LORD ON SLOW AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 138, 12 June 1891, Page 2

LORD ON SLOW AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS.

His Excei,len'CY the Govkrsob has cause,] to be laid upon tho table of both Houses of Parliament a despatch which he addressed in January last to the Secretary of State for the Colonies relative to the appointments made to the Legislative Council upon ths advice of tha Atkinson Ministry alter the la.-i genera! ejection. The despatch covered a petition protesting against fheso appointments, which was signed by forty members of the House of Representatives. Hit! Excellency stales that ho forwards the petition to tho Lord Knutsford at the request of Mr J. M. Shera. After discussing the reasons which led hhn to make tho ap-

pointments, ITis Excellency remarks : —"I should bo wanting in candour were I to lead your Lordship to suppose that either the majority of the House of Representatives, the whole of the party which supported the lates Government, or all the Legislative Councillors approve the conduct of the late Ministry in tendering mo this aivlca. Ido nob think it is seriously maintained in the face of the constant practice in England for defeated Ministries to advise Her Majesty to create peers that there has been anything unconstitutional in my action, but so far as I can gather there is a strong feeling that in the colony the practice which obtains in England of making Ministerial appointments before vacating ofiice is not one which New Zealand Ministers should be encouraged to follow. If I have interpreted that feeling aright, public opinion will bo strong enough to prevent its recurrence. In colonies possessed of such democratic institution? as manhood suffrage and triennial Parliaments, in addition to a numerous and universally read press, public opinion is not slow to assert itself, or to execute summary punishment on the Ministry or party which has acted contrary to its wishes. The unexpected support which the new Ministry have received in the recent short session of Parliament, and the discontent ol many of the supporters of the late Government, is a smnieient intimation to the leaders of the, party lately in power of the state of public opinion on this matter, and ought to prevent any serious evil to the colony arising out of the event considered in the light of a precedent, while at the same time the resignation of Ministers because their advice had not been accepted, a step which, in my opinion, only the most imperative necessity can justify, has been avoided." We entirely agree that very much less danger to democratic government is likely to arise by the Governor acting uniformly upon the advice of the Ministers. who are furnished him by Parliament than if he held, himself at 'liberty to act in antagonism to them upon matters which, according to all constitutional usage, come clearly within their prerogatives. The conduct of the lato Government in increasing the membership of the Uppor House, after the country had declared its want of confidence in them, was a scandalous abuse of their position; but, aa His Excellency points out, the people have ample power to deal out condign punishment upon those who prove traitors to their trust, and the offence committed by the Atkinson Government in this instance i*, we bcliovs, ono that no other Ministry will dare to repeat.