VICTORIAN AFFAIRS. [Communicated.]

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4610, 3 June 1872, Page 3

VICTORIAN AFFAIRS. [Communicated. ]

The Duffy Administration in Victoria has, after a severe and protraoted assault, come off victorious, The readers of the Cboss may remember that one Mr. Francis moved an amendment on the reply to the Governor's speech, on the ground that the speeoh itself omitted to promise a new Education Bill. We happen to know as much at least about education and the education system which now exists in Victoria as Mr. Francis does, and wo take as sincere an interest in the liberalism and progress of the education of the people as he can possibly be capable of taking. But he either does not comprehend the most effective way of promoting education and bringing about an amendment in the School Act, to whioh he objects, or, if ! he dooa comprehend it, then his amend- j meiit was only the scream of a political harpy, whose ravenous appetite craved to he satiated by devouring the contents of ' the Treasury dish. He was Treasurer in the Administration which Mr. Duffy and his party fairly and honestly displaced at the with of the people. For yeara ho has been enjoying £1,500 or £1, 600 per annum as a Minister, and surely a man of his refinement should not betray suoh a resistless impatience to regain his place for j its pay. We always rejoice to see a fair and honest and bold opposition to any Administration, only let it be fair and honest. So, on the other hand, we deprecata a factious opposition, because, in order to hide their misrepresentations and dishonesty of purpose, they act the hypocrite, deceive the people, and trample on truth. Such politicians ride their selfishness over public good. But why, we ask, should the Duffy Administration or any other Administration be deprived of the confidence of Parliament, because they choose to omit from their programme for the session mention of a measure which the constituencies of the country hare not demanded — a measure which, if it be desirable, it is competent for any private member to introduce ? The McCulloch Administration, which preceded the Duffy Government, did, it is true, of its own free will and accord bring in as a Government measure a bill to repeal or amend the present educational system of Victoria. But that bill was brought in, not because the constituencies required or demanded it, but because the canny Sir James thought that he could play it unnoticed as a trump card. In this he was disappointed. The country rose up in arms against it, and Sir James may date his political declension from its rejection. And now, with an inconceivable sang f roid, Mr. Francis, his late colleague, finds fault with Mr. Duffy because he declined to thrust down the throats of the people an educational system which they spurned only' a few mouths ago ! The present system is working well and affords satisfaction to the great majority of the people.-- But if a change were desirable is an administration necessarily the best party to propose it ? In the case of education we submit most decidedly not. Such a ' measure, ' if , made a Government measure, cannot possibly be dealt with as it should. Our community is divided into many sects of religion, and almost each sect has a different notion from the other as to what sort of Public Schools Act we should have. No one will be so illiberal as to deny! that all the denominations have an equal right to express their preference for one system over another. Pesigning politicians know and appreciate this difference of opinion amongst the people, and set themselves about making capital' out of it. And so, when an Administration intro- 1 duces a bill upon the subject, no matter of what complexion or character it is, the Opposition misrepresent it in .the Senate and ia the sanctum ; they assail it and baffle its progress, however good it may be,- simply because it comes from the hands of their political opponents, the Government. « Such then being the case, such being the factious opposition which a Government measure on education must inevitably encounter, we submit that the question ahould'be an open one ; one on which Ministers themselves might differ, and one which could be moulded into the beat form when introduced by a private member. Why so ? Because when introduced by a private, member, or when not made * Govern; meht question, the Opposition as such will have no object in factiously opposing it, and all parties or sections of Parliament will unite in passing a measure as perfect as'possibl*. So groat a subject should not be made a bone of partr/eb'ritention/ ' ' »f» f i* J *>->*>_'» »v>i As the debate ( proceeded on; tholamendment, Mr. Francii saw this" . jEfe'had rushed in preoipitately whore an angel would fear to tivad. He and 1 his fri«nd»- found thjit they Were the stepsons of a^forlornhotie;. So in their dejpair oi. carrying /the Mimtteml ;benohes by •fcorntLqtfethfginwe meritri of the - amendment/ they drag^^urai^h' e A debate the stipulations betweenntf r, Dp^aud^Miv Vjogel on the Calif orniaH' mail iWvietv? O{ : course it suited thje' ocbaj|i6n [to misrepresent , Qvery thmg^.^^bnnf q^n there..with. Fraction "iiarenfed^liotioii to diip irage the route and the Ministry. E ere again aelf-infwegt'ancyi'ot; the general Weal aeenui.to hayeTKeejt«iJ4j^rE^ l Certain p >rsons in Melbourne areTieaTily>intereat«d in a line of steamers frpmjffinglaiid via' the Joape,of Good Hope^'J^l]Stq'gi, ! J »ndSir Jfcmes McCnllooh when Chief Seoretary, with Mr. Francis a member in his , Government, ,pledged»him«elf to the eitablishmeii); of that jr&ite. That pledge he .ntxM'OY^. tried to It seed not ;.tnea .be: wondered at toat Mr. Francis, bbtK for Jhe s»ke»of hia own ofedit and that ; ot?%i<f jkte .phief, if -not also from privaW iiite : W|^\_Bhould enf dearour to rilify route, iand deprive Mr. Duffy of thscha»ce of obtainAdministration failed tpsecure, namely, bimonthly communication with: tift old world

