THE WORK OF PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14019, 26 March 1909, Page 8

THE WORK OF PARLIAMENT.

;■■"——— — » • Speaking at. a banquet at Kahuika, in connection with the Catliris Railway League, the Hon. T. Mackenzie, referring to the work of Parliament, said ho had had a lengthy experience, and what struck him in connection with the history of that body—and, in fact, with the history of all British Parliaments—was this: That when an Opposition got into power it frequently happened that, instead of reversing the legislation against which they had protested, further advances in connection with that particular legislation took place. As an illustration might be quoted the action of Bright in carrying the Irish Land Bill, which had previously been opposed by his party when in Opposition, or of Disraeli " dishing the Whigs." Parliament showed a striking contrast between the vehement and exaggerated language indulged in outside concerning it and the sober line of conduct of business within. Reverting to the general question of the history of Parliaments, it must not be overlooked that the conditions obtaining nowadays, and that have to be met, were entirely changed from what they were in the past. Statesmen must guard against falling into the error that Lord Randolph Churchill complained of regarding the party of which he was a member: "They continued wilfully blind to the ever-growing movement in favour of popular opinion all over the country." Mr. Chamberlain, in one of his speeches, gave forth a remark worthy of thought in this connection: "If through adherence to economic pedantry and old shibboleths we lose the opportunity of doing good, *we deserve the disaster which will infallibly follow." There was much good work to be done within this Dominion. The question was whether our public men would have courage to set aside party differences and unite for the common good of the country.