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New Zealand Mail, Issue 662, 31 October 1884, Page 18

Sir George Grey rendered substantial service to both branches of the Legislature on Monday afternoon by the action he took concerning the extraordinary and unconstitutional Ministerial announcement which was made on Friday night immediately after the delivery of the Public Works Statement. He moved the adjournment of the House, and having denounced the course of apparent intimidation pursued by the Government, expressed a hope that the Premier was prepared with an explanation regarding the offensive document. Mr Stout seemingly expected that a discussion would at once take place, and that wbat he bad to say could be reserved to the last. But he was quickly undeceived, for the House showed unmistakably that it wished for the explanation first, whatever might come afterwards. That explanation was a very lame affair and could not claim even the merit of being entirely in accordance with facts. The Premier said that the announcement complained of had been pointed at the Legislative Council and not at the House. Half of that is no doubt true, but the other half must be rejected. The House had been threatened with an appeal to the constituencies if it did not accept the Ministerial programme in its entirety.- The discussion which ensued when Mr Stout resumed bis seat proved plainly enough that the majority had put that construction on Friday’s illjudged state meat, and had not altered its opinion. There was a very strong feeling that the Government had behaved badly, and we are sure that Sir Julius Yogel and Mr. Stout must regret having stirred up antagonism in a House which has ou the whole j# shown itself only too ready to do the bidding of Ministers. Mr Stout’s explanation, if such it can be properly called, only made matters worse, and when Sir Julius Yogel came to the rescue he merely opened the way for a smart and telling speech by Mr Wakefield. After fourteen or fifteen members had spoken, the discussion dropped, and the Orders of the Day were proceeded with. We have no desire to make too much of this some] what remarkable incident of the session,, but the facts should be clearly understood by the country. Here is a Government which since the hour it took office has met with a very large measure of success —has in fact found the House subservient not to say servile. . A measure involving no large question of policy, but of doubtful character in some of its provisions, was passed by the House, and rejected by the Legis- - lative Council which was debarred from making amendments as the Bill was a money Bill. The Government immediately gave notice of a motion

Laving for its object the contemptuous setting aside of the decision of the second Chamber. The intention clearly was to do something utterly unconstitutional and illegal. Then, whilst this motion Was on the Order Paper the Premier read out in the House a deliberate threat that if tbe whole Government programme were not accepted there should either.be a dissolution or a second session at a most inconvenient time of year. The menace touched both Houses more or less, and Ministerial programme included or course the motion to which we have referred. Under these circumstances we shall be curious to see what will become of the Colonial Treasurer s motion regarding the District Ttailways. .