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Pahiatua Herald, Volume II, Issue 103, 26 January 1894, Page 2

Tub New South Wales Parliament, always notable for squabbles ami unconstitutional conduct, has excelled itself. The curious combination of circumstances which in any other country would have caused the resignation of the Government, only made Sir George Dibbs glue himself more firmly to the benches, under the apecious pretext that as the electoral act had been suspended and the amending act had not been passed, there could be no appeal to the country because there were no constituencies. Even the enforced resignation of two ministers and the consequent disruption of the Ministryhad no material effect upon him. And now the difficulty created by the resignation of the Hon. Henry Copeland, Minister for Lands, has been got over by the reinstatement of the Alinister. inferentially at the request of a number of members of both sides of the House. The fact undoubtedly is that Mr Copeland, in the eyes of the Parliament and the people, constitutes the Ministry. His is ono of the most strongly-marked personalities in the whole of the House, and undoubtedly he is the strong man of the Protectionist Party. Without the inclusion of Mr Copeland no Protectionist Ministry could, of late years, hope to reign. Although impetuous and obstinate he is yet immeasurably superior to Sir George Dibbs and commands much more respect than the talented though indolent Barton. His frenzied outburst in the House the other day, followed immediately by the resignation of his portfolio, therefore placed the Alinistry in an awkward fix, which, however, has been wriggled out of in most hare-faced and impudent manner by his resignation being refused and Ills retention in the Ministry insisted upon. On another occasion, years ago, when Air Copeland was guilty of a similar act of impropriety, his resignation was indignantly demanded. Now. however, his presence alone can save Dibbs and his friends from being cast into outer darkness. No other country would have tolerated Dibbsian tactics for an hour, hut the NewSouth Wales Parliament seem determined to drain the cup of humiliation to the dregs and show to what extent its leaders will go in order to retain for themselves the emoluments of office. The approaching general elections should furnish some useful object lessons as to how far a New South Wales Ministry can go in un- i constitutional paths and still retain I the confidence of the people. *