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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9023, 31 October 1892, Page 4

The speech of the Hon. Mr. Reeves on Saturday evening was an able exposition of the legislation of last session from a Ministerial point of view. Mr. Reeves described the Shop and Shop Assistants Bill as first introduced, and the very small number of the original provisions which had been permitted to emerge from the Legislative Council. It had been almost all cut away, and he states that he was so discontented with it that he felt inclined to drop it altogether. He decided, however, to accept it, on the principle that a crust is better than no bread. In this case, Ministers really did accept a crust of the original loaf, but in the case of the Electoral Bill, they would not accept a loaf because a crumb had been taken out of it. The great feature of the legislation of last session has been its Socialistic tendency, it taking in charge the interests of all employes in towns, and regulating by law their hours of labour, holidays, &c. The workers in the country, and indeed numbers of hard-workers in towns, are not recognised by the Legislature, and may fairly complain of " class legislation." Mr. Reeves defended the action of the Ministry in regard to appointments in the Legislative Council, and argued that there should be in that House representatives _of labour. But if numerous appointments are made of men who have made themselves conspicuous only as agitators in labour unions, the character of the Council as a revising and restraining and conservative body will be destroyed, and the Council will cease to be a check upon rash legislation. A resolution was carried thanking Mr. Reeves for his address, and expressing confidence ia the general policy of the Ministry.

! Some sensation was ereated in town on [ Saturday morning when it was known that H.M.S. liingarooma had been ordered to proceed at once to Samoa. The latest advices from that place make no mention of any disturbance of the peace being immediately apprehended, so that it is concluded that the despatch of the Ringarooma is an Admiralty order, in consequence, probably, of information sent recently by the British Consul. The Government of the Samoan Islands is a curiously complicated one. Malietoa has been recognised as King by the three Powers interested in Samoa—England, Germany, and the United States. He is not, however, universally acknowledged amongst the natives, as a large number adhere to ' Mataafa, and the process of compelling all the natives to pay taxes to Malietoa's administration does not tend to recommend the European rule to the favour of many of the natives. The attempt at a triple Government has not been by any means a success. The appointment of officials has, evidently, been badly managed, and the methods of German and English administration do not seem to combine successfully. The English settlers have been exceedingly discontented at the conduct of affairs, and Mr. Robert Louis Stevenson, the famous novelist, has obtained a hearing in Europe, and has declaimed against the vagaries of the administration. It is difficult, however, to say how the present state of affairs is to be ended, although it has, undoubtedly, been a conspicuous failure. Germany and the United States are not likely to give up their governing power in respect to Samoa, and it if; very unlikely that Great Britain will attempt to put any pressure on those Powers to bring about that result. We believe that one Power should be dominant in Samoa, and that that Power should be Great Britain, which has the most considerable possessions in these seas, and which has the largest national interest in the Group. But, apparently, there is no immediate chance of a change being made. j j