The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. TUESDAY, JAN. 27, 1891.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2892, 27 January 1891, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

TUESDAY, JAN. 27, 1891.

Equal and exact justtcc to all men, Ot whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

] J AHi,rA.MK.\'J' lias mot, and the public mind is directed from the consideration of surmises to che passing of judgment, as to the righteousness or judiciousness of certain actions, ou the part of His Excellency, on the recommendation of the now defunct and then moribund Ministry. There are two matters which have claimed a large share of public comment, and have led to a good deal of somewhat rancorous writing. These are, it is almost needless to write, the appointment of seven new members to the Couucil, iinii the elevation of one of these, the late Premier to the chair of that august: assembly- No objection has been raised as to the fitness of tho men appointed for the position, in fact they are of the exact type calculated to onforce tho reason for the existence of the (Jouncil at all. They are all men who lutvu had long experience in the Assembly, and by their past actious, have proved that thoy are capable of taking an intelligent view of debatable colonial questious. To havo removed them from tho feverish atmosphere of the popular Assembly and dependence, for their re-election on their ability to sacrifice to soino extent convictions, based on targe experience at tho altar of evcr-changing public opiuion, is therefore likely to heighten, or at least maintain our legislative capacity at its present level. The principal function of the Council is to prevent in times of political ferment the too hasty passing of injudicious measures. Tho men appointed are certainly eminently calculated to aid in the proper exercise of this function. So much for the personnel of the appointments. Tho objectionlihat llis Excellency was not justified in acting upon the advice of Ministers, avowedly on the eve of resignation, is another question. Tho Governor, in a despatch to the Secretary of State, gives as hi* resison for acceding to the request of his advisers, that he was acting strictly in accordance with home practice. He also took into consideration that they had used very sparingly tho privilege which tonnro of office conferred upon them. Sir H. Atkinson, in the memorandum to which nis Excollency called attention, states that iince 1877 the Opposition have held power for five yoars, and had appointed 21 members and that his party during eight years' tenure of office had only noniinitod eight, which with the seven now appointed make fifteen. There ap>pears to be little doubt but that the Governor in making the appointments has acted strictly within the limits of the constitution. The protests of those opposed to his advisers were of necessity accepted, with tho suspicion that they M ere urged in order to secure for themselves the advantages which they wished withheld from their opponents. Appointments to the Council by an outgoing Ministry are calculated ini our opinion to be morn advantageous than if made by their ;'.itep(':; c ;n.]s immediately after tnkitio; otliee vonscquetil upon the popular vote at tln< hustings. fo.r jiopidi vox D?.i is about ;<s fallacious a statement ;is was ever put forth, if it implies, as it must be taken to do, that the public are capable of jumping at right conclusions, from instinct or by divine inspiration. The constitution of the Upper Houso requires alteration, but that is not the matter immediately before us, It is matter for regret that the House should have chosen Major Steward to preside over its deliberations, lie is a man of very much Icwcy calibre than Mr liolleston

liotli as rorjiirds education .mrl public character. The nppointinci.t may bo tnkou ns symbolical of the Iwo political pirtics. Sir 11. Atkinson's appointment; to the chair of tlin Council would be free from liability to criticism were it not that he in a sense appointed himself. It may bo that he is a poor man, but lie is certainly not so because he has not boon well paid for his services. Wo have no desiro to detract from their value and will admit that they liavo been considerable but so has the remuneration. Wo wore somewhat surprised that our Auckland morning contemporary should have justified Sir 11. Atkinson's forcing himself into tho position oil tho grounds that he had not robbed tho till with his own hands or entered into a league with some rascally imposter todo it jointly and share the spoil. It is a new function for tho press to instruct public men as to how to be unscrupulous rascals without being found out. We .are sure that it is a libel on the public men of this colony to insinuate that, they can onlv be kept personally honest by bribery. It' the hypothesis of our contempor.irs' is to bo accepted it is quite time wo took steps to abolish popular Government and petition Her Majesty to send us out a respectable man to manage us and our affairs, Tho statomeat by Sir H- Atkinson which has boon laid upon the table of tho Houso is satisfactory f evidencing as it does that the colonj' is gradually reeovoriug from tho depression epidemic -which has scourgcd nearly all the countries of tho world. So accustomed ot late years have we been to yearly increasing deficits that to find tho ex-Colonial Treasurer in a position to announce a surplus is both cheoring and surprising. That this is the case will without doubt be matter for groator congratulation to Sir Harry than to the public. We believe of him, that the feeling that the future historian will record this fact, and the hard struggle which brought it about, will afford him much pleasure in the anticipation. We Lave in our recollection the peroration to an article which was written in another colony under somewhat similar conditions to the present. The writer in appealing to the newly returned mombors said : " Gentlemen, wo ask you to rill yourselves with an exalting and restraining sense of the greatness of your trust. A groat poet has made one of his characters say, that because be had won a waman's lovo I will walk carefully Holding a thing so precious in mine hand. Those lines indicate Gentlemen, at once, your duty and your privilege. You hold in your hands the most precious gift of all gifts—a people's confidence. See that you prove yourselves worthy of it by walking carefully. If you walk carelessly ; if by your words and acts you weaken among us, that rare and difficult sentiment which Groto has finely termed " a constitutional morality"—a paramount reverence for tho forms of the constitution there is not a word in the language that will properly describe your conduct.