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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 30

A Cause of Peril

A Cause of Peril.

Now, the great peril in which, at this moment, democratic institutions in England stand, is that this distinguishing principle has become confused by the introduction of the Irish question. In England we have now - in consequence, I may say, of absolute blundering, which I propose to deal with more particularly next Monday night—got the spectacle of the English Government and the English House of Commons in a state of almost irretrievable confusion. Instead of those two great forces of which I spoke being alone at work, we have now the introduction of a third force—Mr Parnell and his party—who hold the balance of power and render it impossible for either side to govern with effect. (Applause.) Now, gentlemen, it is because I see the trouble that this state of affairs is bringing upon England—because of the confusion and loss of power which make it impossible to carry forward good measures—in consequence, I say, of that third power—that I have distinctly stated we must not and shall not have a similar state of affairs here in New Zealand. I say that at the present time the crisis here is so serious that we must have representative government in an orderly form. And if we have a third power, neither falling in with the Government nor with the Opposition, the hands of the Government will become paralysed like those of the Government at Home. The hands of the men who are knocking on the head the ignorance, fraud, deceit, and incapacity that have arisen of late in the colony must not be paralysed by some third power. (Interruption.)