THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 126, 7 October 1868, Page 3

THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

We extract the following article from the Otago Daily Times of Oct, 5, which also contains a summary of the meeting held in Chri6tchureh: — It will be seen from a telegram we publish this morning that the Ministry have not the slightest idea of sending in their resignations to His Excellency. They have determi ed to bring in an amended Financial policy — amended on the principle that votes must be secured at any price. It is not the fashion now-a-days with Colonial Governments to resign when their measures are defeiled. The old constitutional theory that Ministries should either resign or dissolve on the rejection of » Ministerial measure, is no longer recognised in these colonies. The theory substituted for it is, that Ministers are bound to resign only when they cease to have a majority. So long as a certain number of votes can be secured, no matter by what means, our Ministries may laugh at every argument derived from constitutional practice. If a financial palicy is ignominiou9ly rejected, they wi.l take it in hand again and lick it into any shape that will render it less obnoxious. If it is again rejected, they will again amend ; and the process will be continued until they succeed in accomplishing their object. A little ingenuity enables them to cover their retreat with some show of constitutional argument. The Premier will announce that the Government does not feel justified in resigning, seeing that the Opposition is too weak to form a new administration ; and if a dissolution is hinted at, he wi'l argue that a dissolution would be injurious to the best interests of the country. Precedents will be cited by the dozen. From the days of the elder Pitt to the present time, cases will be pointed out in which English Ministers have remained in office after measures of great importance have been rejected. We do not therefore expect to hear either of a resignation or a dissolution, so long as a numerical majority can be held together by the present Government. Their majority is certainly a small one; but that consideration will not weigh much in their scales. The electors of Otago have the satisfaction of kuowing that to this insignificant majority they contribute at least t*ro votes. But for those votes, instead of a majority there might have been a minority ; the Government might have been forced to give way, and the course of legislation— threatening and disastrous as it appears to some — might have been turned into another channel. • Our Canterbury neighbours have arrived at very clear conclusions with reference to' the political prospects of the Middle Island, and the course of action which those prospects render it necessary to adopt. It is somewhat singular that public feeling should be so clear and ready in its power of expression in Christchurch, and that here it should be so absolutely mute. There can be no great difference of opinion, as regards the position of the Middle Island between the electoral bodies of Canterbury and Otago. No time could be more appropriate for the expression of opinion on political matters than the present. It is not desirable, as a general rule, that the electors should assemble in every corner of the colony for the purpose of influencing their representatives. But on the other hand it is highly desirable that, at critical periods, the electors should see that their representatives are fully informed as to the state of public opinion. Utter silence on the part of the public is net unlikely to create a false impression with regard to their opinion on matters of the last moment. If a representative is inclined to play false with his constituents, he will certainly do so if he believes them to be indifferent or apathetic. The absence of any demonstration on their part will in all probability lead to some such belief. The complaints which are heard on all' sides with reference to the conduct' of some Otago members afford a peculiar reason for some public demonstration at the present time. They Bhow that there is an absolute necessity for the adoption of an unusual course ; that the public is called upon to see that its trust is not betrayed, and that the interests of the whole Island are not placed in jeopardy for the furtherance of merely private interests. If there were any prospect of an immediate dissolution of Parliament, it would be premature to express an opinion now. But thereis no such prospect. It is to the last degree unlikely that the present administration will afford the public an opportunity of expressing themselves. The course of events has been fatal to the Ministry as well as to the colony, and they know it. In the face of their miserable mismanagement of Native matters, they could not venture on an appeal to the people. Every day brings forth some fresh exposure of 'incapacity, attended with results that can only be described as ruinous. The colony never stood in a more perilous predicament than it does now. It is not drifting into war ; it hns drifted into it, and is utterly without the means of meeting it. A few disorganised and disheartened men constitute its army; its most valued officers have, been butchered ; it can calculate on no assistance from friendly tribes ; and so far from ' stamping out' the rebellion, as Mr Stafford promised we should do, we are not even holding our own ground. There is little prospect of escaping from the difficulties which surround us in the North, except by means of another loan and another army ; and unless both are at the disposal of the men better qualified to meet emergencies than those who now rule us, even that assistance may not avail us. But how are we in a position to stand another loan ? Our taxation ha 3 already grown to such dimensions as to press most injuriously upon our resources. The commercial depression which has existed so long is likely enough to exist much longer ; and taxation aside, the colonists of New Zealand have not much reason to congratulate themselves on their immediate prospects.

Another loan of a million — to be spent on Snider rifles and cartridges — would probably send a large proportion of our population from Otago to the Fijis or the Thames, in the course of six months. As it is, our population is drifting away fast enough. Ihe high rates of wages ruling here make it incredible, at first sight, that men should be casting about for some more promising field of settlement. But the high rate of wages is a delusion which the high price of living very soon dispels. The taxes levied upon everything we consume, are oppressive in the extreme, especially to the labouring classes; but if they are to be rendered still more oppressive, we shall encourage emigration at such a rate as will prove disastrous. How far these impressions prevail in Canterbury may be judged from the resolutions passed at the recent meeting, and the comments of the local press. The cry of Separation is intelligible enough when endless wars and ruinous taxes are the price we p<y for Union.