The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, 0f whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, SEPT 3, 1891.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2986, 3 September 1891, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, 0f whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, SEPT 3, 1891.

Mr Bryce's resignation is naturally the topic which is exercising the minds of the, people of Waikato. Their respected member has been subjected to the " brutality of numbers." There are those who urge that Mr Bryce should have retained his seat and safeguarded the interests of the colony; and, further, should have been influenced by the strong representations of those who placed him in Parliament. This, under the exceptional circumstances of Mr Bryce's election to the Waikato seat, would undoubtedly receive due consideration at his hands in arriving at a decision ; but against this he would contend that the honour of a constituency is in the keeping of its member, and that an indignity inflicted upon him is an insult to those he represents. Further, there are so many versions of the questions at issue, and the accounts of what really took place have been so conflicting, that away from the scene of action it is impossible to form any just conception of the position. There are few men in the colony, who have carefully considered the matter from end to end, who will not thoroughly endorse the offending sentence : " The Premier, ought to be ashamed of himself." Let us, in as few words as possible, trace the unfortunate matter from start to finish. Mr McKenzie, the Minister for Lands, stated that Mr Richardson, his predecessor in office, had been "squared" with regard to certain land transactions. On being taxed for his authority, he stated that a man had told him that he had overheard a conversation between two others which justified his statement. He refused, however, to give any names except that of a man who was dead. Mr Richardson moved for a committee to enquire into his conduct. Mr McKenzie then practically repeated the accusation by saying that if he was not right, Mr Campbell (the dead man) was wrong. This, by a parliamentary technicality, was ruled by the Speaker as a withdrawal, and Mr Ballance opposed the motion on these grounds. Mr Bryoe was naturally indignant, and used the words which have led to suoh a lamentable result. We venture the opinion that there is not a respectable man in New Zealand who will not thoroughly endorse the sentence —not even excepting the members who passed the vote of censure at the dictation of their party leader. It must be fresh in the memory of the public the censure which was passed upon a reporter and editor of the Globe newspaper for dodging the steps of two gentlemen appointed to makn enquiries as to the working of a puhlic institution, and subsequently publishing what the reporter succeed -d in overhearing. This conduct was characterised as blackguardly. The case of Mr McKenzie is worse than theirs, aud might have applied to it much stronger adjectives. The Premier had good cause to be ashamed of himself. In tho first place, at being associated with, and to a certain extent responsible for, the conduct of Mr McKenzie, which in the opinion of every decent man was disgraceful. The Premier was shielding him by means of a technicality. Would this not cause a feeling o£ shamo to any man susceptible of the sensation? Mr Bryce's words implied this possibility, which events have proved to have been a false estimate of character. So long as the vote of censure remained unobl iterated from the records of the House, Mr Bryce and the con stituency he represented would remain under a political cloud, thin and transparent, but one which, to such a man as Mr Bryce, would be as irritating as the densest Newfoundland fog to many men of a lower calibre. His resignation has vindicated his own honour and that of his constituency. His retirement at this juncture in the affairs of the colony can only be looked upon as a most serious misfortune. The responsibility rests not with him, but with those who have forced him to the course he has taken. They have driven from the House a man who stands in the estimation of his countrymen on a higher pedestal of honour and integrity than any of the men who have persecuted him can hope to attain. He has passed through a lengthy career in this colony, first as a pioneer settler, and subsequently as a representative of the people, and there is no man who can point the finger of scorn at him as having been guilty of either a private or public questionable

action. Ho Ins, of course, committed errors of judgment. Where is the tmin who has not? Mr Bryce has our most sincere sympathy, and we. entertain the hope that the censure passed upon him will be rescinded, and that; his services will be again at the disposal of the colony, which can ill afford to miss from Parliament his clear head and high rectitude.