The Waikato Times. AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2116, 30 January 1886, Page 2

The Waikato Times. AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's rifht maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

SATURDAY, JAN. 30,1886.

Tiik measures passed in. the last Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland which increased by a couple of millions the number of voters and removed numerous anomalies in the representation of the three kingdoms has naturally revived interest in. the history of Parliamentary reform. The demand for information on the subject has been met promptly. Of the several worksf orthcoming none however seems to deal with the question in a style so popular as that adopted by Mr \V. Heaton in his " Three Itefornis of Parliament," The book, the author informsus, is simply a popular lecture elaborated, and hence it not only instructs but interests us. Recent as is the date of the chief practical reforms, for Mr Heaton only deals with the measures o£ 1832, 1867 and 1885, it seems almost incredible that such abuses as once disgraced the Government of England should have been suffered to exist so long. It is true that since IGBB England has in theory been governed constitutionally, that is to sav > ty P^ty government, but students of history know how widely the theory differed from the practice. We have seen some funny things in New Zealand in by-gone years : Elections in this colony have often been turned by axe-handles

judiciously used, and bullocks have steadily voted for the conservation of their owners' interests : But this kind of amusement sinks into insignificance when compared with the wholesale buying and selling, not only of votes — that was an every day occupation — but of seats, in brave Old England, scarcely more than half -a - century ago. In these days of freedom and comparative political purity, it is, we repeat, difficult to believe that we are divided by only fifty years or so from a time when corruption ran riot, and when the House of Commons, which ostensibly represented the people's interests, represented only their capacity for receiving bribes. The House was simply the paid instrument of a King who differed from the unfortunate Charles I. in nothing so much as that he managed to retain possession of his head. There was really no public opinion in those days. The people knew nothing of what went on in Parliament, and the members could not look to their constituencies for moral support, seeing that the only tie that held them together was bribery. The sole desire of members was to get sinecures and pensions, and that the latter were pretty freely distributed is evidenced by the fact that in six years not less than from forty-five thousand to seventy-five thousand pounds per annum were added permanently to the Civil List. That there was no genuine representation is further attested by Mr Heaton, who writes : — " Down to the year 1800, when the union of Great Britain and Ireland was effected, the House consisted of 558 members \ after 1800 it consisted of 658. In the earlier clays of George 111. it was elected by a force of 160,000 voters, out of a population of little more than eight millions] in the latter days of that monarch it was elected by 440,000 voters, out of a population of twenty-two millions. Then the proportion of voters to the population was one in every fifty persons, and it is now one to every seven persons ; and if the principle of manhood suffrage were adopted, it would be one to every five." In the delightful days before 1832 the borough of Old Sarum consisted of one man, who for years enjoyed the honour of sending two members to Parliament, and, as he was " hale and hearty," no doubt he made a good annual income out of the transaction. Old stories such as these crowd upon the memery, but for the most part they are familiar. What is not so well known is the fact that the Reform measure of 1832, small as were its apparent results, paved the way, not merely for the greater reforms of a similar nature which have succeeded, but for those philanthropical reforms which have made the present century illustrious in the history of the world. These changes are too numerous and complex to enumerate here, and it will be sufficient if we indicate the striking amendments which have been made in the criminal law to give force to the contention. The state of England in 1830 is thus graphically sketched by Mr Heaton : — Our law recognised two hundred and twenty-three capital offences. It seems, at first, that there can scarcely be two hundred and twenty-three human actions worthy of even the mildest censure. But our stern fathers found that number worthy of death. If a man injured Westminsterbridge he was hanged; if he appeared disguised on a public road he was hanged; if he cut down young trees, if he shot at rabbits, if he stole property valued at five shillings, if he stole anything at all from a bleach field, if he wrote a threatening letter to extort money, if he returned prematurely from transportation, for any of these offences he was immediately hanged. In 1816 there were at oue time fifty-eight persons under sentence of death. One of these was a child of ten years of age." It was not for some years after the passing of fclie O-reafc Reform Bill that much was done towards removing these monstrous anomalies in the criminal law, but that large and far reaching reforms have since been effected is known to all. What results may flow from the still wider measure of reform passed last year we cannot foretell, but that their character will be as high, if not higher than that of their predecessors we do not doubt. As members of the great Anglo-Saxon family we are naturally deeply interested in everything conducive to the well-being of the empire and the race. The question of reform is of special interest to us, because it is our aim to avoid the introduction into our constitution of conditions which in England maintained a tyrrany under which its people, even down to our grandfathers, groaned. We have not much cause to be afraid, it is true, but the lessons of history cannot harm us nevertheless.

