The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published Every Tuseday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Thursday June 5, 1890. POLITICAL MATTERS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 463, 5 June 1890, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published Every Tuseday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Thursday Jun e 5, 1890. POLITICAL MATTERS.

Be just and fear not; Let nJ] the ends thou aim’st at be thy oountryVj Thy God’s, and truth’s.

In a couple of weeks Parliament will be again in session. The peculiar characteristic about the New Zealand Parliament is the redundancy of Bills that are introduced — Bills many of them of the most mischievous nature, and such that it would have been better they had never been drawn. A great many of the Acts that are made are totally harmful in their results, because though the idea may have been good, the measures are usually framed in such a way as to be positively absurd, and to leave them open for an altogether different construction being put upon them than was intended by Parliament. It would be a great public gain if a large number of the Bills that are introduced were simply thrown into the waste-paper basket. The great ease with which legislation is effected in New Zealand is a source of public danger, and has ever been a cause of much perplexity. Whenever Parliament is sitting some section or other of the community is in a state of irritation, not knowing what step may next be taken, and being like the proverbial toad under the harrow, in constant dread of which spike may stick into them next. One of the highest qualifications which a representative of the people can now possess, in the prevailing order of things, is the ability to place a check upon hasty legislation, for it has come to this, that the people are actually afraid of their own Parliament, and of the disturbing influence of members who are always airing their own whims.

None of the foregoing remarks are likely to apply to the coming session, because that will probably be carried to the other extreme. It seems that it will be little more than a scratch gathering—a meeting of representatives just for the sake of form, and then an indecent scramble for home again, to begin the electioneering campaign anew, In every other district but the East Coast there seems to be much activity in political matters, and many intending candidates have already definitely announced their determination to seek election to the new Parliament. The electors in the northern portion of the East Coast district have made no definite move in the matter, probably out of deference to this portion of the electorate, and also because they feel they will have considerable interest in the Te Aroha electorate. But while action on either side is being delayed the probability is that it will lead to candidates being put up to represent the northern and southern sections of the electorate, and not to represent the people as a whole. It will be a great pity if anything of the kind does occur. The object of the East Coast district should now be to secure combination with the members for the Te Aroha and Hawke’s Bay constituencies, and not be for ever left out in the cold. If there is a contest as between the two sections of the electorate there is certain to be Comin ted disunion, to the prejudice of the interest of all parties. A contest in which political principles are the guiding point is very often a great gain, and forms a good means of instruction to many electors themselves ; but a sort of family quarrel could only result in harm, and is therefore to be strongly deprecated.

Still it is very much to be feared as an outcome of the present unsettled state of things, and the sooner something definite is done in the selection of a candidate, the less likelihood is there of a contest in which political principles will form no part.