The Globe. TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1875.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 362, 10 August 1875, Page 2

The Globe. TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1875.

It is always a sign of weakness when the advocates of any cause have recourse to measures other than calm argument in support of their position. The opponents of abolition are rapidly losing their temper and their heads. On Friday evening last Mr Bunny, the champion of Wellington provincialism, gave way to a course of conduct which would not for a moment be permitted in any well managed Assembly. He accompanied the statement of Major Atkinson with a continued running commentary of ironical cheers and “ hear, hears.” If such unwarrantable impertinence were attempted in the House of Commons on the occasion of an important Ministerial statement, the offending member would be put down at once. But in the Assembly here the Opposition seem to regard such conduct as perfectly legitimate. But besides Mr Bunny’s disgraceful conduct, there are other indications that the Opposition are getting exasperated. The chosen leader of the party, who of all others should be calm and dispassionate, has on more than one occasion, since the Assembly met, been completely carried away with his subject, and in the excitement of the moment given utterances to promises as well as threats, which he has not the authority of his party for making. This was painfully evident the other evening when after denouncing the Government in most unmeasured terms for offering a bribe for the purpose of carrying their Bill, he concluded his attack by appealing to the Assembly and the country to suspend their judgment till the plans of the Opposition were before the House, when still more splendid measures would be submitted, under which larger revenues would be offered to the people, and far larger bribes altogether given them. The fact is that the Superintendents and their tail of provincial officers are getting angry at the discovery that the country has made up its mind to do without them, and under the false cry of an appeal to the people, intend to secure, if possible, one more year of life. No sound constitutional argument has as yet been produced in favour of such a course. The people have over and over again of late years pronounced in favour of the principle of abolition, and with the details of such a measure the constituencies are not competent to deal. Nearly everywhere throughout the colony, since the measures have been before the country, the decision of public meetings has been in their favour. In Canterbury, the one exception was that of the Leeston meeting, where a resolution against abolition was carried by fifteen to eleven. But, in this instance, the tactics of the opposition were painfully evident. Instead of trying to secure an open and candid expression of the opinion of the district, every care appears to have been taken to get only the friends of provincialism together ; as little publicity was given to the meeting as possible, but fortunately a few of the friends of free discussion turned up, and entered a solemn protest against the manner in which it had been called, and thus the victory, if such it may be called, will have added but little to the cause of those who got it up. There is yet another indication of the angry spirit which actuates the Opposition, Sir George Grey has announced that he will oppose' the measure should it pass Parliament, on legal grounds, as if such a course would delay for any length of time a measure which had been agreed upon by the representatives of the people. This party, whose rallying cry is “ Ap- “ peal to the people,” has decided to take measures on mere legal grounds to oppose the deliberately expressed opinions of their representatives. There may be doubts of the power of the Assembly to abolish the provinces. If any such really exist, it is not a reason why that body should delay

passing the Bills. If they have the power they must get it. The Im perial Parliament would, as a matter of course, set all doubts at rest on that point, by validating the Act, but the fact that doubt does exist in the minds of some men is no reason whatever for asking Parliament to delay passing the Bills now.