PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10112, 27 July 1894, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

(Fbom Odb Own Cobebspondknt.)

Wellingtos, July 26,

"The strain is becoming too great," says Major Steward, and as a loyal supporter of the Government he warns Ministers that there must be reciprocity of loyalty. There should bo loyalty on the part of Ministers toward I their followers or they can hardly expect that mutual confidence will continue. Major Steward thus protested against the Treasurer not baring taken the House into his confidence over the Land Tax Bill and against the practice, which is becoming mnch too common, of Ministers coming down suddenly with extraordinary . measures and quite unnecessarily putting a very severe strain upon the loyalty of their followers. He strongly advised the Government to avoid in future putting this strain upon the endurance of the party. Words like these are significant in the face of the restlessness of Messrs J. W. Kelly, Buick, R. M'Keuzie, and others. The doctrine of the divino right of kings is now universally repudiated, but it has its substitute even among the great Liboral party, where passive obedience has attained almoet to a state of perfection and a submissive following unquestionably accorded to an absolute Premier the "right divine to govern wrong." "It is not a proper thing," saya Mr Earnshaw, "for the Liberal party, who claim that they do not legislate for any class in particular, to say to those who como under the provisions of the land tax, ' You must pay your liabilities four months in advance,' while such as pay income tax are not treated in a similar way." Mr Karnshaw considers this policy to be vicious and illiberal, being simply an attack upon one class of the community, and though he is in favour of bursting up large estates, he does not desire to see landowners unjustly and unnecessarily harassed. Ho does not believe the Treasurer has one shilling of the money that he is supposed to have according to the Budget. If the money ia really required to pay interest in London it ought, Mr Earnshaw contends, to be raised from the people as a whole.

Referring to the Wellington Drainage Bill, the Premier stated that municipal loans should be submitted to a poll of the ratepayers on the principle of one-ratepay6r-one-vote. Hr Robert Stout immediately replied that he was exceedingly glad to hear the Premier admit that he believed in the referendum. Such being the case, ho would, of course, submit the loan proposals contained in the Budget to the country, and let a bare majority of the people decide for or against them. Sir Robert was pleased that the Government were prepared to submit their own loans to this test. The Premier quickly retorted that he was not aware that the Government were going in for any loans. "I am very pleased," the knight responded, "that tbehon. gentleman does not know what I referred to, but he evidently has not read the Budget." Mr Seddon wound up this interesting passage by assuring the House that ho had read the Statement and understood it, but he was afraid Sir Robert Stout did not understand it.