PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT. (FROM THE "OTAGO DAILY TIMES," NOV. 2.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXI, Issue 2600, 17 November 1865, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT. (FROM THE "OTAGO DAILY TIMES," NOV. 2.)

Parliamentary Government may be said in some measure to hare re-asserted itself during the pastseiiJ sion of the Asiembly. During the two previous sessions, for all practical purposes, it was dead. Tho whole of the business of the country was carried on by a system of private understanding come to outside the House. Inside, a formal ratification was given to the outside arrangements. And in most cases this ratification was yielded in the face of very strong doubts as to it? prudence. A glance into the past will show how fearfully the system of compromise has undermined the integrity of Constitutional Government. * * * * * The session of 1864 now dawned -again there was no Government — the Whitaker Ministry had to resign ou account of the unhappy disputes with the Governor. Again a Ministry was undertaken as a favour — and again there was an understanding that whether its policy was approved or disapproved it was to be supported. Now that one i« able to loot back to the session of 1864, it* scandalous nature' is glaringly apparent The Assembly utterly ignored the responsibilities attached to it. Mr. Weld's resolutions in regard to the troops) though notoriously disapproved of, were allowed to pass. Oppressive taxation was inflicted without any time being given to its consideration. Under cover of a trumpery little bill authorising the making of roads* authoiity was given to commence a new and gigantic war with the natives 'jPailiamentary Government was certainly dead in 1864, and the Weld Miuistry, intoxicated with their success, rioted in the power which had been conceded them. They entered upon a deliberate course of deception with the Imperial Government; contracted huge liabilities, and shamelessly purchased political support by extravagant expenditure in the province of Wellington. Iv short they attempted to establish an autocracy based upon their independence of all control .And so they met the Assembly. Never did a Miuistry appear more firmly seated. Nearly a majority of the whole House htld themselves bound by the arrangement under which Mr. Weld took office, that is to say, that he was to be supported independently of his policy. The Canterbury members, excepting Mr. Ward, deemed thtiri!- ' selves honorably bound to Mr. Weld, because it was at their instance that he first came forward to undertake the responsibility of forming a Ministry.' The Wellington men were supposed to be thoroughly secured on account of the local advantages they had gained and might hope to gain. The Taranaki members were entirely subservient to Government influences, for the Government was devoted to them. The Nelson members were supposed to be secure, ko also a majority of the Otago members, one JQawke's Bay member, the two Southland members, and probably one or two of tho Auckland members, It did, indeed, seem as if the Weld Government were seated so firmly as to defy opposition. So at least they evidently deemed — for, troubling themselves little about the opinions of the House, they came down with- any thintj that suited their purpose, regardless of ,the views of their suppoi ters. Votes, not support, was what they wanted ; and their unhappy adherents had to agree to startling proposition after proposition, entirely opposed to their belief. They began to grumble— some paired and went away, some voted with relucUnte,, others began to ask themselves whether at least they were not entitled to abstain from voting ; others took a determined opposition stand ; and so parliamentary government at lust re-assrrted itself. A firm unwavering Opposition , was formed ; ■. a result was brought about that could scarcely have been staved < off. 4 Mr. Weld's supporters were tired of voting against their convictions. They began to grow alarmed, as day after day they saw themselves, compelled to record votes they knew they would regret. They were glad ,of any excuse of evasion. ' It ,was difficult to get them together, and as their, defection increased, Mr. Weld's exactions became.greater. It' is, as we have said, a remarkable event in the his- ' tory of New Zealand, that a Parliament^ Wm'oh for two sessions entirely forgot parliamentary responsibility, in its last moments in some measure retrieved itself by re-asserting the supremacy of parliamentary government. We sny in some measure, because there can be no question that this session, as during the two preceding! sessions, there has been, a great deal'too much of outside-the-House-government, too much compromise, But this session the line has been drawn ; the two preoeding ones' it was not. A limit has been readied, beyond , which facility itself would not yield. The Weld Ministry lost office because they believed their supporters would stop at ' nothing. Impelled by this conviction,' ' they, 'commenced and dared to attempt to ouforce a madly' 1 ruinous financial policy. They found, to their cost, thejr had outstepped the confiding nature of their supporters, and that there wa,s a limit beyond, which , . the most enthusiastic 'adherents' would not' 'vote' against their convictions. It'is likely' enough 1 they, , resigned at the precise moment they did, thinking^?' ' bring back their wavering allies and to reinstate themselves more firmly than before. It was fortunate for the colony that they found they had calculated on more than they were able to realise.