The Ministerial Changes.

Evening Star, Issue 8768, 8 March 1892, Page 3

The Ministerial Changes.

The Auckland ' Star,' a paper supporting the Ministry, thus writes of the recent changes in the Cabinet:—" There is also another serious objection which Sir_ George Grey strongly emphasises, and which will carry very great weight with Liberals throughout the colony. Under the Ministers' Salaries and Alio wane: s Act, ISB7, it iB provided that the number of members of the Executive Council to whom salaries are appropriated shall not exceed aix, including the Premier. This provision was designed to prevent the preponderance of Ministerial influence in a Parliament consisting of only seventy-four members. The present Government evaded this restriction in the appointment of Mr Ward and the subsequent voting of his salary by resolution of the House—a proceeding that was altogether irregular, if not absolutely illegal. The appointment of Mr Carroll involves another evasion. We believe it is made under powers contained in the Disqualification Act, 1878, which provides under clause 5 that ' Civil servant does not include persons who are members of the Executive, provided such members do not exceed ten, two of whom must be Maoris or half-caates.' It is perfectly clear, however, that the Legislature, under the Act of 1887, intended to define the position of the Executive in relation to Parliament, and we believe that if a test capo were submitted to tho Supreme Court it would be held that limitation of the Act applies to Maori members of the Executive as well as Europeans. The clause makes no distinction. If this is not so, then it is time that the power of Ministers to grant extra rewards and emoluments to members of the Legislature was more explicitly and rigidly defined. No powei offers a greater menace to the purity of Parliament and the liberties of the people, and we think it is greatly to be regretted that the Government should have established a precedent which we cannot but believe would have met with strong condemnation if the act had been perpetrated by their political opponents."