MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11801, 11 May 1893, Page 3

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

We bear, on very good authority, that the Government have decided ti put off the meeting of Parliament until tho 6th of July. The plea urged in extenuation of this extraordinary conduct is that they wish to ha?e the libel action brought by their \'ati?e Minißcer against their Chairman of Committees finished before the beginning of the session. Hence, the whole business of the 'country is to be delayed because the Ministry and ono of their supporters have bad a quariel. This is a pretty state of affairs. More than three months of the financial year will have gone by before the House is called together, and, allowing a reasonable time for debating tho Address -in - Reply, the end of July will bo reached before » Supply Bill ein te passed. Hence, the whole of the expenditure for carrying on the administration of the affairs of the colony for four months must bo undertaken without the sanction if the elected representatives of tho people. Such a course if, doubtlefs, in accordance with tho peculiar doctrines of the New Liberals, but we aro greatly mistaken if it will not be strongly condemned by tho taxpayers. The excuse urged for deferring tho meeting of Parliament is, we are convincad, by no means tho only motive which actuates Ministers Amongßt other reasons, we have no doubt that they aro anxious to make the session as short as possible, in order to lessen the chances of defeat; and also, they are exceedingly desirous to preclude the possibility of Womanhood Suffrage being adopted in time for the general election. A Btill further motive may be found in the fact that the Prpminr desires to have plenty of time for his projected elpcMti» lqprinp trip to the Inangahua district. The Seddon Government aro, certainly, making a had start on their Ministerial career in thus sacrificing tho interests of the country to thoir own convenience. Even if Parliament were to meet on the dace originally fixfd, the session must be very short, for Parliament will expire by effiuxion of time about the beginning of December. But, should the rumour that the opening is not to take place until the 6th of July prove to be correct, the Eou6e will have little time to do more than pass the estimates afterthe debatesqn the Ad-dress-in-Keply and the Financial Statement have Been finished. The members of both Houseß will, however, draw their full pay of £240 a head, ]xat the same aa if there had been a lull and useful session ! —Wellington PreßS.