THE POLITICAL WORLD.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5312, 25 June 1904, Page 5

THE POLITICAL WORLD.

THE COMING SESSION. Parliament meets on Tuesday. It will bo a much more vigorous lot of members who will face tho Honso than those who worilv turned their backs upon it on tho mevninc c£ November 2oth, 1903, after tho most exhausting session ever held in this colony, extending over 8-191 hours, of which 1851 hours wore after midnight. Tho “go slow’’ j:olicy has been universally advocated for tho coming session, from the Premier downwards, thus showing that members realise that tho country docs not demand tho turning of night into day for the transaction of the country's business. Tho prospects uro that better hours will be observed. ‘The long hours killed Atkinson and Ballanco and McKenzie.” declared tho chairman of tho Premier’s birthday party on "Wednesday night, ‘‘and wo don't want the right hon gentleman added to tho list.’’ This sentiment found general acceptance.

Will Parliament ba afforded an opportunity of discussing tho land question i There need bo no fear of that. The two Bills introduced at a lato stage last session and slaughtered, on rcintroduction, together with tho Homestead Bill, which, tho Minister of Lands has already in tho hands of tho printer, will' furnish material for‘interesting debate. Commepting on an amendment to tho Ad d r ess-in -Be pi V in favour of providing for the freehold, a prominent Government supporter has “pricked tho caid as follows; —• Freehold—4o. Leasehold—3G. Aitken Arnold Alison Barber Allen, 15. G. ” u " rac , Allen. J. Ih-'dKwd Bonnet Carroll Bollard Colvin Buchanan JJavcy Buddo Ajuncan. , Duthio LB Field t „ I'yskf! - Fraser A. L. I>. I-owlds Fraser. W. Giabam Flatnum ■ f; Hardy H all-Jones Harding Hannn / Hcrdman Heko Houston "°SB Jennings Kailiau Kidd LaurensonKirkbrido a E iy _ t-,,„ McGowan Lethbridge McKenzie. K. Lewis MUM. 1 ; Mandcr l.uula Massey J C i McLac hlan beddon McNab gidey Major Si 11 ”,,.,! Moss Steward Mackenzie, T. Ti 111 ? 6 !' O'Meara rhi” 01 ' t f Reid O S BOn - J ‘ Remington reqtord Rhodes w Russell , , 8 ■ Rutherford ooa S vines Thomson, J. W. Vile Withelord “The foregoing list,” added the Parliamentarian, “shows the voting fairly evenly divided. It gives a majority for 1,1.0 freehold, but it a lows all the Maori votes for tho leasehold, on which their attitude is doubtful, and aLo throws in doubtful European members with tho leasehold. In any case, the division will be exciting. So much for prognostications.

During tho recess monikers have been busy addressing their constituents. Some of their observations are not uninteresting. A few extracts:Tho question arose as to what coull happen if tho Premier were compelled to resign his position. Ho thought, if this happened, there would have to >e a reconstruction, as Mr Seddon was the foundation on which the whole Ministerial superstructure was built, and his removal would mean tho destruction r,i the edifice. —Sir 'William Russell. It was Lord Palmerston who said that Parliamentary opposition was intended by Providence to keep a watchful eye ou tho Government of tho day—when they stumbled, to mark their stumbling, and when-they made'mistakes, or did what was wrong, to insist upon them putting things right again. That was as nearly ns possible what the Opposition in tho Now Zealand Parliament intended to do. They intended to support Government proposals when they were right, and when they were wrong to oppose them by .every mehhs in their power.—Mr Massey.- ' , The. speech of the leader of the Opposition had been merely the old stock speech, which he and his party had repeated dozens of times from one enjl ot tho colony to the other. In the speaker’s opinion, Mr Massey was, politically speaking, as dead as Julius Caesar.—Mr Flatman. Tho Government, however, had some good and faithful followers, .who had been determined that good work should be done in spite of the Opposition and a “ few wobblers who bad sneaked into the House ns Independent Liberals. - ’ The people of the colony should beware of such politicians. The majority of them wore the deepest-dyed Conservatives walking the face of tho earth, and were far worse to deal with than upright men who feared not to tell tho people t<. which side of the House they belonged.—Mr Flat man. Tho freehold gave a man a personal interest in his land that nothing else could.—Mr McLachlan. Much had boon said about the reconstruction of the Cabinet, but he held the opinon that most of the members of the Ministry were quite capable of managing their departments if they were alowed to do so.—-Mr Witty.

“Legislation by exhaustion,” so strongly objected to by Mr Massey, was easily explained by thy fact of “twelve o’clock members,’’ through indifferent health or business care?, leaving pairs behind them. A weary House had thou to knock legislation into shape in the small hours of tho morning, without even tho satisfaction of a newspaper report of a speech on the subject which would prclhably have been more practical than tho twaddle of the discursive members who went home to bed.—Mr Buddo.

Two and one-third millions of the three millions of real taxation came through the Customs and were paid by tho poor man. who sometimes gave 9 per cent, on his income. The rich man paid 6 per cent. The hoot ought to bo on the other foot. The system should bo changed '• and when some of tho desperate Radicals that agitated for a change got into power, they would bring tho change about.—Mr Laurenson. Tha work of the past session in some respects might mark an epoch in the history of tho colony. It seemed to him thero was a growing desire on the part of soma members to simply turn Parliament into a criminal factoryThree or four people met in a corner and passed a resolution' when in their

opinion something or other was wrong, and then n few days afterwards soma member of Parliament was found occupying the timo of tho Houso and spending the money of tho country with n Bill such as that for tho suppression of juvenile smoking.—Mr Millar. In the face of some of those utterances wc have tho anftodhicemenb of tlie largest surplus on record. Tho Premier, cutting the ground, as 'twore. from underneath the feet of his opponents, published tho figures for the financial year a few weeks after March 31st, earlier than they have over been circulated in any previous year. He supplied tho Opposition with material for their recess speeches which h« might, had lie so desired, liave withhold until ho submitted his-Financial Statement to Parliament. Tho criticism in no way weakened his position. Tho publication of the figures only strengthened ins administration in tho eyes of tho country. Amongst the measures to bo brought down during the session will ho a Bill to make general amendments to the existing Stock Acts. During tho recess tho heads of tho Stock Department throughout the colony wore notified us follows;—It is proposed to impose a tax on cattle and to rodneo tho tax on sheep; to legalise dehorning; to prevent the 1 sale of cattle infected with contagious abortion, unless the purchaser is notified; to bring poultry under .the Act; to give power to apply tho tuberculin tost and to brand reacting cattle; to give power to condemn “wasters,” and to make strangles a notifiable disease; to cancel all existing. branding registration, so that a fresh start may bo made in branding matters. All those subjects may not bo embodied in the proposed legislation in view of tho reports received thereon from stock inspectors. Country members will doubtless look after tho fanning interests.

Tuesday's ceremonies in connection with the opening .of Parliament will possess unusual interest owing to Lord Phinkot’s delivery of his first Governor's Speech. Some heartburning has been caused in regard to the issue of tickets to the public. These have been strictly limited, in order to avoid overcrowding of the Parliamentary Buildings on that occasion.