TUB MANAWATU HERALD. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1878. THE BEER BILL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 13, 8 October 1878, Page 2

THE MANAWATU HERALD. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1878. THE BEER BILL.

The Opposition are in high jubilance over the defeat of the Government Beer Bill. On Thursday evening last, when the second reading of the Bill came on for discussion, Mr Walter Johnston, M.H.E. for Manawatu, male a violent speech against the whole financial policy of the Government, and moved — " That "inasmuch as the taxation proposals "in theßeer Duty Bill and Joint Stock " Companies Bill are impolitic in ini~ " posing an additional burden upon i< the wages class, and a special tax " upon associated capital for the de-» 1 ' velopment of local industries, the Bill •' be read that day six months." The motion for the seconl reading bein^put, the House divided, th9 Ayes being 28, and the Noas fO. The effect of this was to defeat the Government proposal, that the Bill be read that night. The amendment of Mr JoiiNSTox still remainad, however, to be decided; and the At-torney-General, having declared that the majority had been gained by unfair means, proposed that the second reading be on Friday. After a sharp skirmish between the oppos- j ing forces, the debate was adjourned unti 1 next day. On Friday, when i the subject came up, fciß George Grey said he had satisfied himself that the Beer Tax Bill and the Joint | Stock Companies Duty Bill ware not likely to pass the House " in such a "form as would be likely to render "them useful and workable measures, " and under these circumstances the " Government had determined to " withdraw the two Bills, but to proceed with the other measjuvea. TUo

"result of tin's certainly would be "some embarrassment to tho finance " of the Colonial Treasurer, but he "would in a fow days bo able to " make a statement to tho House, in i( which they proposed to meet this '' embarrassment-"

The Opposition have not much to rojoico over in this victory. The division list shows that only fifty-eig-ht members of the House vofcod on the question, and of thoso übsent, tho greater majority are loyal sups porters of the Government. Had the House been full, there is evev^ probability that the second reading would have been passed by a large majority. As ifc is, the damage done to the Ministerial policy as a whole is but slight. The main and essential features of that policy have been accepted by the House and the Country. The Land Tax Bill, and tho Electoral Bill have both passed, and it would have been a mistake had the Government resigned over so comparatively insignificant a measuro as the Beer Bill. They have suffered merely in the loss of one of the isolated trenches of their policy, but the citadel of Liberalism remain-. During tho session, the reforms proposed by tho Government have come almost too rapidly. In the flush and vigor of political youth, tho Ministry have overrated their powers, and whilst every leading principle of their policy has been approved of, the reforms proposed have followed so closely one upon another, that interest al'ser interest, and class after class, have risen against them. This culminated in the division of Tliurs^ day night, when the powerful brewing interest (with all its ramifications in the barley trade), and the joint stock companies (which in the form of Banks, Insurances Oifices. and other Corporations, have a wide spread colonial influence), combined for mutual defence, and defeated the Government pi-oposals. Reforms must grow, and the effect of undue haste i9 to retard them. History, both ecclesiastical and secular, bears cmt this assertion. The Government have hurried on too rapidly measures whtch are bound to pass sooner or later. When a general election has passed over the heads of honorable members, and the seed sown by Sir George Ghey has borne fruit in the return of a truly Liberal House, we prophesy no difficulty in passingsuch measures as thoso which have been withdrawn.