Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1898. "The Lords” and The Loan Bill.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1868, 9 August 1886, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1898. "The Lords” and The Loan Bill.

An attempt has been made in the Legislative CouDcil to obstruct the passage of the Loan Bill. In the Council on Thursday, when Mr Reynolds moved the second reading of the Bill, Sir F. Whitaker objected to the Bill, as no special authorisation had buen made by Parliament. What he specially objected to was that the special railway lines were unauthorised by Parliament. He did not say.that his objections were absolutely correct. All he desired was that it should be ascertained whether the construction of the lines of railways mentioned in the Bill had been authorised. He desired it to be thoroughly understood that he did not object so much to the loan as he did to the lines of railways, which he considered were not authorised by law. A vigorous debate ensued and ultimately Sir F. Whitaker pro» posed that the Bill bo referred to a Select Committee to ascertain—(l) Whether the several railways specified in the schedule have been authorised by special Act, as required by law ; (2) also, as to any of the said railways that are not new, the state ol the works thereon ; and to report fully thereon to the Council. This proposal was carried on a division, so the further progress of the Loan bill has been somewhat delayed.

All this appears to indicate the possibility of a conflict taking place between the Legislative Council and the House of Representatives. We say this, because the action of the Legislative Council has in reality been instigated by a desire to endanger Uie passage of the Loan Bill, though that purpose does not appear on the surface. Should the Council attempt to coerce the Lower House into altering the schedule of the Bill, the latter Chamber would stoutly resist, and then a serious conflict might ensue between the two branches of the Legislature. It would be a great misfortune to the colony should the Loan Bill be thrown out by the Council. We are no friends of a reckless borrowing policy, but the present Loan Bill authorising the raising of L 1,325,000 is an absolutely necessary measure, because if it be not passed many existing engagements cannot be met, and the whole financial arrange ments of the Government would be thrown into a state of chaos, to the serious injury of the credit of the colony. The plain English of the matter is, that the proposed loan is absolutely indispensible to enable the Government to carry on at all.