THE Thames Advertiser FRIDAY, DECEMBER, 16, 1887.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XVII, Issue 5945, 16 December 1887, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser FRIDAY, DECEMBER, 16, 1887.

Commenting upon the obstruction complained of by the Premier, and which Sir Julius Vogel denied was anything ot the kind, the N.Z. Times in. a late issue says:—lf those members who have bo persistently and disgracefully obstructed the public business during the last few days had aimed at proving conclusively to ihe country the deiirableness of reducing the numerical strength of the House, they could not possibly have adopted tactics more admirably adapted to that end. They could not have chosen a plan better calculated to convince the country that this provision in the present Representation Bill is an excellent and indeed an imperative measure. They have demonstrated incontestably that a reduction in the number of members will facilitate the carrying on of the country's business, and that it ought to be brought into effect at the earliest possible moment. Their conduct has proved this in two ways. In the first place it is clear that the smaller the number of members the fewer will be the facilities afforded for such insensate and scanda-

lous stonewalling as that of the past week. To diminish these possibilities by even one-fifth, or thereabouts, ia in itself a valuable gain. But there is another boon which the passing of the Bill promises hopefully to grant to a long-suffering public. The members who are carrying on this senseless obstruction scarcely attempt to hide their true motive—the paltry, personal fear of losing Jheir own seats and the pay attached. We .ieed not mention any names. Those whom the cap fits can put it on and wear it if they Jike. Let them otand up in the House and deny the truth of what we have asserted, and tbey will simply prove our case for us. We repeat it: All this miserable obstruction is the contemptible outcome of selfish fear of losing their membership and its emoluments. They may tely on it the country does not fear losing them. Such men could well be spared They would indeed be a good riddance. Members of that sort aTP worse than useless. They might spare themselves the trouble and insincerity of pretending that they only act ou behalf of their constituents. It is not [ so, and they know it. They do not [ represent anybody but themselves, They .. are not representatives at all. They are " misrepresentatives." And it is the second welcome result that which [ they have shown us may accrue from 1 the passing of this Bill, that ic will possibly stop their obstruction after this Parliament, for in some instances at any rate their places will know them no more. It would be worth while devoting a whole session to the sole work of passing this Bill, if only it ensured the exclusion of the entire gang of factious obstructionists. The Premier acted very wisely and properly in telling the House plainly that, obstruction or no obstruction, the Government would go on until the public business was done, and that unless the business was done the House must give up all hope of proroguing before Christmas, for members would have to stay until the necessary Ministerial measures should be passed. We sincerely trust that Major Atkinson will remain firm in this determination, and that the majority of ihe House will give him a resolute and unswerving support in his action. It would be a crying shame and scandal if the disreputable tactics of the obstructive faction were to be permitted to score even a partial triumph; No suggestion as to concession or compromise ought now to be tolerated for a moment. Nay, more ', it is now quite clear that one of the moit urgently necessary measures of the next cession will be adoption of some effective means of preventing the recurrence of such inexcusable proceedings as have disgraced this first session of our new Parliament. The power of cloture must be taken and must be vested in some authority, whether that be the Speaker or a specific majority of the House. Failing such a remedy it needs no prophet to foresee that Parliamen. fcary institutions will soon be reduced = to hopeless impotence and be brouglv g into utter public contempt.