The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.
THURSDAY , SEPT. 20, 1887.
Equal and exact justice to all men, 01 whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.
Tub Stout-Yogel Ministry has met its just (loom. The colony has, through tho constituencies, declared that the disgraceful administration of affairs that has been proceeding for the past throe years shall utterly cease, and that the oxperimontalhmcuitlcsiwhichicliaractori.scd the late Government, and which have already cost tho country so dear, shall give place to something that will bring us back into tho straight paths of practical politics. Jxow complete is this condemnation i by tho defeat of tho Premier, Sir Robert Stout, whoso fast waning prestige euluminated iu Ids being thrown by tho people from tho seat in the councils of tho state, to which ho had clung ;t(i tenaciously iu defiance of the expressed will of thoir representatives. Seldom has so groat a humiliation befallen tho Prime Minister of any country, for so decisive ja check put on a course of legislation, that by its sheer recklessness and uusonmlnoss was bringing tho colony to tho verge of ruin mid disaster. In the hour of trial, and at tho invitation of tho chief offenders themselves, tho people have been true to their own destinies with a seriousness that proved how much tin; popular mind can be trusted on a great national emergency. It has been a most gratifying spectacle ; one that is in full accord with the unerring instincts of the Anglo-Saxon character. The majority against the Ministerial appeal is overwhelming. The telegraphic returns from all die electorates, show that only thirty-live pronounced Ministerialists have been elected; fifty members, including tho four natives, have be.mi returned, who are declared Oppositionists, while there are thirteen set down as Doubtfuls. Of the latter, however, if we may judge by their public utterances, Von (Mil lie classed with the Opposition. leaving nut three ns nullable, and they will follow their old tachVs of giving adhesion to whatever party mav be in ollleo for the
tilin' being. Analysin',' tin; clcct ions tlmmghnut llu L colony, in order to arrive at the stale of public feeling Inwards tin; Ministry and their policy in the several provincial 'divisions, it will be, observed that Auckland and Wellington has voted almost i’h. hull against the Ministry. In the former district seventeen avowed Oppositionists out of twenty have been elected, and in the latter nine out of eleven were at the head of the poll. The North Island has shown itself strongly anti-Ministerial, for Taranaki returned two Oppositionists and one Government supporter, and Hawkes Bay three Oppositionists for only one Ministerialist ; the. numbers for the North Island being thirty-one Oppositionists and seven Ministerialists. The principal support accorded the Stout-Vogel Ministry was by Canterbury, where twelve have been elected pledged to them, as against six for the Opposition, including doubtfuls. Yet it will be seen that the feeling in their own stronghold was divided. Otago was more in favour of the Opposition, for that province lias only returned seven actual Ministerialists, as against eleven Oppositionists, of whom a few are set flown as doubtful. Nelson was Ministerial having returned, only one Oppositionist out of five constituencies. Westland, with its three members, has pronounced entivcly for Stout and Vogel, and Marlborough has given a representative for each side. Southland on the other hand, is emphatic in its judgment, having chosen six Oppositionists for one solitary Ministeiralist. Thus the South Island has returned twenty-eight Ministerialists and twenty-five Oppositionists. The policy of the late Government has met with the same decided treatment at the hands of the Constituencies. Its Protection blandishments have not deceived the people. Twenty-eight Protectionists have been elected, the remaining sixty-three representatives being comprised of out-and-out Freetraders, and modified Free-traders, or those who would encourage the growth of local industries by means of bonuses. This important phase of public opinion isthus divided ; Auckland has elected four Protectionists, throe Free-traders, and thirteen modified Free-traders ; Hawkes Bay, three Free-traders and one modified Free-trader; Wellington, one Protectionist, six Free-traders; and five modified Free-traders; Nelson, three Protectionists, one Free-trader, and two modified Freetraders ; Westland, two Protectionists and one modified Freetrader ; Canterbury, twelve Protectionists, four Free-traders, and two modified Free-traders; Marlborough has divided equally, one each for Protection and modified Free-trade ; Otago, four Protectionists, nine Free-traders and two modified Freetraders j and Southland one Protectionist, four Free-traders and two modified Free-traders. The hind nationalisation theory stands condemned, or as inopportune by the rejection of Mr John Lundou, Mr Ballance's nominee, who calculated to win the Bay of Islands seat by the medium of the village settlers placed on land in that electorate. The immediate beneficial effects of the elections will not be long in making themselves felt. The country will feel that it has awakened from a horrible nightmare. Confidence in commercial and financial circles will be restored, bringing clear signs of returning vitality and prosperity. The feeling in the London Stock Exchange, when the tidings of Stout’s overthrow reaches it, will soon be made manifest, giving us a certain guage of future improvement in all our prospects.
Tim stand taken by this journal in urging that tiro Waitoa goldfields be created open for the free enterprise of the people as a whole, lias given general satisfaction throughout the-Waikato and Piako. Wo have received from several quarters warm expressions of approbation at our attitude as being a correct retlexiou of public opinion in those districts, on the important nature of the discoveries. Mr W, J. Smith iu a letter in this issue, makes a very excellent and practical proposal which we commend to the serious consideration of our readers, and of those gentlemen who take a prominent part in local concerns. M.r J. B. Whyte and Major Jackson are both prepared to use their influence towards affecting the purchase by tho Crown, of all private properties proved to be auriferous, iu order to establish an open goldfield. It is absolutely necessary that tho people of "Waikato and Piako use every effort iu their power, and to protest by legitimate means iu order to prevent those immense deposits of tho precious metal being monopolised by a few companies. Shall it bo left for the stock jobbers and speculators of Queen-street and Christchurch to reap the superb harvest nature lias intended shall be shared in by all the world alike'! Auckland may fear jf these fields are declared free for a “ rush ” that its streets would be depopulated to the loss of its tradesmen and business generally. But that would ho but a temporary result of the exodus ;in the course of a few months the stream of popu. lation attracted to the new El Dorado from Australia and Groat Britain, would bring in its train such vast results that Auckland would ore long become in wealth, population and importance another Melbourne.
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Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2375, 29 September 1887, Page 2
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1,140The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. THURSDAY, SEPT. 20, 1887. Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2375, 29 September 1887, Page 2
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