The Star. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1869.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 431, 1 October 1869, Page 2

The Star. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1869.

- : — *■ IVfosT people knovr and believe in the old proverb which tells us that "It is an ill bird which fouls its own nest." Tbe proverb may, we think, be very appropriately applied to those who are continually railing at Provincial institutions, and doing all they can to bring them into contempt. We are sorry to say that there are such men in Canterbury — men who go up to the General Assembly and advocate " a clean sweep " of the provinces, and men who support such proposals in defiance of facts and circumstances which would almost justify us in saying that they were acting treacherously. "We are edified, for instance, with the spectacle of one holding the highest position under' Provincial institutions supporting a proposal to sweep them away. No wonder that people ask what the spectale means, no wonder that they inquire whether a man may worthily fill the office of Superintendent while he openly advocates "a clean sweep " of the institutions which it is his duty to administer. When a member of the General Assembly, who is also a member of the Provincial Council, stands up in his place in the House of Representatives and aay& that he regards Provincial Institutions and Provincial Councils with disgust, it is natural that the public should think it would be more consistent if he were to resign his seat in the body towards which he entertains such feelings. "We are told, from time to time, that our Provincial Council, instead of attending to the business brought before it, prefers to play at Parliament, that it sacrifices the interests of the province by indnlging in the farce of responsible government, and that it is high time " this nous.ense was put an end to." The men who tell us these things would do well to remember that "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones." They should put their. own house in order before they begin to preach to others. ""^n /We have .no hesitation in saying ■tfnat, compared with the General .Assembly, the Provincial Council of Canterbury is a credit to the colony. What have we seeu in the General Assembly, session after session? Threefourths of the time wasted in an unseemly struggle for power ; a few meu forming themselves into a "cave," and doing all they could to make themselves ridiculous as well as obstructing the business of the country. If the Provincial Council of Canterbury apes the General. Assembly, in the name of all that's contemptible, what does the " cave " ape ? Does it, we wonder, go so far as to : compare itself to the " cave " in the House of Commons ? We shouldn't, wonder if it did, nor are we at all surprised to be told that the Canterbury " cave " was " detested "— that was the word used — by both parties in the House during last session; detested for its arrogance, laughed at for its ridiculous pretensions, and generally looked upon as the obstacle to beneficial legislation. We don't remember to have heard that the Provincial Council of Canterbury ever descended .so far as to indulge in a " cave." We sincerely hope it never may. Aud yet a voice comes from this precious General Assembly "cave" to lecture the Provincial Council ! The Provincial Council iajiofr taultless, and no one ever contended that it is. But we think the members generally show that they have the average amount of common sense, as well as the average amount of zeal for the interests of the public. They may not, as a Canterbury member of the General Assembly said in moving certain famous resolutions, be so highly educated as they might be, but we do not think any member would indulge in such bombastic nonsense as the following : — Sir, the magnitude of the principles involved in these resolutions would, I ihink, under any circumstances, justify me in the eyes of lion, members, and in the eyes of the people of this colony, in departing from that great maxim of the greatest; of modern philosophers, " The path of all duty is silence." But besides this, Sir, the £.kct of the postponement of the most importnnt of the Ministerial tneasurei of this session for about n fortnight, . mukes hie feel less scrupulous about asking the attention of the -House to the.Tery important craesitiphs. raised by these

resolutions. . For some time past the attention of the public has been directed to, and expectation has been excited by, the very great change which has taken place as to the popularity of, and the place which has been of late years occupied by, those institutions the merits and demerits, the abilities aud disabilities, of which, it is my attention to ask the committee to consider. The above words were spoken in the General Assembly, and so were the following : — I was on a racecourse in England on a very important occasion, when the attendance was enormous ; speculation as it is called was immense ; and, Sir, at the critical moment, when the horses were coming round the corner, when fortunes hung on the result and men'& hearts were beating h ; gh with expectation, an insignificant little quadruped galloped along the course with its tail in the air, and, with an incessant and harrowing bark, succeeded in attracting to itself the individual attention of the multitude! The public will have no difficulty in recognising the same fine Roman hand in both the quotations we have given from Hansard. And they will probably agree with us in being thaukful fchafc the Provincial Council is not made ridiculous by such exhibitions.