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Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 229, 25 September 1903, Page 5

MELBOURNE, this clay. The "Argus," in a leading article, holds tihat Mr Deakin will not "have lihe personal ascendancy ovev the Cabinet that Sir Edmund Barton enjoyed. The Government hais little hops to escape from subjection to ■ the labour Party with Mr Deakin as its head. There are few lengths to which the Labour Party would jyo, the "Argus" considers, that he would not willingly follow the Ministry by successive withdrawals has lost its strength to a very d'angercus extent. The "Age" is joyful over poi-scissing a Victorian Prime Minister. (Received n.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. The "Daily Telegraph," in commeniinp: upon the High Court and the action of two Ministers in leaving , the G-ovwn-mte'ii/t on the eve of the elections, thus securing positions for tihenwlvas, says: —'"ft is much to be regmtted tlmt the first Federal Parliament should end with such a.n exhibition of irresponftibility that the Court should be cradled in party p&lit'ics of thi.s unlovely kind- Apart frwu Diis, the appoirvtmeiits are satisfactory, and tihat of ,Sir Sxrauel .Grifli-ths ais Chief Justice is the redeeming fea.tiu-p of the sit nation. The leadership of the Government has tQ the maa> who lias done most to earn distinction."

The "Sydney Morning Herald"' considers that the personnel of the new Court leaves little to be desired. With regard to the changes in the Ministry ■it does not appear clear that New South Wales will be benefited. The '•'Herald"'looks upon Mr Chapman's appointment as an insult to the State.

[The Hon. Alfred Deakin, the new Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, is -17 years oi" tljpj, ami the sou of Win. Deakin, a wellknown coach proprietor of the early days in .Victoria. Born at I.tzroy, Melbourne, he was educated at the Church of England Grammar School and at Melbourne University, where, However, he never look his degree. Called to the Bar in 1877, he also worked as a journalist, being successively on the staffs of tlie ''Age" and the •"Lead-

er." Returned to the Assembly in 1871), he resigned ou the grounds that the ballot was incomplete—a fair indication of the high principles that have characterised his public life. After two further failures Mr Deakin was eventually returned for West Bourke, aud sat. for that constituency till ISB9, when lie wa.s returned for Ewseaden and Flemington. He then speedily grew in the eyes of tin; public and lus colleagues. Here are hi.s earlier offices:—Commissioner of Public Works in 188;t; Commissioner of Water Supply, 158..-18S0, in which years he was also Solicitor-General. In ISSy he succeeded in carrying the first measure in Australia providing for irrigation, and helped on its work by reporting on a special visit to /America. In 1885 Mr Deakin succeeded Sir Graham (then Mr) Berry as leader of the Liberal party, and in this capacity he hud great opportunities (of which he availed himself) of carrying out the beginnings of his ambitious scheme of irrigation. In 1888 lie went as Victorian delegate to the Chinese Conference, in 1.880 wa.s a member of the Federal Council, and was one of the two Victorian 'delegates to tlie Federation Conference in Melbourne in 1800. Next year he was one of tlie *ev»n delegates to the Federal Convention. Thereafter Mr Deakin held oniee as Solicitor-General, except in the comparatively brief intervals when he was not in Parliament, which he filled by some brilliant work at the Bar, including the defence of tho notorious murderer Deeming. In 1900 he represented Victoria in. a visit to London to help to secure the passing of the Commonwealth Act. On the forming of the first Federal Ministry by Sir Edmund Barton two years ago Mr Deakin took office as Attorney-Genera!.]