New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1874.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4193, 28 August 1874, Page 2

New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1874.

It has been the misfortune of the Legislative Council during the present session that its most prominent members have been constantly compelled, by the force, of circumstances over which they would appear to have no control, to speak on subjects utterly beside the questions that have been before them. We use the word misfortune advisedly, because the course of legislation in the House of Representatives has disclosed features of so surprising a character that the minds of hon. members of the Council were drawn towards them, as a needle is to a magnet. Their speeches have been on many occasions but echoes of what they would have said had they seats in the other Chamber. The shadow of the impending change had fallen over them, and away from it they could not get. Mr. Waterhouse, who we credit with having taken throughout the session as impartial a view as his judg-, ment would permit, has supplied a notable instance of what we mean. Ho has discerned that the question of the abolition of Provincialism in the North Island means very, much more than whether a handful of Superintendents and the members of their Executives should continue to put their hands into the national pocket, and be fed from the national exchequer—that it will have an important influence upon the financial condition and prospects of the Colony. Respecting these, since his retirement from the Cabinet, he has had serious misgivings. They form the skeleton which he keeps in his closet for his own delectation and amusement. When his spirit flags within him under the heavy labor he has undertaken of staying the downward progress - of the Colony, by putting the break on, and staying the spendthrift policy that he predicts will end so disastrously, he takes a peep at the skeleton, and returns to his dolorous work, chanting a miserere on whatever may be the question engaging the attention of the Council. How many times this session he has spoken, nominally to whatever motion might happen to be on the paper, really in reply to the Premier, wo do not know. To members of the other House, his voice, if heard, must have seemed “thin, as from the grave but his perseverance has been too great for this to have altered his course. We are not aware that any sentence he has uttered has had the slightest effect ; but this, probably, has been owing to the misfortune of circumstances to which we previously alluded. For the sake of the Colony, it is to be regretted that so much perseverance has not been turned to better effect. Whatever service the Council may have effected during past sessions, in this one it has been of little practical utility. In one or two instances the action of members has been opposed to the dictates of common sense.

The sitting of the Council on Wednesday afternoon afforded a fair illustration of the position we have been assuming. The first question of importance that came before hon. members was that relating to the advances which the General Government proposed to make to Provinces needing assistance extraneous to their own revenues. Without such assistance some of these Provinces might as well file their schedules at once. Land revenue of importance they have not, and establishments must be maintained in them, and local works proceeded with', either out of the general revenue or from borrowed money. Any person upholding the compact of 1850 must admit this. Really it is a matter of very little consequence to she question at issue where the money comes from. Compact or not it must be had from somewhere, and to find it is the duty of the General Government. To drift from this into the question of the General Government having the control of money that it has either to take from the pockets of tax payers or borrow, was so easy and natural, that hon. members who have thought much of the matter but have been precluded from directly discussing it, permitted themselves to do so —con amove it might almost be said. Indeed, if it were said; by opponents, of the Government in the Lower House that Mr. Campbell’s amendment was a ruse devised by the Premier and his colleagues, the discussion, with the by words and interjections thrown in, would have justified at least a suspicion that such was the case. The hon, member moved that the Bill be read a second time that day six months, ‘ in order that the Government might bring in one appropriating the money to services, such as gaols, hospitals, etc. It is not to bo presumed Mr. Campbell was not aware that the Government has no more power to do this for'the North Island than for the South ; but his amendment afforded the Colonial Secretary an opportunity of judging what the opinion of the Council was as to the contemplated change. This had never been much in doubt; now it can scarcely be considered so at all. Mr. Waterhouse, who supported the Government on the principle that whilst Provincial institutions were in forco they 'should be honestly assisted, as heretofore, made no secret as to what -his opinion was respecting the abolition proposed. So far, wo argue, the tendency displayed by hon. members to stray away from the real questions before them and incidentally discuss the important issues raised in the Lower Chamber, may be considered productive of good. Even an abstract expression of opinion may strengthen the hands of a Government proposing to initiate a grave constitutional change. Tho importance of this will bo apparent if we suppose the contrary to have occurred. If the little band of Provincialists in the Lower Chamber ware assured of tho cordial support of members of tho Upper House they would labor with, more zeal and alacrity than they do. Now they aro like “sheep without a shepherd ” wandering about in a wilderness, or like “ clouds without water, carried about by winds. ” Even in the hour of battle they wore deserted by their chosen leader.

The second question of importance before the Council was that of tho Railway Bill, which was in reality a consequence of action previously taken by the Council,

and legislation previously agreecLto. . For hon. members to resolve, first that there should be a trunk system of railways in the Colony, and then that there should be but a disconnected set of gaps, could not by any stroke of fancy be considered creditable to either their intelligence or their patriotism. But the amendment was moved that the Bill should be read a second time that day six months—nominally, because Mr. Buckley and a few other hon. members had a crotchet in their heads, that if the railways in Canterbury and Otago were purchased by the General Government, and the money applied to the construction of other lines, the process might go on ad infinitum, and the indebtedness of the Colony increased to an indefinite length. It is plain to the meanest understanding, thatif the Government is to have control over nine-tenths of the lines of the Middle Island, the time must come when it will acquire the other tenth. And if the Provinces were agreeable to sell, and the Government to buy, why, it may well be asked, should the Council interfere. The reason alleged was not sufficient. Should the Provinces either have constructed, or construct valuable feeder's to the trunk line, the Government either should or should not purchase, as might seem desirable. No portion of a second trunk line could be constructed that the Government must acquire. The amendment proposed gave Mr. Waterhouse an opportunity of. taking up his parable respecting the general indebtedness of the Colony, even to that of the lunatics in the asylums, the prisoners in gaols, and the sick patients in hospitals. This is the hon. member’s hobby horse that ho trots out on all occasions ; but it is one which we are afraid will never carry him into power. In fact, we suspect he has already galloped it too hard, and, unless he be more merciful, he will render himself liable to a prosecution under Martin’s Act. However, the days upon which he can warn hon. members are nearly over. In twelve months’ time, he has told us, every man of means will have left the Colony for the purpose of escaping the impending ruin. Of course, before ho goes ho will vacate his seat in the Council. Under these circumstances, it is hi* duty, whilst ho feels himself on his political deathbed, to warn us. The result of this singular state of affairs was that the Bilk was thrown out by a majority of one, and the Government was left with a very tangible difficulty to deal with—one that we can scarcely suppose would have arisen had the real question at issue only been discussed.