The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1891. THE LAND POLICY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIII, Issue 2552, 28 December 1891, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1891. THE LAND POLICY.

Back numbers of " Hansard" are not quite the most exhilarating form of Christmas literature, but there are some people who are so constituted that at this season they take those rery drj books down from the shelf. What their fate deserves to be we will not venture to say. Nobody will call the contents of the books " fairy tales," anyhow, and it is well, m these days of short memories, that such records are at hand. A hint from a contemporary has led us to look at " Hansard " for 1882, and to the report of the debate m the Legislative Council on Mr RoUeston's Lfind Bill. On this Bill of the present leader of the Opposition, }§er" Bell, the Opposition candidate for the vacant Wellington seat, is endeavouring to set up a claim to Liberalism for his party. Ho told the Wellington electors that " There is no difference between Mr Rolieston and Mr Ballance on the land question ; Mr Rolieston was the most liberal land legislator we had." Well, m 1882, the Hon Mr Oliver, Minister without portfolio m the Atkinson Government, took charge of Mr Rolleston's Land Bill m the Legislative Council. In his speech m the debate on the Bill he delivered a most eloquent and forcible panegyric on the advantages of the perpetual lease system. He upheld with the utmost fervor the principle of leasing the land without according the right of purchase, and instanced Great Britain as an example of the excellence of the leasing system pure and simple. We have thus the incontrovertible fact thafc m 1882 the Atkinson Government advocated and sought to enforce by legislation the abolition of the freehold system of land j tenure. Now, when, after all the in-; dustrious attempts of Opposition poli-; ticians and press to make out that tije j Government* land policy is going to ruin the country, Mr Bell is compelled fco assist his chanee# by telling the electors that Mr Rollestoi* «Jso advocates the «anie ruinous policy a$ £hat parsuei by tht ' Government, «*4 ty

J leading the electors to infer that, m agreeing with Mr Rolleston. he also agrees with Mr Eallance. We only want a speech by Mr Bolleston, at Wellington, m support o£ Mr Bell's candidature to make the beautiful ( picture complete. Mr Bell does not appear, so f *r, to have been called upon to definitely pledge himself to support <m Parliament—should he succeed m getting there —the principle which he admires m his platform speeches. It is hoped that before the election hn will be called upon so to do. Should hethen be successful m the contest the country will have the edifying spectacle of the leader of a party being at direct variance on a main point of policy with the members of that party, and the latest recruit to the party gaining his seat by the profession of similar antagonistic principle?. Such is political consistency as evidenced by the Opposition candidate and party m the contest at Wellington.