Business was entirely suspended in Cambridge yesterday, and the town looked dreary and deserted. Very few people went from there to the Te Awaiuutu race*.

The Raglan Jockey Club at their meeting, Tuesday, 26th, decided to hold their annual races on St. Patrick's Day «■ usual. The programme will be Luued about February 16th.

Mr Parry has been making stiong efforts to establish a good night school at Cambridge, and we are pleased to know he has been successful in obtaining twenty five lads on hi* roll.

Now the welcome rains have come down again, and moistened the sun-dri«d ground, the Cambridge cricketers are taking heart once more, and are resolved to renew practice in order to finish up the season with credit after the time-honoured fashion.

The Presbyterian picnic at Cambridge, which was to have eventuated yesterday, and had been looked forward to with the expectation of a good outing, reduced itself to a pleasant little social gathering in the Public Hall during the afternoon.

The steady rain which has been falling for two days is unfortunate in one sense to the farmers in the Cambridge, Pukerimu and other districts where large areas of ripe grain have just been cut and ntooked. In every other respect the rain is most acceptable to the land and pastures,

The usual monthly meeting of the mombera of S. Peter's Church Society h«i boon called fur Thursday next in place of Tuesday, in consequence of the meeting of the burgeMen of Hamilton having been fixed for Tuesday to consider the propouil to raise a loan for borough purposes.

We again remind those who feel an interest in promoting tno spread of religious teaching, that the second of a nerioH of evangelistic services will be hold in the Public Hall, Cambridge, to-morrow evening, at half -past eight, after the ordinary service* in the various churches.

The tenth General Synod of the Church of the Province of ffew Zealand was opened at the Bishop's Library, Auckland, on Thursday. The Primate, Bishop Harper, delivered the inaugural address. In the evening there wan a service at S. Sepulchre's Chuich when the Primate of Australia, Bishop Barry, preached.

We are informed by Mr W. S. Stewart, head master of the Cambridge High School, that ho had received official intimation that the Education Board has decided to erect a new class-room, not as an addition to the present inadequate buildings but which will form the initiative to an entirely new and handsome atracture which has been designed, and which will eventually cost about £1,800 when completed.

At Thursday's meeting on the Auckinnd Crown land board. — the clerk of the Newcastle Road Board (Mr W. .Tone*) wrote stating that a road deviation had been led off through section 100, Fukete, in accordance with the Land Boards authority given in 1882. The chairman said a promise had recently been made to offer the section for sale. Agreed to withhold sale until road deviation was completed.

A meeting of the Hamilton Band Committee was held on Thursday evening, His Worship the Mayor in the chair. Upon tho resolution of the Mayor Mr R. Edwards was unanimously elected secretary, and Mr Munro bandmaster. Ten instruments were taken up, and it was resolved that after the bandmaster had got the instruments into working order that the secretary advertise for those desirous of taking up those remaining. It was also resolved that the Mayor be asked to communicate with the secretary of the Comus Club with a view to arrange for an entertainment for the joint benefit of the band and the library.

The annual treat in connection with Trinity Wealeyan Sunday School, Hamilton, was held yesterday. In consequence of the rain, which fell heavily nearly all d.iy, the children assembled in the Public Hall, which had been kindly lent for the purpose, and here the usual tea, cake, etc., was dispensed freely by the teachers. A few larrikins, possessed of more spare pence than mnso, bought 21b of salt at Knoxs store, and emptied the whole of it into the water which was boiling for tea. This wan not discovered until a quantity of tea had been made and served out to the thirsty children, and the result may be better imagined than described. The delinquents afterwards confessed to the police. Fresh tea was, however, quickly made, and the children shortly afterwards dispersed, having enjoyed a good day's pleasure, despite the drawback of bad weather, which prevented them holding their picnic on the shores of the Lake, as intended.

The following special messages to the Press Association, dated London, January 27th and 28th, have been published :•— The Daily Chronicle states that Mr Heaton will shortly be knighted for his colonial services.— The Manchester Guardian approves of the proposed separation of Queensland into two districts.— The Melbourne tramway loan of £500,000, at 4h per cent., has been placed in the market. Tenders will be opened on the 4th of February. The minimum is fixed at £104. — The Spanish Government have notified that they are not at present prepared to renew the parleying in connection with the Anglo-Spanish Treaty. The Government were defeated by 329 against 250. Mr Gladstone supported Mr Collings' amendment, and the Marquis of Hartington, Mr Goschen, Sir Henry James, Sir John Lubbock, Mr Leonard Courtney, and other Liberals voted with the Government. The Marquis of Salisbury has tendered the resignation of the Ministry. In consequence of the Whig defection it is conBidered doubtful whether Mr Gladstone will be able to form a Cabinet.