Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1893.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11847, 20 July 1893, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1893.

Tue Government's aotion in putting off private and local Bills find refusing to answer questions awakened a firm opposition. When Mr Seddon announced again on Friday afternoon that no questions would be replied to, and gave as his reason tho necessity of getting on with the Financial ] debate, a perfect storm was raised. For some time the Colonial Treasurer, who had been left in charge . of the House by the Premier, had his hands full. He was worried by members from all quarters who had been roused by the Premier's refusal to answer questions. Mr Ward, however, had no concessions to make, and all he would aay was that if the House was so anxious for replies to questions members might sit on Mondays. But members were not in a mood to accept the suggestion, and the discussion continued unabated. Mr G. Hutchison brought things to a climax by announcing that if the Government refused to roply to his questions he should nevertheless continue to put them day after day until they were answered. Mr Ward, hereupon, made a personal appeal to him to refrain from the course he had proposed, but the only reason Mr Ward could give for the Government's attitude was the fact that they were following their own bad precctlcnt. Honourable members were not to be pacified with such an apology, and the acrimonious wrangle continued. Mr Hutchison insisted upon putting his questions, though the Colonial Treasurer said that if he did so the only reply he could giTO would be that they would be answered on a further day. This announcement appeared only to make members all the more thirsty for information, and before Mr Hutchison could make his enquiries Sir John Hall put a question standing in his name higher up tho order sheet than those of Mr Hutchison. To his query he received the reply that he would bo answored at a future date. Mr Fisher followed with another question, and received a similar reply. It was then Mr Hutchison's turn, and getting up in his deliberate manner he proceeded to propound his questions with most elaborate explanations.. Captain Russell and Mr Allen followed Mr Hutchison, but with no bettor success. Peace then ruled for a short period, whilst Sit 1 Robert Stout introduced tho Licensing Act Amendment Bill, but the matter broke out again immediately afterwards. To mark his disapproval of the manner in which the Government had acted, Mr G. Hutchison moved .

ihe adjournment of the House. He desiribed the attitude of the Government as j, most extraordinary, invl repeated his in- („ tention of asking his questions every day rj until they were answered. Captain Russell, ivho seconded the resolution, expressed his spinion in a most emphatic manner, which produced no little effect on his hoarers. He stated that he would never consent to see the right of private members trampled undor foot by any dictatorial Government, and added that the member for Waitotara could count upon him also to put his questions day by day until they were answered. All this waste of timo was brought on by Mr Seddon's attempts Jit a cast iron leadership. If Mr Seddon's now methods of " saving time " are to result as they did on Friday last, the Houso is not likely to make muoh progress until he begins to change his tactics and listen to reason. Mr Seddon seems' to possess the notion that because the Opposition is in a minority, its members cease to represent ihe country, or any section of it, and that only thoso who have the good sense to support himself and his colleagues are entitled to consideration. Mr Seddon is very fond of having his own way, but he is surely too old a Parliamentary hand, and too well used to the shades of Opposition, to blunder no far as to think an Opposition is not to be counted with. A Parliamentary majority might be able to decide what moasures shall bo placod in the statute book, but, however powerful it may be, it can never, in a free country, prevent the representatives of the people from expressing their opinions. Tho taotics of the habitual stonewallev few will defend, but the country will not be slow to support members of Parliament in defending their acknowledged rights. It must not be forgotten that an Opposition can exert a great power against the majority if it has occasion to feel that it is defending its just rights, and on such occasions it is entitled to use every weapon at its proposal. It is the possession of this power which justifies its existence, and no Government whioh roally wishes to get through with its work can afford to ignore it. How is Mr Seddon going to do the work of the session if he Tcverts to the stubborn attitude he adopted on Friday afternoon? Does he think it will hasten the Financial debate to a conclusion if every afternoon is to be wasted as Friday's was ? Mr Seddon may be able to play the autocrat with Mr Reeves and his friends, but we fancy he will find he has different metal to deal with when he meets Mr Rolleston, Sir John Hall, Captain Russell, Mr Scobie Mackenzie, and men of similar stamp. Mr Seddon is either very blind or very wily. If he expects to ride rough-shod over suoh men as we have mentioned, he cannot be said to be gifted with a very far-reaching vision. If — which is, perhaps, more likely — ho has oaloulated the consequences of the step he has taken, the position does credit to his astuteness at the expense of his honesty. The Financial Statement at present under discussion is notorious more from what it shelves than for what it undertakes. Mr Seddon's attitude might bo taken to mean that he would like to see some of the measures it promises for this session with even r more remote chance than they have at present, and that, so as to curtail the time at the disposal of the House, he wishes to force the Opposition into a long defence, of its rights. Wo do not accuse Mr Seddon of adopting this course for getting out of the duty of pushing on measures for which he is known to have no great porsonal love. But we do say that he has only himself to blame if that construction is placed upon the action he has taken.

The cold sweat •vhich was missnd on Tuesday evening broke out on our contemporary last night, and the attack was all the more severe for having been bottled up for the extra twenty-foar hours. The Wanganui Herald doss not like to be told of its " dastardly " attempt made in a " pitiful specimen of ricketty and mendacious journalism " to blast the character of a defenceless girl. We have taken the liberty of borrowing a few of contemporary's adjectives, for which our excuse must be that they never can be missed from such <v rich store. Epithets are very useful, especially when you are writing about somebody who has made you vexed, but the writer in the Wanganni Herald will,perhaps,pardon ns for saying, that even under those circumstances it is just as well not to,, favour that particular part of speech to the utter exclusion of any other. But we have an apology to make. When, in writing about the " idle and disorderly " person yesterday we parenthetically remarked the absence of the editorial sermon custom had entitled, ns to expect, we utterly overlooked— or, to be as careful as a "mendacious" 'journal can be expected to be— we partially overlooked the "scorn" our audacity might evoke. However, the thing is done; bnt is there no possibility of escaping from the " scorn " which is so freely lavished upon us? We do not wish to add to our crime j but if, from the "depthß of malignant mendacity" into which we appear to have sunk, we might ask our scornful friend why it did not head its effusion " A Lame Defence," as heretofore, it would come aa a greatful relief to our pent up feelings. The old ■heading is so much more to the point,and, besides, we are always sorry to see an old friend discarded. We have yet another suggestion to offer from the depths of mendacity, into which we have been consigned. It is this : " The next time our commiserating contemporary is in search of a woman whose life it may embitter, let it choose one weaker and even more unprotected than the last, and let her be without a relative or a friend in the .vorld to speak for her and uphold her, and then it will have found a task worthy of the mean and despicable position it fills.