THE TAPANUI BANQUET.

Evening Star, Issue 4942, 4 January 1879, Page 4

THE TAPANUI BANQUET.

should be entertained at ■the conTentitfoa^Miquet"^fcy'Wi ; constituents is a mattefc perfectly intelligible. They, of course, are best qualified to judge the value of the, services rendered ley their •representative, and if they, are pleased, the *<rataj£e .public may be puzzled, but have no reason whatever to 'disturb themselves, further. The presentation by a very limited section of a ; by-no-means numerous electorate of a large sum of money in consideration, as openly stated, of services rendered to connection with the construction of the Tapanui railway, stands altogether .upon a different-basis, and is r decidedly open to criticism. What has been the character of these services? Jf parliamentary, the acceptance of this £SOO is distinctly a breach of the "Disqualification Act." If the service rendered was not "parliamentary,, what is tho pretext for the gift as : eoming from certain constituents of the member for W t akaia? The railway we quite ah. exceedingly useful public work, and besides, materially benefitting the laud Lolddrs in the district, will; render large areas of country available for settlement and connect important points of ...communication. These benefits might, however, we conceive have been, equally secured had the construction of the line been initiated in the ordinary way, and not in a manner, to say the least Of it* open to the suspicion of political tobbery—a suspicion in no way relieved by the reeeut exhibition of gushing gratitude a* tho banquet. readers are; of course, aware of the facts of what' has generally been designated throughout the Colony as the Tapami Railway "job." , Upon, the strength, so ft is alleged, of a very indefinite resolution of the House in 18/7, to the effect that the line Should be constructed out of. the proceeds ofj land sold for ' the purpoEe r the Government, without providing in any way for the fbting apart of , such land, and without rang any appropriation from the House of e necessary moneys, entered into a contract \nth Messrs Proodfoot and Mackay for fee construction. This transaction was fenerally condemned in and out of Parament, but Ministers managed by their suhasrvient majority to defeat Mr Richardson's B3j)tion, practically impugning their conduct sad assorting that "no contracts should be entered into by the Government till after the aioneyjfdr such works has been duly appropriated by Parliament."- In the debate Mr spoke strongly in favor of the «£tion of Ministers, but we take leave to think that nothing that was said on either *jpe in any way influcnefd the decision, •Which was clearly not upon.the merits. The Cfiestion might fairly be asked on behalf of districts less favored,-why was such a very «peptioiial course pursued with regard tofins railway?. Conceding the principle to'be correct and in accordance with parliamentary practice aud government, the Ministry of the «tay wield an* enormous power over the public Onscience and the public purse, and any member of the House wh« ventures to be on the Opposition aide must do so with the full <sJnvietioit that his constituency will suffer fti tilings material on account of his political sympathies. On the other hand, what en<£>uregement is there to go in " bald-headed * for, everything proposed from the Govern■Jent benches! No occasion to wait for TGotes in Committee of Supply ; no bother in piloting little bills through both Houses; but any railway or other trifle quietly arranged for in the recess, with good responsible extractors' upon easy' terms. Then the rewards of a grattful constituency lor favors past and to come—the purse of sovereigns and the inevitable banquet, with •a, livo Minister to talk platitudes as the jfieef. de ratis'.ance. This seems to be very itaoh what politics are coming to under the riglme. of the Liberal (?) party.vand it is only wasonable. to expect that every year tne floor of the House will become more and BSgre the fkld.of disreputable scrambles for jmblic money. The member who beßt understands how to manipulate Ministers and ■Sake his support necessary will be the success in the eyes "of the constituencies. Honors and riches will fall thick *pon his lucky head. The small minority ■Who recoguise the- responsibilities of representation, who have old-fashioned theories of jolitical honor; and of duty to the Colony as 3 whole, will wax smaller and smaller, until «ur polity practically amounts to the Minisfcy spending the revenue of the State just wiere and how they please—the formal apsent of Parliament becoming simply a ?atter of course. Mr Horace Bastings a lucky man, aud, -looking dispassionately s$ his public career, we can only reflect that ft is fortunate all excellence is not equally ■BAvarded, or thero would not be currency in Ctolony to provide half .the testimonials re•jftiiad.' j