Evening Post THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 1885. LONG LOOKED FOR, COME AT LAST.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 50, 27 August 1885, Page 2

Evening Post THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 1885. LONG LOOKED FOR, COME AT LAST.

Aitkr much patient expectation, and repealed disappointments, the orisiß has at l»st arrived. It is a very indifferent affair, however, after all — qnite a second-class kind of orisia. Major Atpinsox has, very muoh againßt his will, we believe, been pushed forward into moving a long string of resolutions—springes to catch woodcocks— instead of a plain and Bimple vote of no confidence. Neither Sir Gkobgs Gbbt, Mr. JM.ONTgomkrt, nor, we believe, Mr. Oeuond were consulted in regard to this movement. It emanates from the AtHnsonian section of the House alone, but it may or may not command the sopDott of some or all of the other Opposition leaders and sections. Messrs. Atsjnson, Mitchilson, Rolliston, Bbycb, and Wajcefikld aro the parties primarily responsible for f>e resolutions, and of course it will be to them that the honours will fall should the present attack by any moans prove successful. We need scarcely speculate on that possibility, »s it is such a very remote one. Tho resolu'tfcns themselves are cunningly bnt not olevorly drawn. The authors have aimed at catching a tow yotes in snpport of one or other of the several prp'ups^tions, whore they might not bo given ti-a direoj: mption of want of confidence. The device jta top transparent to deceive. The net that is spread £n sight of the bird is not liksly to easnaro it. No doubt some means will be devised to deliver members from any dilemma whioh, being called on to give a direct vote on any one of these propositions, mu;ht place them in. As to the resolutions, we will deal with them separately. The first is that the Publio Works expenditure for the present-year should not exoeed one million. This is in accordance with the theory on jrhioh Major Atkinson raised his last loan —a theory whioh his praotioe in expenditure proved to be impracticable. At least his Government far overran their own pledged limit. No one knows better than Major Atkinson that in the preeant case the resolution affirms the prppr/ety of p6rforoung an impossibility. Even if the present Ministry oouM dp what their predecessors failed to dt— limit a year's expenditure to one million, if they had a fair ole«r start, it is absurd to suppose that they oould do so beginning at a period when five months of the year are already passed, and with htavy engagements

already entered into for the balance of the period. To attain even an approximate approach to compliance with this resolution existing contracts would have to be cancelled, compensation paid to the contractors, and all the labouiing men no w engaged on thework am progress thrown into the ranks of the unemployed. Pretty statesmanship and economy this would be ! The second resolution is that it is not desirable at preient for the Government to proceed with the East and West Coast and Nelson Railway. The words which we have placed in italios deprive this resolution of all baokbono. They are deceptive to a degree, and the resolution as it stands is not an honest one. It is not at all necessary that Major Atkinson should ask the House to pass any resolution on this subject. If his object is simply to prevent the vote passing for this line, he conld vote against it in supply. The Minister of Publio Works has distinctly stated that the vote is not a party question. It is Major Atkinson who Boeku ¦ to use the proposal as a party weapon. Even the most determined opponents of the construction ot the line must be able to see through the little game. The third resolution affirms that there should be no new loan authorised this session. This is a needless and inconvenient resolution, as the propriety of raising a new loan could bo muoh more fairly and properly discussed and determined when the Government brought down the Loan Bill. We need not here panse to fully consider the question whbther it is wiser to run out to the last penny of the present loans before making any provision for the future than to look a little ahead and provide against possible accidents or delays whioh might arise when further money is absolutely necensary. Most sensible men of business, looking at the question simply as one of business, will have no difficulty in arriving at an opinion on the subject. The fourth resolution proposes the practical suspension of the oonstrnononof the North Island Trunk Kail way for an indefinite period, to be determined by the success of some Government in bullying or cajoling the natives out of a certain portion of their lands. The resolution is just suoha one as might be expeoted to odme from a Taranaki member who did his best to prevent the line being oarriod on at all by the Central route, bnt the ground alleged, as to one of the principal objects of tho railway being to open land for settlement, cornea with the worst possible graoe from the champion of the Stratford route, which would not have passed at all through land fit for thab purpose. The " prinoipal objeot " of theronte dear to Major Atkinson was to bring New Plymouth into close connection with Auokland. The resolution as drafted will, how* ever, afford Mr. Bbtck an opportunity of attaoking Mr. Ballanck. That is evidently one of its " prinoipal objects." We have no doubt the latter will be able to show that he has done his bast by fair means to obtain land for settlement along the line, and that his efforts will probably prove successful if tbe House gives him tho necessary means, and does not for political purposes thwart his plans. At the same time we entirely fail to see why the Maori landholders along the line should be treated differently from the large landed proprietors with white skins, through whose vast estates the country has made railways to their great profit, but without in any way really serving the cause of settlement. If the North Island Trunk Line is made, and a proper system of dealiDg with native lands, suoh as that proposed in Mr. Ballance'b Bill now before Parliament, is adopted, we believe the Maori owners will be found more liberally disposed to promote industrial settlement than many ot the other landed proprietors already referred to, have shown themselves. W hoover should vote for snoh a resolution as No. 4 would be unworthy the oonfidenoe of any Wellington or Anokland constituency. The fifth resolution is pure olaptrap. It affirms the desirability of largely reducing the Estimates. No one knows tbe impossibility of this better than Major Atkinson. He haß tried it himself and failed. He has had similar reao'utions flourished iv his face, and has declared it impossible to oarry theminto effeot. The same objection also applies to No. 5 as to No. 1, that nearly half the financial year nas already expired. The sixth and last resolution, which asks the Government to carry out tho preceding ones, is, we assume, an attempt at what Ahtimus Wabd terms "sarkaßm." It is, however, a veiy poor one. Wo do not suppose that Major Atkinson expeots the Government to aooopt his resolutions any more than ho really believes that he will be enabled to carry them in tho House