and thenew. Bat Mr. Francis and those allied with him do not constitute Victoria nor even Melbourne ; and Mr. Duffy knows that the country is with him, when he looks over the heads of the 'Assembly, elected under his predcoeisors, to the people. The Melbourne. Chamber .of Commerce — a moat influential body of merchants — is with him. The, wool-growers of that colony, as well as the, wool-growers of ' this, know full well 'that the rise in the price of wool is solely attributable to the fact that the San Franoisco route Has opened, a wool market in « America' which competes with the market in 'England. They know too that such competition has only begun, and that as it progresses prices will advance. Therefore it was that misrepresentations' on this point failed to ' have the slightest effect. When the division wjui taken the Ministry had a majority of two.' i "."?'. ; . •' But it' ii laid that certain animals after they have once tasted blood prowl about with a savage uneasiness, roar ana howl night and day if ever afterwards they have to remain ' even a meal without it. To obtain it, they would attempt break or barrier or part with skin and hair in the jungle. And some similar kind of: appetite seems to drive the Ministers out of employment in Victoria who once licked the sweets of office, to attempt extraordinary courses to taste them again. The amendment on the reply to the address having proved a failure, the aspirants to the Ministerial benches, driven to desperation, have moved a direct vote of want of confidence in the Duffy Government. That of course will afford pastime to the recruits of the former, who have not had •an opportunity to cross swords, while the veterans were fighting the battles, to cross them now, and will enable both parties to get rid of their spleeu and set cheerfully to useful legislation. The primary ground on which the motion is based is "the corrupt exercise of patronage in the disposal of Government appointments." To deprive this dart of its poison and render it innocuous and useless, the Treasurer, against whom it was aimed and through whom it was to kill the Duffy Administration, has resigned in order not to, embarrass his colleagues. The ine&pefienced o* superficial politician may imagine that the resignation of the Treasurer, the Minister complained of in particular, would not, according to Parliamentary practice, relieve his colleagues from sharing in his responsibility. Neither would it, if the appointment made by the Treasurer as complained of had first been submitted to bis colleagues and approved of by them. Bat the principle which regulates Parliamentary aotion in the instance before us is this :—: — " When the act complainedofivdisavoioedbghis colleagues, then the retirement of the Minister who was especially responsible for it will propitiate the House." To illustrate the operation of this principle we might quote many cases, such, for instance, as that of Lord .Melville and Mr. Stansfeld. But why go back even to them, "when a parallel case of the other day, so to say, is at hand 1 The Edmunds scandal is fresh in the memory of all, and it also aroseout of an alleged abuse of patronage perpetrated by, or under, or with the knowledge of Lord Westbury when Lord Chancellor, in whose department it occurred. Lord Westbury resigned, and the House was propitiated — the matter dropped. We are therefore of opinion that the motion of want of confidence in the Duffy Administration, now that the Treasurer has so courageously resigned in order not to erabarraas his colleagues and to face his imSugners, will be withdrawn as soon as the ipposition shall have blown off steam j or if it goes to a division, it will meet with defeat and even i£ it should prove successful in placing Ministers in a minority, Mr. Duffy will have the right of appeal to the country, for the present Assembly was elected under the regime of his predecessors in office. In either oase the Victorian subsidy to the San Francisco line would appear to be safe. That colony contains too many shrewd and enterprising men not to see the immense mercantile advantages which they gain for a contribution to the service of thirty-two thousand pounds a year — all the divisions of labour will aae hi it the m^ans of increasing their wealth,