THE manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 7, 1381. REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 158, 7 September 1881, Page 2

TH E manawatu Times.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 7, 1381. REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.

" Word* ase things, Mid « drop of ink tailing like dew upon a thought, produces that which ma)"thousands, perhaps millions think."

H'thetmo it has beeß the proud bop.Bt of the people of New Zealand that its ■Pavlfatqe'DS notable for ifs pu >'iy f a,nd]nvid'ous oomparisong W6i*e dvawn 'between ibs Legis^af u -.'e ?.-id tbo.se of ofcbei* coloTjiei, very m,uch to tbe d'sa-^ya.i?.tp-.?e of tbe latter. It would, appear, however, fi'om : .'.>e e^pevieace of tbe pasfcweek that we are not one w'-vb better tban onr oar i>'eTslibovß,. arid we very mucb quei'j ie we ace nrai'l y so good. The .same 'Itsto'iewi'lliug" tactics ' wikicli obsii'ucie'rl legi^at'oia m Vtei pria f or so long, bas been pc^'Tnatised m We 1 Region; but it would be &

nifltter fov e«7'oest cou;>raiulation i£ tliat wes tLe only scandal which iias come ')efo"e il^e onbiirof ia<"o. Two members of il>e Upper House have boon rcci'sec-. of felling their hono-r-Tip, aii(.l ali.l)OP';h a lmjority of the ooiomi'teo appoinrec 1 to investigate thechnrue ba.ve returned a verelict of a^'U'Mal. it is a significant fact thur .«cer:'] members refused to receive the report, and voted that it should be referred back to its f cairn re. D l>as been asserted that the lion Kobert Campbell — one of the richest, if not actually the m-heyt, men m the Colony — before his (le; a"(.ure for England disposed of his i>onor.i"iutn to Mr Reeves, a member of Iv.e House of Representatives, and lhat the money was actually paid on the transaction. Considering that the H.ou Robert Campbell has been out of the country long befoi'e the opening of Parliament, and consequently ?as never taken bis seat during the Sesfiou, the Dublic will see that his honorarium, if paid, will be so much of the .revenue of the State, actually given away. But it would appear that the Hon. Robebt Campbell is not the only member of the Upper House who drives a trade m his legislative honors. The Hon Mr Wood, one of the representatives of Ota<^o, has been accused of also selling his solatium to Mr Reeves, and although he repudiates the bargain and asserts that it was all a joke, there are not a few hon. members who believe that the excuse is excessively lame, and the joke carried much too far. So much for the boasted purity of the Lords — men "whose social position and wordly wealth should place them above falling a prey to temptation. The proceedings of the Lower House have been merely a farce, and each day's rifting a considerable tax upon the ratepayers of the Colony. It is true the " Stonewall has been shattered, 1 ' but while the fact Uself is a matter for congratulation, we are very much afraid the manner m which it was effected is worthy of the severest censufe and not calculated io uphold the dignity of Parliament. As is well known the obstoiuiionist tactics bad been m operation for the l»est pat't of last week, during which iiuieboth Mr Sevmoub, the Chairman of Comxriittees, and even the Speaker bnpself have been repeatedly defied, if not actually, a.t least by wjlie.^ion. At the evening si t~ Vv'y on Fnt.'nv, Mr Seymouu announced when trk'ng the Chair, that from tbpt time he would not permit any motion to report nrogress to be put from the Chan', nor would he leave the Chair. In o'-der to test the Parliamentary legpliiy of such a ruling, Me Gisbobhe. the member for Totara, moved " tbat progress be renorted," arid upon imistirig upon bis right to speak to the motion, the Chau'mau left the Chair, and reported to the Speaker thatthehoumember for Totara had acted m defiance of the ruling of the Chair. X motion was bvoug'at forward that Mr GTSBOMfE wns guil ly of contempt, which was carried by forty-six to f w co ( y-seveii . the eon.l innaciaus member was summoned to the bar of the House, reprimanded m the most solemn manner, fined £20, ?nd informed that be would not be allowed to take his seat vntil the amount was p?id. Now, it strikes us, as it ceHfinily will those who consider fche matter, that there is soine'hnig strange m the whole proceedings. If the Cbalrmnn of Committees bad the power to refuse to put a motion to report progress or to leave the Chai'', then be has either wilfully or strpidly ignored a right placet m his ha'ids. whereby be could have put an end to the obstrud'ou days before. If, on the other hand, he hsd no Parliamentary precedent or authority for his action, the remedy is far worse than the evil. It may appear very awe-inspiring for Sir Gforge O'Rorkg, when asked upon what authority he acted, f o reply, as he once did "on my authority as Speaker, Sir," but we apprehend that his duty is to administer the rules of the House, see that its members corfirm j to its usages, and not set himself up a Dictator, whose mere ipse dixit overrides all written law. The action of F ; day evening is of a rerv suspicious character, a-nd would lead one to suppose ihat the rules of the House we^e to be set aside, brute force be brought into reouisit'on; and might to 1 vronnise over richt. If. as we have before snid, the Chapman and Sneaker hadthe right to act as they did on Friday night, then they have been culpably negligent m allow;nsr the time of the House to be wasted for tl^ee or four days.