in : the future; not the slightest reference to the making up the deficiency of nearly half a million in the revenue. The amendment of the loc.-il government measures, the much needed introduction of a Native Lands bill, the practical suggestions looked for in the matter of property aud income tax, the basis of all change in the incidence of taxation, were studiously avoided. Yet Auckla d men, and professed Liberals, eould be found supporting in office a Ministry which came before the Assembly and the country with a political and legislative programm?. wauting in all these elements of practical legislation, and true and sincere liberalism. That they did so, is proof, indeed, that they were true adherents sta. the false and rnis6hi3Vous ptuitical creed which has .-prung up in our midst, when they pledged themselves not to measures but to men. It is to be hoped, however, that better counsel may yet prevail in tho Auckland camp — that some, at least, of the more independent minded among them may be led to use their own judgment and free will, und hesitate -before they consent to bo made the' blind dupes of Mr Mac uid row, and, for party purposes and party spleen, .s-icrifice Aucklaud inferos. s to the selfishness of Otag,).