The Marlborough Press. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1879.

Marlborough Press, Volume XX, Issue 1195, 7 November 1879, Page 2

The Marlborough Press. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1879.

Xs‘is*ra£her more than four weeks since % l in the members of the Ministry . took. place, yet we are unable to say that "'ouch progress has been made since, to '‘-. forward' the real work 'of session. The Hali Government were anxious to ascertain tie position of affairs, and the deposed T>M.iriistry were equally anxious to prevent • -fe'dy exposure, and to accomplish tlifeir purpose resorted to most .undignified parliamentary tactics with a view of defeating an ir "sstigation by the new Ministry. The mtfens adopted succeeded in delaying the .bn;-; ness .of, the session, but it failed in • eye ything.else, until at length an impor- . tant section of the Opposition p -rty were 'compelled, in the interests.of the country, to tease from factious opposition, and they informed the party with; which; they formerly- .worked that they would for the future support the Government. This vP tlie Ministry a clear majority, anti il ifcw appears that there is evident intention tO;bving: up the arrears from lost time and •*©/settle down earnestly to work. It .is significant 1 the' '#as solely cv*a •iiiapeiiimenb placed in the way ry a ■ leading hjeinber of the Grey Go- ; yerunoentv And none' too:, who aspired to .be ulorai-liberal-in* politics, and whose popular or; the' interests of the people. 1 ’ ■ . .If?/?' .1'

Hacfthe -cry ’possessed any deeper founda-* tipW'thttn-’ from the teeth outwards, its author Would have granted the wifh of the new Premier, and have assisted him in his effortb to see if any departmental malpractice did exist. When the first attempt at obstruction was made, the Government said if they had time allowed them to investigate, and were permitted to lay their p 1 -y before the country, they would loyally test the feeling of the House, and if the vote was against them accept the position, and give way to fresh; men ; but this moderate request was resisted, and it was this which led to such a great waste of time,y and ho\y it was (lone a cotntetnjioiary jexi>lains#-“ For a fpli; three-’weeks all public business-wtis obstructed because 1 the Opposition, on taking their seats upon the cold and comfortless benches allotted to the “ outs,” were unexpectedly recruited by two or three malcontents, who deserted from the Government party as soon as they heard that the late Premier had been made, as he says, “a scapegoat for the sins of his party,” and had become “ air outcast” from among his political friends. When at last.imprest supply was refused; by the Opposition, it was well krfoW that this determination, if it were persisted in, would cause a vast amount of public suffering, serious delay of the pressing business of the country, and that it had no other aim than the return of the late Ministry to power; Throughout the whole of the debates which followed, throughout all the speeches of those members wlio generally talk “bunkum” about the “ supreme” voice of the people and the necessity of complying with all demands of the constituencies, the clearly expressed wish of the public that the business of the country should be gone on with, and the new Ministry allowed a. fair trial, was deliberately and persistently ignored.” This state of things, as we have stated, was put an end to by several of the Opposition members joining the Government fotces, and although but little has been done, yet there is an indication that no more time will be devoted to party fight. We anticipate for the future a more amicab e tone with a piospect of more unanimity, and an effort to carry on the business of the country as fast as is expedient, having a due regard to sound legislation. We are now learning the folly of giving wav to party cries, and the lesson taught the country may well be remembered when some would-be popularity hunter attempts to gain support by appea ing to an apparent truism that only needs exposure to prove a fallacy: YVhen Sir George Grey first appeared as the ; friend of humanity, he tried, and unfortunately in too many cases succeeded, to convince “ the horny handed sons of toil” that their share of the burden of the cost of Government was out of all proportion to that borne by the wearers of silk and broad cloth, and that it needed but his presence as one of the administrators of the affairs of the country to bring about a total change. We all know what took place, Sir George Grey succeeded in obtaining the object of his ambition; and was chosen Premier, when, to show his believers that he was not altogether a political windbag, he introduced and carried his celebrated resolutions for a reduction on the tea and sugar duties. In doing this he was actuated by nothing but a desire to obtain popularity, for it was clearly shown at the time that the very persons Sir George Grey was flattering were the only ones who would not receive any benefit from the reduction in the duty on such articles of universal consumption. In reply to the question—“ If the Premier will state to this House the amount of loss to revenue resulting from the reduction of tne tea and sugar duties during the period of nine months, extending from the Ist of January to the 30th September, 1879 '( The Premier said that during the nine months the loss had been £8 3,036, namely, £24,016 on tea at 2d. per lb., and £61,070 on sugar at one per lb.” This was a plain answer to a simple question, but the Premier may choose at some future time to extend his rep y, and show that this sum of upwards of £85,000 has benefited only those whom the ex-Pre-mier states to be unduly favored already, and the futile attempt to curry favor with the small consumer has resulted in enriching only the largo importer, and in a minor degree tho wholesale buyer. It does not require an intimate acquaintance with the theory of political economy to convince the most thoughtless, observer that such an attempt as was made must of necessity fail -in its object of reducing the price of an article, even when in such general use. To bring about the desired result the duty should be so reduced that it would have a perceptible effect upon the price at which, an artictle is usually sold,.but,-taking 2d per ib. off tea, and £d per lb. off sugar, did not benefit tiie small buyer; while it led to a material decrease in the revenue. Such attempts at popular legislation will we trust be resisted in the future, and the reform, if be made in a thorough manner, so that some relief will be afforded instead of holding out a promise that cannot; possibly be realised. The present Ministry are composed of different stuff to their predecessors, and they are not likely, even to gain the popular voice, to permit such a blnnderlDg piece' of statesmanship to exist.