Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1887. POLITICS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4769, 21 January 1887, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISH ED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1887. POLITICS.

Tiir announcement that our legislative mill will so soon start its weary grinding again <jivea a little fresher interest to Ntuv Zealand politics than they have had lately ; and political matters will not be so dead in the immediate future as they have been for several months. The day for the opening of Parliament has not been actually fixed, but it cannot be later than fchH middle of April on account of Parliament so soon after expiring. But a few quickly-passing weeks therefore remain. Ministers have been infinitely wiser this recess than the last. They have not this time been all over the country each main announcing a different policy,

to find when they met next session that to piece them together was impossible. T;iught by disastrous experience and ridicule, they have been inoro shrewd. This time there ha 3 been no Ministerial speak ing worth mentioning so far, and there will be but very little before the Houses open. If there is any speaking for the Government collectively one man—probably tho Premier — will do it all. Ho has fought shy of it till now, and has relieved his unconquerable desire to speak and writo by making speeches to schools in Dunedin and carrying on a paper war witli the Catholic Bishop about secular education. Yogel has done nothing more notable than make speeches about Protection that were too weak to answer, and has again covered himself with ridicule by his trying to introduce direct gambling into his policy. Of course hi* borrowing and works policy has been, in the opinion of many, huge political gambling, but now ho has come down from gambling with millions to trying to bluff his opponents with £10 bets, which they prudently decline. For a man of his age and experience to think that the greatest question of the time can be settled by a £10 bet is so extraordinary that it is no wonder Wellington people are doubtful of his sanity. The small fry of the Ministry have this recess done little more than pile up huge bills for travelling expenses for the public to pay, — theft; they always show they are Liberals. What little political interest there has been of late has centred in Sir John Hall. It seems now to be certain that ho will not risc standing for the vacant Heathcote seat, and therefore it is almost certain that he will not re-enter Parliament till the general election, when he would again go in for Selwyn. Speaking generally, all colonists who interest themselves in politics will regret if the exPremier is not i:i tho House during noxt session. Tlio need of such men thoro is becoming more and inoro urgent, and j even his opponents — or all worth mentioning — have so much respect for him that they would like to see him back in the House as early as possible. The whole political prospect; would probably be changed if he vvero in the House during the next sission. Ministers have been throwing out hints of rewarding more political friends by a life pension and seats in tiie Upper House, but the hint has been so badly received all over the Colony that they may not venture on this mode of giving the lie to themselves. The Premier is said to be against it, and it is hard to think of any but the veriest political adventurers being for it. The Council is now far too big, and after trying to save 5s a year in soap it would be inconsistent to waste £1000 a year on Council appointments. The Cabinet has also determined to bring in next session another Bill to alter the constitution of ■he Council so that new members shall be elected by the House. There is no chance at all ot such a Bill passing, and tho Ministry will probably alter their minds and nob introduce it. In any case the thing is ao remote that it would be fighting a shadow to discuss it now. If

the Council is reformed at all — and some reform is badly wanted — that would be the last way of reforming tried. Of the various schemes proposed, election by the Hare system seems to have the best chance of success, but even that chance does not look large at present. Whatever the evils of the present system are, it will be very difficult to get another that has not equal evils or worse, except possibly the Hare system. The present system would do capitally if wo could always be sure there would be no unscrupulous Ministry to make improper appointments, but that is just what we cannot besuro of. It is an old tale that the present Government have done wrong to the Council as it has to the Commission of the Peace. HowtiVor, it ia ita^Jooa to Ji<i»uo,i tlia.fc^ _*»»> ilxa subject at all, for the chance of any reform this side of the general election is nil. It is too early to consider what is likely to be the work of the session. If nothing were done but the passing of the Representation Bill it would be a splendid session's work, not becauso of the worth of what was passed so much as because no more was passed. That is the moat valuable session in Now Zealand now-a-days in which the fewest Acts are added to a mammoth Statute book. Perhaps after the semi-head of the Government has spoken next Tuesday there may he something more tangible than there is now in discussing tho political position ; afc present it can be treated in only very general terms. Whether the Representation Bill will be brought in and pressed through next session is more than doubtful. The doubt is not at all lessened by the fact that the Government are pledged to it as strongly as it is possible to bo. Sir R. Stout could, no doubt, if needed find plenty of sophistry to get out of it, as out of last session's pledges. A bond more or less does not seem to matter much. In fact it has got to such a pass that the giving of a pledge now is the best promise that the thing will not be done. It ia noticeable that intending candidates are already preparing for the general election eight months hence. Some of them, too, are preparing not in the best of ways, and one in particular seems to think a foundation of mendacity the best to build his hopes and efforts on. This must be gratifying to opponents, whose object is being thus served gratuitously. It serves ao a reminder that the leopard cannot change its spots.