POLICY OF THE OPPOSITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4371, 16 November 1875, Page 3

POLICY OF THE OPPOSITION.

It must be very evident that the Opposition chiefs ought not to be expected to lay before the country a detailed scheme o:E government. Nevertheless, they are entitled to public support. The Government have, by their past conduct, proved thems;elves incapable of moulding a Constitution. It is fair that the Opposition should have the opportunity to make the same trial. They must, of cource, shew that their ideas are good. This they have done already, and may be relied upon to do again even more often before the elections are over. They shew clearly why they do not trust the General Assembly, and their reasons are of the best. They therefore propose to confine its duties to matters which are purely colonial, and to separate the islands for the purpose of local self-government. They object to Centralism, because it increases the power of the nominated Chamber. It .e----quires very little reflection to enable any ore to realise this fact. Neither does it require a ghost, or even the Speaker of the Council himself to say, as Sir J. Richardson said, the other day at the Clutha, that a nominated Council is incompatible with responsible Government. The Separationists see this clearly ; the Centralists resolutely shut their eyes to it. There is, then, the question of retrenchment. The Government say they cannot retrench. Sir George Grey and his friends say they can. The matter is important, for upon profuseness of expenditure much depends the character of the Assembly. The less there is to give away, the less will be the patronage of the Government, and the fewer will be the temptations to '' sit on a rail." Sir George Grey realises this, and proposes retrenchment. Thus, it will be seen, that many of the ideas of the Opposition are good. They are certainly entitled to receive the same advantages for developing them as the Government have enjoyed. It should be remembered that the latter have failed once to produce a satisfactory result, and that any ideas they may have about the Constitution of the future, are as formless aa those of the Opposition on the subject. — LylteUon Times.