THE Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, MAY 25, 1909. MR FLATMAN’S LETTER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 5821, 25 May 1909, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, MAY 25, 1909. MR FLATMAN’S LETTER.

We have received for publication the following letter from .Mr Flalman ” (To the Editor). ” Sir, —Jn your reply to my letter on the 20th inst., yon say ‘Vile made such a fuss about stopping Iris paper that no one could .mistake the ie;r son why.” Termit me to say 1 made no fuss aiiout stopping the paper; it is not even alluded to in any one of the letters I have wril- " ten. If yon can prove 1 made a fuss (whatever that may mean) about stopping tlie paper, 1 will pay live pounds to anv charitable institution ‘‘yon may name, yon to do Urn same at my instance, jf yon fail t-> prove ” your ease. By the way. did you ” notice that it is reported in inst ■'Thursday’s papers that Mr (Ires ley Lukin (New Zealand) was entlinsias'■•lieally cheered at the press delegates’ entertainment at Toronto, when he ” alluded (o New Zealand’s Dread '■ nought, iitfer. Alter that it is lime ” you and I should agree to shake ” hands, and each give a good hurrah ” for (1m Tremier and his colleagues for the action taken in the Dreadnought oiler.—-Yours etc., ” F. It. I'M.ATM AN Ceraldinc. .May 21, !9ft9.” Mr Flalman caused our agent in I ulaldine lo write to mu- olliec in T---mnka (o ascertain wlmn the year f<a which im had paid in advance won! ! expire, as Im wanted to slop hm paper. That was all the fir-s Im mad--so far a" we know, but D was -nllr i-ient to bring the matter under -mr notice. Me should never have mentioned (Im matter but lor (Im fa-i that Mr Eladnan wmngPdlv aeon -■ ■ i ns of informal ion. vdneii a i ipeared in that morning’s paper. The temptation In -rack joke at hiexpense was too gr-'ai, o by the way of n joke v, e asked him to take the paper on again. \ ' I'-r ( ana-lian eheeri mg (Im oiler, llmv were m-l I--M (hat til-' otiVr was made in vi -laf'e-n of the law and the com-dintioti. Mil!

Mr Platman set rhodomontade aside and answer these questions in a mati ter of fact way ? 1. Had the Government power to make a present of £2,000,000 or £3,000,000 of money to any one without the sanction of Parliament ? 2. Jf the Government had no such power, did they not break the law V 3. Mas the matter so urgent that they could not wait until Parliament met i 1 ■l. Did the late Mr Seddon always consult the members when sending troops to South Africa V 5. Have not the Government created a very dangerous precedent by violating the law and constitution in this outrageous manner i Me say they have, and we go farther than that. We say that Parliament should not ratify tneir action for the following reasons _ 1. The most sacred rights of Parliament is to control expenditure. 2. Tins riglit has been violated, and it is the duty of Parliament to resent it. 3. If Parliament docs not resent it, a precedent will be created, and relying on this, there is u risk of future Ministers acting in a similarly autocratic manner.

For these reasons it is a dangerous tiling to allow’ any Government to act in such a manner as the present Government have done, because the people should never allow power to pass out of their own hands. Other Governments may do something of the kind, and excuse themselves by saying the Ward Government did it, and Parliament approved of it,” and thus stop by step our democracy may become a bureaucracy, in which tho few would rule flic many. It would take too much time and space to show how the constitution of England has been built up of precedents. Let ns give a few. Tho King had at one time the right to preside in Cabinet ; there is no law to prevent him doing so now, bathe does not do it. How it came about wag this. Jn the reign of William and Mary, William spent most of his time on the Continent, engaged in war, and Mary carried on tho Government, but did not attend Cabinet .meetings. There a precedent was created, and when ‘'the wco weo German lairdy” became King lie could not speak English, and consequently did not preside in Cabinet, and so the custom grew into a reality. Before Queen Victoria came to the throne the King' could dissolve Parliament, and dismiss a Minister or Ministers. Queen Victoria did not exercise that power, and now no King would think of interfering. These two instances show tho danger of creating prerodents, and for this reason wc think that Parliament will not do its duty unless it expresses disapproval of the action of the Ward Ministry.

Mr Flatmun triumphantly nourished the Lev. Mr Fitchett in our face in a recent issue. A correspondent lias forwarded ns the following clipping “The view of Lord Twcednionlh, “ when First Lord of the Admiralty T understand that in Australia par- “ ticnlarly. and in South Africa, it is “ desired to start some naval service “of its own. Perhaps T might siig-. “\gest that if the provision of the “smaller craft, which are necessarily “ incident 'to the work of a great “ licet of modern battleships, could be “.made locally, it would lx; a very “ great help lo the general work of “ (he navy. Von cannot take the ■’small craft, such as torpedo boats “ and submarines, across the, ocean. “ For warships to arrive in South .U- ---“ rica, or in Australia, or in Maori- “ land, or in C’anada, and l‘md ready “ to tlveir haiwl nmii well trained, in “ good* vessels of this kind, would be “an enormous advanlnge to them. n‘ There is, I think, (he further advan--11 (age in these small (hdillas that “ (hey will lie an admirable means of “ coast defence ; that you will lie able “by (ho use of them to avoid prnc- “ ticallv all danger from any sudden

‘ raid which might be made by a ‘ cruising S'(Uadrun. 1 believe myself ' dial tin- provision of submarines and ‘ all the smaller torpedo destroyers ' and boats would be of the urea lest ‘ help to tlie navy, supposing it. wens—- ■' as I Mope it may not be—drawn in--1 to a war abroad.”

Mark now, Mr Fisher is doing exactly wlmt Hie First Lord of the Admiralty said l>e ought to do, and. for dointr this he is scolded by dir Fit•do tt. Now who is the best authority, (he First, Ford of the Admiralty or the Rev :Mr Pitched? Admiral Colond) said much (hn same thine reeeiitly. lie said what the colonies -night to do was to provide for their own defence, ami relievo Eneland <>f mxiet.V in (hat respect. It is probably somHhintr of (he same nature, the Rrilish (lovernment have in \iew in '•ailing together a •conference of all dm colonies, ami until the result of (hat conference becomes known, nothin!,' more ought to be done in the Dreadnought business. Meantime, wo would like lo ask Mr Flalman, will die-e Canadians who cheered the llrcadnoUidits have to pay for them? Have they presented Dreadnoughts diomselves ? Mill dir Flalman road die eablcream containing I.ot-d Charles Hercsford’s speech, delivered at (he Colonial Institute. The experience and eommonsens' of the world is beginning lo talk now. and wind dmv sav is (bat the colonies ought (o Mud; after (hemselves. We would advise A 1 r Flalman to throw up (he snonge. lie e-ninol de f end ih" action of (he Marl I ii O'eramenl.