The Star. THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1882.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4400, 1 June 1882, Page 2

The Star. THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1882.

Fob a shcokd timb has Mr Hurst been offered to a reluctant Houee ■?. for a eeoond time has the Parliamentary gorge risen, and dcciined to swallow tbe morsel. Political conscience ie not entirely dead in Wellington, ib seems. It considers that tbe line ought to be drawn Bomewhere, and it draws ib at Mr Hurst. The Opposition is ready on occasion to eat humble pie, but the principal constituent of the dish must not be the rat. Nothing short of absolute starvation oonld reconcile them to that. Before the present session, Government has made one or two half-hearted attempts to reward the man toy whoße treachery they were indebted for their existence. For example, Mr Hurßt was proposed by them last year as candidate for an important chairmanship, and Ministerialist* made merry over the disgust expressed by the Opposition thereat. But it turned out that the Opposition were not alone in feeling disgust. Their dislike to Mr Hurßt was shared by a respectable section on ths Government side of the Houee, who felt that repugnance to the member for Waitemata, which the gentleman naturally entertains for the turncoat. So Mr Hurst had to make his bow to the Houbo, and retire from, candidature with the best grace he could. On the present oooasion he has done exactly the same thing. •He has had to offer battle, and again had to retreat in face of the enemy. This ib humiliating both for Mr Hurst and for the Government whioh proposes him. But that it is most deservedly humiliating, no one oan for a moment deny. The House won't have Mr Hurst at any price ; that i» the plain English of the affair. It may be unpleasant for Mr Hurst and his backers ; bub it ought to be pleasant for the publio, as showing that their representatives have not yet lost all Belf-respect. The battle between Messrs Thompson and Hamlin calls for but a few words. The Government, of course, . won, though by a narrow majority, and the Opposition was beaten. We say this because— though the question was avowedly not a party one — the votes were yet given in a decidedly party Bpitit. In the drnsion list, the Oppoiition is to be found massed on one side, and ths Government on the other. But there was this curious feature in the fight : After the elimination of Mr Hurst, both the remaining candidates were Opposition men. They belong, it is true, to different sections of the party, for Mr Hamlin has always been found in that wing which fights under ir Georgo Grey, while Mr Thompson has been a consistent follower of Mr Maoandrew. But both .have been steadily opposed to the Hall Ministry, and aro not likely to be friendß of its successors. Tbo Government haß always, notoriously lived by carrying Opposition measures. It now seemß determined to cling to. life, even at the price of carrying Opposition men. The Opposition is to hare anything it likes, except office. This is a state of things whioh cannot continue long,.