The Globe. MONDAY JULY 15, 1878.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1377, 15 July 1878, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY JULY 15, 1878.

Two Canterbury members are about to address their constituents. Coming, as these addresses do, immediately before the commencement of the session, they will, wo should presume, naturally partake more of an indication of the line of policy intended to bo adopted than a resume of what has already been done. If this presumption bo correct, then the delay which has occurred in these gentlemen meeting then* constituents will not bo without its advantages. It will, we should imagine, be hardly necessary for tho members to go over the well beaten ground of tho occurrences of last session to their constituents. This has now been done so often that the public are fully informed upon this subject. But what they and the provincial district generally require to know is what lino our members are likely to take upon certain important points which have cropped up recently. The opportunity of explaining this to their constituents has now been afforded to Mr. Brown and Mr. Richardson if they desire to do. One of tho points upon which the electors are interested in learning the course likely to bo pursued by their representatives is tho recent glaring breach of trust by the Government in retaining the balance of the land fund duo to the various Road Boards of the provincial dish-ict The late period of tho addresses of the two honorable members to whom we have referred will them a chance of doing this, of which wo hope hey wi avail themselves. This is the more important because, if reference is made to the subject, it will also enable an expression of public opinion to bo given. it is true that the chairmen of Road Boards have mot and passed resolutions on the subject. Those resolutions have, no doubt, been warmly endorsed by tho great body of tho people of the district. But no public meetings have yet been held regarding the cpicstion. Tho time lias come, however, when active stops should be taken to make the voice of the people directly heard. Ministers have apparently an idea that they can continue' their present course of “ highway robbery ” with impunity, and that when Parliament meets all they have to do is to get the Legislature to endorse their thieving acts. It is therefore of the highest importance that a most emphatic expression of opinion should bo given, not only in Chri schurch, but throughout the country districts. Indeed tho electors in those Canterbury districts which are represented by supporters of the Govorumofft; if any such uow exist,

would only bo doing tlioir duty if tboy endeavoured to elicit an expression of the views of their members upon the subject. The electors of Akaroa, for example, might fairly ask Mr. Montgomery whether lie still had confidence in the good intentions of the Government regarding the land fund. Our readers will remember how warmly he spoke on the subject in January last, when ho told his audience that but for Sir G. Grey’s declarations made in the House some members would have voted differently. They might ask him now, if ho is still of opinion that it is his duty to support the present Government—a Government which is so disreputable as to gain support on the strength of promises which they apparently never intended to fulfil. Would Mr. Montgomery and those who voted with him last session have given the Grey Government their support had they boon aware of the course the Cabinet intended to follow touching the surplus land fund ? The hon. member for Akaroa took great credit to himself for securing that money, and ho almost led his constituents to understand that it was the price the Grey Government paid for his vote and interest. But ho and his friends have been deceived. Their support is no longer necessary, and so they are to bo thrown overboard. What do they intend to do ? Are they still going on to trust them in spite of present experiences, or will they when it is too late turn round and oppose them? Wo hope therefore that some effort will bo made to got them to inform their constituents of their opinions before the House meets. It is evident that a determined effort is going to bo made as soon as Parliament assembles to get the sanction of the Legislature in the course Ministers are taking. Wo hope therefore that when Mr. Richardson addresses his constituents that he will speak out plainly as regards this matter, and that the electors will also give no uncertain sound. Into the legality of the proposed deductions by the Government wo shall not enter in this issue. It is quite certain, at any rate, that there was no uncertainty in the minds of the Canterbury supporters of the Ministry when the House rose. It was perfectly understood that the balance was about £300,000; the published accounts of the Treasury afterwards showed that it was £315,000. In acting as they have done, they have deceived not only their opponents, but a number of their friends. We hope, therefore, that the electors of Christchurch will make their opinion very clearly understood at the close of Mr. Richardson’s meeting.