Wellington Independent FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1871.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3286, 25 August 1871, Page 2

Wellington Independent FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1871.

Hon. Members who arc anxious conscientiously to discharge their duty must have every moment of their time occupied in reading the important papers already put into their pigeon holes. We wonder how many of them give them a patient study. Many, we fear, who have already much occupied the attention of the House would have been better employed in reading and inwardly digesting them. The session has begun with a redundancy of talk, while the table of the House groans under an extraordinary accumulation of papers requiring the most thoughtful study. Another characteristic of the new parliament is a burning thirst for knowledge, shown by calling foe innumerable returns, the contents of which are either already knowable from existing documents or of no use as guides to legislation. A third characteristic of the present Parliament is that the new members have so soon come to the front, and spoken on subjects requiring lengthened general parliamentary experience as well as a special knowledge of the usages of the House. It is needless to add that on almost every occasion they have made fools of themselves. We do not affirm of course that no new member can throw light on questions of parliamentary practice, the Colonial Secretary being a remarkable illustration to the contrary ; but we mean to express the opinion that much valuable time has already been wasted by the observations of new members, whose opportunities of being acquainted with the usages of the House have been confined to their very short parliamentary career. It is supremely ridiculous, for instance, to see a representative for Mount Ida, a place surely unworthy of so honored a name, occupy the time of the country in proving from the standing orders that a select committee on the Williamson election could not bo appointed without the same notice as in the case of other select committees. The lion, member had no sooner sat down in evident triumph than his utter ignorance of the most rudimentary principles of parliamentary practice was exposed by a single reference to " May !" So, too, it was ludicrous to hear the homily of the new " member for the Clutha" on the practice of the House in casos of disputed elections ! It is past a joke, however, to think that such nonsensical and ignorant balderdash should, at great expense to the country, achieve ati immortality in " Hansard." We wonder, by the way, if there were no " Hansard," if so many returns would be asked for, so many questions put, and so many speeches made. We shrewdly suspect there would not. We would not grudge hon. members the indulgence of a littlo harmless vanity, if its exercise did not involve to the country a loss of time, of monpy, and of reputation. We see from the papers laid on the table that his Excellency the Governor sends •' Hansard" by every opportunity to the home authorities, and the reputation of our colonial parliament must seriously suffer from such exhibitions of ignorance of the most rudimentary principles and best known parliamentary usages. Wo trust these hon. members will now be satisfied with the reputation they have achieved. We admire their zeal, but we will take care to skip passages prefixed by their name in " Hansard !" We wonder if they were subjected to a written examination on the papers put before them, which it is their imperative duty to master, how they would acquit themselves ! The hon. member for the Dunstan, who moved for two returns yesterday, modestly confessed that a return in one sheet — a very model of clearness, comprehensiveness, and amplitude of detail — would take him a fortnight to understand ! The honorable member is not likely to underrate his own abilities, and if he requires the information masticated before he can digest it, how long must it take " such as are of weaker capacity" to form correct opinions on the subject ! We end therefore as we began by saying that conscientious representatives have enough to occupy every spare moment of their time in mastering the Reports and Returns already laid on the table, and that a strong caso ought to be made out in moving for any more papers. We desire not to be misunderstood as being opposed to any returns of a really useful character, containing information not otherwise obtainable. There never can bo too many of this class. We were glad to learn for instance that Mr Collins moved for a return "up to the 31st July, 1871, in continuation of the return laid upon the table of the House last session on the motion of Mr W. Harrison, showing the number of appointments made in the various departments of the Civil Service of the colony, the amount of their respective salaries, and the nature of their duties ; such return to distinguish the persons appointed in accordance with the regulations of the Civil Service Act, from those (if any) who have not been so appointed." and that Air Stafford moved for a return " of the names of all persons (not being of the Native race), who now are or have been during the last financial year in tho employment of the General Government, whoso salaries have not been submitted to this House in the annual estimates; showing in each case tho amount of salary, and the authority under which it luis been paid ; also, for a similar return with respect to persons of the Native race." Here tho representatives of the people properly enquire if public appointments are made in accordance with law, and if the public revenues are expended in accord ance with those safeguards which Parliament has placed round them. A Government that would hesitate to give such information is not worthy of the name; nay, more, if the returns, when furnished by the present Government, do not prove tho falsity of the charge

made against them in the public prints of having illegally and corruptly appointed " countless hordes of civil servants " we hesitate not to say that they are not worthy of the confidence of the country. But when we think of the number of useless returns moved for, we cannot but praise Mr Reynolds for so energetically opposing them.

The resolutions set down in Mr Macandrew's name for discussion to-day will not " have the effect .of placing the North and South Islands under different legislatures." They only provide in lieu of " the differeut legislatures" of Otago, Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborongh, and Westland, one legislature called " the Provincial Legislature." They would not " appropriate undue portions of the recently raised loan," Mr Macandrow not seeking " to take the Middle Island share without any responsibility attached in the shape of previous liabilities," nor dons he seek " to shift the whole charge of the Maori difficulty on the North Island alone." Special care, on the contrary, is taken that " the general liabilities of the Colony" must be first provided for, before any of the revenue of the new province irom whatever source derived" can be appropriated by the Provincial Legislature. The general liabilities of the colon}' of course include the interest on all colonial loans, past and future, provision for defence, expense of administering the Government of the colon}', in short everything of a colonial character as at present. The Provincial Council will have no powers of legislation on the imposition or regulation of customs duties, tho establishment or abolition of civil or criminal courts, or alteration of tho criminal law, the regulation and establishment of postal and telegraphic communication, regulating the law of bankruptcy and insolvency, regulating marriages, affecting lands of the Crown, regulating the course of inheritance of real or personal property, or affeciing the law relating to wills. The Lieutenant Governor is to exercise only the functions which devolve at present upon Superintendents. So far from being opposed " to the unity of the colony,'" they will fuee together all the Middle Island provinces in one. At present we express no opinion on their merits ; but whether thoy are to be opposed or supported it is necessary that they should be first understood. We shall take an early opportunity of considering them in all their bearings. Meanwhile, when an ardent provinoialist, like Mr Macandrew, proposes that his province should cease to exist as a separate entity, it shows what a revulsion of feeling must have taken place in Otago on the sub ject of provincialism. We lately severely animadverted upon the unpatriotic and foolish course of the Reid party in opposing a policy passed into law by the legislature of the colony, and predicted that if they would not help forward tho car of progress they would bo crushed beneath its wheels. Retribution seems to be fast overtaking them, and it is fitting that the avenging Wow should be dealt by him whom they gloried in insulting by electing one of their own number as a Speaker, and whose colonising spirit they have so vexed that he has inscribed on his banner, " Perish j)rovincialism, if it interfere with colonisation."