The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1885.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 130, 17 June 1885, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1885.

for t_« «»-_« tbat l.oki utlßtuce, For tha wnnf that nee-ii roalstano., Sot the faton la tha 4i»t_nct, Aad tha good that v* oaa do,

The sudden collapse of the debate on the Address-in-Reply has, we learn from our Parliamentary reporter, created great astonishment amongst members, and the widest and most dissimilar reasons are assigned as the cause. In debating the Address-in-Reply, the Opposition have the only chance that is afforded them during the session of reviewing the wholeof the Government's past actions, and some think that the reason the Opposition allowed this opportunity to slip is that they are thoroughly disheartened, or that they do not see in any of the Ministerial acts a weak spot which might be attacked by hostile critics. These, of course, regard last night's contretemps as a decided score for the Government. There are others, however, who hold that Major Atkinson's inaction was a masterly one, and full of political finesse and cunning. They assert that the neglect to debate the Address leaves Ministers quite in the dark as to who are thoir friends and who are their foes. Of these two theories we arc inclined to think the latter is most probably the correct one. Major Atkinson's expressed desire not to retard the business of the country had a certain piscatorial air about it, and the hon. gentleman will find few believers in his professions of disinterested zeal for the moulding of Government measures. There is also a third contingency, and if we read the future by the light of the past it must not be utterly disregarded, that last night's events foreshadow a coalition between Major Atkinson and a section of the present party in power. There is just a soupgon of something that insinuates careful rehearsal about the duet between the member for Egmont and the Premier described in our report of the proceedings in the House. The questions so neatly fit into the replies that one is inclined to suspect that the whole affair was cut and dried.

Receiving no assistance from the debate on the Address, and in view of the indefiniteness of party lines, it is impossible as yet to gauge the relative strength of sides. A great many members, though by no means enamoured of the present occupants of the Treasury Benches, will support them, purely acting on the principle of bearing the ills they have rather than fly to oth.is they can dimly see ahead. Some members will also incline to give the Ministry a chance of developing their policy. Th.. opening scenes of the session, however, confirm the opinion we have already expressed, that the Ministry are tolerably safe if internal dissension does not cause their downfall, or unless they try some measure which will alienate their Canterbury supporters. Sir Julius Vogel appears, however, to have got the Radicalism of his

colleagues well subdued, and |Mr | Hislop's appeal to the Premier to boldly taka tlie lead and bring down measures consonant with the policy enunciated by him during hi., election ' campaign, we may confidently venture to assert, fell on deaf earn. The Cabinet have too many other axes to grind to shipwreck themselves in tlie effort to work out advanced problems of government.