Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA AND RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, 17TH SEPTEMBER, 1875.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 2854, 17 September 1875, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA AND RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, 17TH SEPTEMBER, 1875.

Now that an amicable arrangement has been come to' between the contending parties as to the time 1 when shall come into operation the Abolition of Provinces' Bill, the country will naturally expect of its ' representatives that they shall in'earneßt set themselves to discharge thos'3 important duties which have been /so complete!} 7 " lost sight of during the continuance of the wearisome discussion arising put of the abolition measure. The Government are to be congratulated on the success which has attended their riegotialionSj'which have been characterized throughput by a dignified calmness, partaking neither of the hesitancy which might create a suspicion of cowardice, nor of the impatience and irritability that would not have been greatly unreasonable in- dealing with a factious Opposition. But we cannot think the Opposition entitled to similar congratulations, when we remember the revolutionary speeches to which they gave utterance, and compare their heroic determination of resisting to the death with the meagre concessions with which they have perforce had to be satisfied. They are perhaps deserving of a certain amount- of credit for .throwing off all feeling of party while the negotiations were being proceeded with, but the . laudations, of fcke Ministry must have been dreadfully galling to the^leaders of the Opposition, who cannot fail to realize how excessively ridiculous to onlookers, must .be their whole, attitude. By telegrams to hand while we are writing, , we learn that our anticipations as to the character of the peaqe are borne out by the actual facts ; for while an understanding has been come to as to the . period at which the Bill shall become Jaw, the Opposition must have previously • determined that no effort of theirs should be wanting' t(> render the measure an - abortion. Judging from what took place in Committee on the Bill, it would almost . seem as if the members composing the Opposition had consented to hang together as a party only so long as^there was a .possibility of wresting some concession from the G-overuuieuVjieter-mined, however, that whatever promises they ungbiinake ia return would berome nugatory; by the breaking -up of the party organization If the Government ali uvei tuoiiwolves to be deluded into a belief Hrib they hu,d succeeded in getting nto «v ■);>..;> .vijjter,. a id that th-j 0^,3.0 u° tiidu would be prepared' 'to give all the

assistance in their . power to perfecting the measure in Committee, they were not suffered to abide very long in that b elicit'. No sooner did the House again go into Committee on the measure than it waa made plainly apparent that the bitleniefte of the antagonism was not in the slightest- degree diminished, and that the individual opponents of the. measure conceived themselves to be in no wise bound by the pledges given on behalf of the party. Determinedly hostile to the proposals of the G-overntneut, it is perhaps not to be wondered at that the leaders of the Opposition fail to see any inconsistency still less dishonesty in their attempt to carry amendments entirely opposed to the principle of a measure to which as a party they had but a few moments previously declared their temporary adherence, leaving it to the cons' ituenciea to endorse the action of Ministers or pronounce against them at the general election. No fact could ! be more, clearly evidenced than that the greater nutriber of ; the minority are solely influenced in their opposition to the Bill by preconceived prejudices and antipathies, and that their urgent and repeated appeals to have fche matter submitted to the people was merely &,ruse -bj which it waa hoped to intimidate the Q-overnment and at the same time enlist the sympathies of the people on behalf of those , who seem so anxious to consult them in the matter That they have signally failed in their endeavour to create a furore even by the use of the most revolutionary language, must have become apparent to each and all. of the party ; and having neither the ability requisite to devise improvements, nor the courage necessary to support a defeat with a good grace, they would fain play havoc with the Bill, lest the country should be prevailed upon to accept the measure should it be placed before them in a reasonable shape. None are so ready to distrust the judgment of the people as those who are forever vociferating about the right of the people to govern themselves ; and the Opposition, however willing they may be trust to the chances of their return at the general election, are not prepared to allow the Q-overn-ment measure to be again placed before the country, unless they can succeed in so disfiguring it as to ensure its rejection. Notwithstanding the childish folly which has been characteristic of all their proceedings, they conclude with tolerable certainty that, save in a few exceptional cases, their misdoings will not be remembered ag.iinst them ; aud therefore they were at first inclined to count on being able to so influence the public as to secure a verdict in accordance with their own desires. Utterly and absurdly J ridiculous as have been the tactics of the Opposition from the first, the amendments submitted yesterday afternoon aftpr the supposed amicable adjustment, surpass all former absurdities ; aiid there will be but few who will not gladly hail the crushing defeat which, followed on a division.