The Government of England.

Otago Witness, Issue 1752, 20 June 1885, Page 12

The Government of England.

TO TUR KDIIOP.

Sm,- I i v/as with. r/ reat pica jure that I noticed tbis qyo.fc'.T) cp&ncJun i">t discussion to your column-, hit 1 b?Hova tint t.iiero aro ereat changes imminent in <iiv niuohod? of our Imperial Government, and I hoped th\fc uhoso u'>titiibutin? to this corieapoartenco vroi'.Ul havcdor.lt wl'h auch a srwat au'ject i^ a somewhat phiioFjov.hlo ma »er. But sifter cirofnlly follOftinj the 'uitoM of tho f'i^putanta I feel that, so far aa the 'jucfun at lngue is concerufd, they would hn.vc been he foe no"i writtiD, at lsast) those signed "Zino." I'roinHs firan letter to hhr.i r . la'-t it would eecra, to a stranger BiVvhr.ll myn'j'f, tin tthi^i chief desire v/as to tun> hla oppo-en 1 . to I'Miculo, ro 1 ! to produce arcfu ments and tentr uces such aa became the dignity cf the d?bi c ini.o which he Ind on^or'dis the henchman nf a io r s bom v ja'it<c man tha'! himself. Evon such stilt nisats »'» hediu advance in aupoozfc ot the side he had c paused tUUckcd by hid opponent wero!efs by him infboirundi [ondodconditloi', he nover rotusnin^ to vcbut thi foroo of liia antagODKt'd argumouti, exc.pt to fi»y th.iU h ' «.iu) nos fee tbat they woro in am sssi effovivo. If "Zjdo" 1i»'I only kept to his text, md nrulo an eff >rt Io thow fchad ono legislative chamber wa-i a ilCcient for the pp T irpo3o of producing wiro fjovir.'icieiii, thon he would h»vc wxitt-.u to some pur ; >o-c. But instead he only vavfd azs-inst th^ Ui.per Chamber a-i at prefer t co aftuted, a>raiußt tha nobility £.8 a legislative chsj, and ng.ihns tho aigume I's'and tmraoual chatactet of his opponent. Ii mis li»j nau oi action ho tool: a course quite unv/ortny rl me wbosa professed ohjsea was to lw the c) .iiie of fo augusti a quejtlon bifare nn inttlligent public. At tho preßont time tbo citjz-ns «f our great empire in both hemiupln rdq are arj\"nusto hear of che-iici of improvemeat in its go utnmen!) ; but. I opine thai eueii infumation can onl 1 ' be effoc'iivoly Cinvcy:-d in )ao>;uaj;B .vnd atgnmsi.ts of equal dignity wi'h 'iUe 3ubjecfc. To my mm 1 ihe question of the upofu'ri'S 3 cf tjho Upper House does not depend on whether the avistocrauy a=i a c!"<8 is a body of h >nc?t prog esßive, a.jd effici^nc lejtKtors. 1( it i=i not we have a e-nedy. Theqi!cs'ijnh,h-we"C« l . iv effcal; ju>-t thi — w, U !d tin-i uhainbe: 1 be c lonsjh 1 Jlr Adam^, in his biters, hia conxendsd tha^. one chamber iray bo ag?ro34vo »■ d active in nrom\l .atm • logiaiativo measures: butth roisgrct dami'iin allowing such a chamber p wttti c 'firm all its ov/n enactments, withoul any cli ok. There is d /übtleaa some amount of fo'co in th i* view of the usefulness of tho Upper Mow, even in' it lie on'y a negilive quality. Hash ldoisia'ion is wor:o in many cr^es than dnlrt\o'l lefjislaUoi'. It thera Li no datigor ol bu«h an evil arising frim the eut.iro contr 1 being conue\it>at d in on>j chamber then it oi'ghli to hr.vc beau d'Bpaiaionately argued by " sJsno ;" and in to fay a3 he hos noli ine6 this charge h scau-.e sufier.i at his hmds tic may bs quite uo l'fct iv con«id I 'i r ir I'iac iher- aro ma v y miV in tbe Ho.iao 1 f Lor 'a win ar<3 tvo c iire'C'te I in lo rfsUtion for thpiv o r yn u'us- th^n for tha good of the na 'on, and fthe-s vvi,o po9 a e£3 libsnliitcly no levjiMativ 1 ahilitv: bu*i that cvmo' possibly bean aa'unTnfca'ja.i.Tjti the pmoiieiy of rctii.iing a sscond chawibiii 1 ot iegib'aUon, a- y morn th»n the same facts being prodiciblo of moi'i»6w of the »'ouse 0? Ooui-uion-i a <.;\w< n favour nf its ".bolutirn also. In thiß maitfr Jth'nk Ihat *Z'no" quite rnibtjok his portion i,i fcbii debate, and instead of keeping one point 0 evlv be'orn Hrn he clawed him-ell t-i introduce vnriom points, while passing all by as \l his meto asicr'lOT v.ero wirth ft ton of proof, yeti compliini g in V'etr.rft ci an injured combatant, iha-. hh antagooi-t ye u"ed to hit. in iheiili'-o deiireti. tahruld like to havo seen " Zeno " ho'dlru; Mr Adams ti iho propo"!!liin thit ihi-e was ' no need 0? an Upp r Houfc, ' and in a Hnrio'l3 fiabion addren-f'ig hfmselt to thow ihi,fc ou? legi)!a(i ">n would < or nr.lv ro< hutl.v but be mo'e perfcc"and thorough if Ml to tho responsibility of the one ehawu' ra I me. Ag ho h^. left it, however, v;c aro ar. cno whit wi-et on the maAScr Sir Adara3 referred to bomo nut no: a o! n^te who hivo writt-n strongly in 1 efeico oi the i.eceisity oi! Icyi lition boinir conducted by a t.wo-h:uso eysiera ; a\id I expected 4 Z'jio" f m ot him -.vSth other.-i ot equi.l authority, only o hedltv^poi'Jtcl. If fr-cfc, I have to complain tha'*"- while " Zeno " h *s made ni-my strong Btat. ruonts bo h'S rvr ly i( nt a>l ref^rnd 'J>) to his authorities for titt'-'o s'n.tc.cncots. aid t-iia while ho is taunting his oppsne t ihou'. n >.L. L it.cilt g his iv 'lovitios. If "Zeno" wrote ■*"• it,!i the 0' joe.t of -<iviag ttu«ty information to <n intellUont public b.-bw hiyna Jl<.- f:u!e kby lvlthholfii.':; >.Uo n-imts of thoa ■ t whom he b indebted for hi« rnttmtijta 1 very mmh retrret th«.t hi- letters h-.vo cot h'en more carofullv directed to the pcint ad issu'i thU great an.l serioa.3 q vsLion which in its y-iifundi«v pencil ares to the vutJ heart of tt.c reai- >wne • Dim h (Jointitiißlon. t'e ha-i peroiitted himptli 1 1,0 dopcsnJ t) tauter, abuse, aid mean quibble, f -i;pt"ins; f>iat '-»o h.d enpouaed a subjeci aemanding a lj'tin rs cf style and a magnanimity o' exp v fii'^n. • J am, >\. '.,

Du;:ediu, Jucc 1").