The Press. THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1871.

Press, Volume XVIII, Issue 2552, 6 July 1871, Page 2

The Press. THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1871.

-The approachiDg ses&ionof the Generalj -Assembly must .necessarily be one of. the most interesting that the colony! lias seen foe several years. The Immi- ■} gration and Public Works which are already in progress, alone provide matter for deep thought and close study, beypnd what can be given by any member, however able and experienced, in the three months or bo of scrambling through of Bills, debating, and intriguing, which usually make up a session of the New Zealand Legislature. Then there is the Webb Mail Contract to be explained and dealt with in some fashion—a large number of hungry claimants, as Wellington, for instance, to be either satisfied or suppressed—and besides all these, the somewhat difficult problem to be solved, how eighteen shillings of revenue can be made to do the work of twenty. The difficulties of the session will not be much relieved by the ranks of the House containing so large a proportion of new men. Of these it- would be incorrect to say that they are inexperienced as well as new to colonial politics. Many of them are unquestionably capable of doing useful work in the House, and of justifying the choice of their constituents ; but it takes time for new members, who are wise, to finally range themselves on one or other side of the House. Just now this is more than usually difficult, for there is a total absence of parties, although parties must nevertheless be sooner or later formed. The new member, from the moment of his election, naturally becomes an object of the roost lively interest equally to those who are in office, and who wish to stay there, and to those who are tired of being out in the cold. So pleasant is die enrly youth of the Parliamentary neophyte, so profuse the flattery showered on him from every side, so lender the interest in him, .his words ;ind thoughts, his goinj>B-oiifc and his cominga-in, that it is almost surprising that he should permit a dream of ambition or the-hope of acquiring " influence" to luro him from an abode where all is couleur de rose to the murky dens of party. Knowing, however, that, for better or worse, the great majority of the new members are certain before long to become party-men, we think that some suggestions from time to time, on the part wlifch may be played by them, with most advautage to our public affairs, will not be inopportune. In doing so we discard all considerations of party, for until distinct parties exist, with well laiddown principles, it is a waste of time to advocate the respective claims of individuals to public favor.

The magnitude of the proposals which are embodied iv the legislation of last year is such; the extent of country to be benefited so wide, and the consequences of possible failure so serious, that we believe that unless the colony is reviewed as a whole in relation.to these measures, very great in jury and disappointment is likely to be the result.

To do justice to the work of colonisation and prevent our railways from stopping short of complete lines of communication, we hold that the first step ia to check the universal clamour of different provinces for railways in every imaginable direction without regard to the capabilities of the districts which these lines are to traverse. It is impossible to view otherwise than with alarm, the preposterous demands which it ia known will be made during next seseion by localities whose capacity for supporting a considerable population is extremely questionable.

To new members and to those who are not anxious to obtain office for themselves, the work of placing salutary checks on hasty and ill-considered enterprises may be far easier than to men who are in power, or to those who seek it. The tendency of support will be in the direction of the best bidder. Votes are votes, and an expectant people thoroughly convinced that the true source of wealth is borrowed money, will be impatient of delay, either in the borrowing or in the distribution.

Indeed, so tremendous will be tne activity in the grand lottery in which there are to be all prizes and no blanks, that the Ministry who established it may perhaps find themselves acting over again the part of the Magician who, having formed a monster, and by his art endowed it with life, himself suffered destruction at its bands.