Governor and Parliament.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15016, 10 July 1914, Page 6

Governor and Parliament.

It irill be seen that the Secretary of State for the Colonies has given his decision in regard to tho protest sent Home by the ' Tasmanian Parliament against the action of Ihe Governor in laying down conditions when he entrusted Mr Earle, thfj leader of the Labour Party, with tjie formation of a Ministry. The Liberal Government, led by Mr Solomons, having been defeated by a majority of ojie, tho, defeated leader, it will be rqmembered, applied

for a dissolution, which was refused. Jfis Excellency Sir Ellison Macartney t/ien scut for the leader of tho Labour J.arty, and, in asking him if ho were •prepared to form a Ministry laid down certain conditions. These were: (1) That an immediate dissolution of Parliament should tako place. (2) That tho newly-elected Parliament should be summoned before the end of Mar. (3) That, in the event of tho office of At-torney-General not being filled by a fully-qualified lawyer in practice, tho Governor must reserve the right to retain legal advico from other sources. Mr Earle formed a Ministry, but entered his protest against tho conditions, and when Parliament met it endorsed the protest, which was forwarded to the Home Government. We expressed the opinion at the time that the Governor was exceeding his powers in making these stipulations, and the Secretary of State has upheld this view. * A Governor, Mr Harcourt says, must act upon his Ministers' advice. This is, indeed, one of the basic principles of responsiblo government, but, in the case of Tasmania, it is expressly so provided by Statute, inasmuch as in the Interpretation Act of 190 d, "Governor" is defined to Mean the Governor acting with the advico of his Executive Council. It is true that a Governor can refuse to act upon the advico of his Ministers, and so force them to rosign, but in that case hie must take tho responsibility of being able to provide himself with oiher Ministers, who will not only be in accordance with his views, but bo able to command a majority in the House. One wonders whether Sir Ellison Macartney was not aware of this elementary proposition, or, if he knew it, how he. ever came to j set it at defiance. J

That members of an unofficial armed force should walk about Belfast, openly carrying arms, is part.of a highly dangerous state of things which should be. removed as soon as possible. We read that General Richardson has issued an order permitting th* Ulster Volunteers to carry arms in $ho street. General Rirchardson, of course, has no official standing, and the fssue of such an order shows how matters have been allowed to drift. "By tacit consent," wrote the London correspondent of the Sydney "Sun," a few weeks ago, "the Covenanters and Nationalist Volunteers absolutely ignore the King's soldiers. To all intents and purposes, they have taken cbargo of Ireland." . Ho goes on to describe how, when a Regular battalion stationed in County Down was put through some night exercises as part off their ordinary training, the Unionist Volunteers were mobilised, and within tivo hours 600 men, bolieving that thejy were -to repel the military, assembled close to the Regulars' pickets. The discharge of a rifle accidentally might have precipitated a battle, juid similarly an accident at any hour now may plunge tho North into the horrors of civil war.

Now that the Government has begun tn plan a reconstruction of the system of public works expenditure, wo can look jtbrward to tho early disappearance of that national pest, tho "roads and bridges member." Curiously enoiig'a, just as his doom has been drawing near in this country, his day appears to havo been dawning in Great Britain. During the last two or three years thoso New Zealanders who read English papers regularly must havo bean struck by the increasing frequency with which "the man for the district" has appeared in English political contests. A recent case cropped up in connexion with the Grimsby byf/tection, when Mr Bannister, the jtiberal candidate, mado this "final appeal; v "It doesn't matter about [Liberals. What you want for Grimsby is a man who will represent tho fishermen." Mr Bannister was beaten, as he deserved to be. Perhaps New Zealanders will be reminded by his appeal of the appeal *of our on „ "progressives": "It doesn't mattor. about policy. What you want is a man who will rote against the Reform Government."

The case of Mr Bannister called forth from the "Morning Post", some observations which aro not without their ■pertinence to the situation in this country. Th© "Nation," a Radical weekly journal, gave space to a proposal that the. Liberals should give the Labour party a hundred seats as part"of an arrangement for the general election. "Let the electors," tho "Post" said, "consider this proposal. The opinion of tho constituencies is immaterial —as entirely immaterial as tho feelings of nations in the days when the Holy Alliance parcelled out Europe The Labour party are simply to b* given a hundred seats; the white slaves of the constituencies (who fondly imagine themselves to be freo and independent electors) aro to be handed over by a party which professes one set of principles to a party which professes another, in order that a combination of both parties may be returned to power, and share the influence and rewards of office between them. If this is modern Democracy, then wo have to say that modern Democracy is very much like old feudalism." Just at present tho negotiations between the Ward and Somple parties appear to be suspended, pending the July conference of the Red Feds. But in due 'course the Wardist and Red Fed. electors will bo invited to hand over their votes, without asking questions, to such candidates as are chosen to stand as the representatives of the "progressive" alliance. Whether they will do so we cannot say; bnt w© can say that the bulk of tho electors will have nothing to do with the arrangement.

The planting of another tree in place of the Alexandra Oak planted fifty-one years ago to commemorate the marriage of the late King Jsdward, should again draw public, attention to the desirableness of further beautifying Christchurch by a moro extended use of trees in the public streets. In almost every city of importance in the world- this means not only of adding to the attrac-' five appearance of towns, but of increasing the comfort of the inhabitants, is being extensively adopted. Everyone who has travelled and 6een the admirable results thus produced is a convert to tho system, but in Christchurch a certain amount of prejudice still seems to exist among the "stay-at-homes" against this feature of town beautifying. It is time the moro progressive inhabitants asserted themselves in this and other matters.

It is to the credit of the Ballaaice Government that they set apart the Tongariro reserve as a national park. Unfortunately, however, during the twenty-one years that - tho Liberals were in power did nothing to develop this magnificent asset. A Board, it is true, was set up, but it seems to have taken no action, and Mr Massey. in reply to a deputation yesterday, said ho had met men who were members of the .Board, but were not aware of it. Tho Prime Minister intends to put some representative Auckland and Wellington citizens on the Board who will take a real interest in the work and do something to improve the national park. The Government havo also promised to extend the boundaries so as to take in some natural busa, partly with a. view to conserving the fast-vanishing native flora and partly for climatic reasons. If means of communication with the Tongariro district were improved, it ought to become one of the greatest of our pleasure resorts. It has hot springs like those of Rotonia, but it has. also, bracing mountain air and magnificent scenery, prominent being the snowy flanks of, Ruaoehu and tho beautiful volcanic peak ot Ngauruhoe.