The Press. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1885.

Press, Volume XLI, Issue 6154, 10 June 1885, Page 2

The Press. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1885.

As the opening day of the session approaches reports of all sorts are put in circulation as to the intentioneof the Gorernment, and through the medium of the Press Association the public are receiving each information as Ministers consider desirable ehoald he made pnhlie. We leara that they axe busily engaged with the task of getting their measures for the eeeeiea ready. The financial Statement, it ia understood, has been prepared, the Policy Bills hare been drafted, and all arrangements made for proceeding at once with the work of the session. In fact, if we axe to believe the reports which are allowed to become public, the Government axe at the present moment waiting impatiently for an opportunity of proving how united they ate, and how anxious they axe to place before the colony their plana for further developing its reeoareeaaad for ensuring the peace and mTLone way of looking at the matter. *?£?£* **» ° f **? which eanooi.be enttrely overlooked. Bumoar* lave twM the outer world

that the members of the Cabinet are far from being the happy family they are in certain quarters represented to be. Tbeir action during the recess ba» given a certain amount of colour to these reports. Until recently the Premier and the Colonial Treasurer contrived to keep as far apart from each other as possible. If the on* went to Anckland, the other eoaght refage is the extreme South. If by any accident they met for a brief period at the seat of Government, the meeting mc made as short as possible. Not only were they, as a rule, separated from each other physically, they never spoke without dieeloeing how completely they were at variance on all the leading political questions of the day. Bat the approach of the session has made it imperative that the different members of the Cabinet should meet together in Wellington and decide as to the sort of measures that must be introduced. That the task of determining what must be done and what left undone, so as to satisfy their supporters, has been no easy one can well be imagined. If they have not realised this fact before they must be conscious of it now. Within the last week or two members have been perform* ing the unpleasant duty of addressing their constituents. Here in Canterbury quite a number of our representatives have been giving the public their views regarding political questions. Daring last session no section of the House was more thoroughly loyal to the Ministry than the great bulk of the Canterbury members. They had unbounded faith in the ability and good intentions of Ministers. They are still prepared to support them for a variety of reasons. But the tone of the majority of the speeches is very different from what it probably would have been had they been delivered immediately after the session dosed. Iα the interval public opinion with reference to the Government has undergone a material change. The expectations *hich were so generally raised during last session have not yet been realised. The prosperity which was to set in within a few weeks of the change of Ministry has so far not arrived. In the meantime people have been asking what ground they had, in the fintinstaaoe,forexpectinganyeuohreeulte. The inquiry has not been altogether satisfactory to them; and they have become impatient and critical. They see things now in a different light, and are a little ashamed of themselves for having given themselves np to day dreams at a time when they should have been alert and observant. Public feeling has been partially reflected in the speeches of our .members. For one reason or another I most of them feel bound to support the Government during the session. But their reasons for doing so are of the most conflicting nature. One or another condemns nearly every important measure to be brought down of which we have any information. One dislike* the protective i tendencies of Ministers, and h <pcs that I they will let the question alone. Another is all for protection. A third admires their supposed liberal views with reference to the land. A fourth charges Ministers practically with a breach of faith for allowing such viewe to be promulgated by any member of ins Cabinet. A fifth is a great admirer of Mr. Baxlancb and his Native land policy, while others have ventured to go the length almost of intimating to the Government that if Mr. Ballance is to be allowed to put into practice any of his radical theories there must be an end to their allegiance. Another is full of "hope" that all will come out right, although for the time being: bis faith in Ministers' good intentions is by no means great. Never-; theless, nearly every one of the speakers to whom we have been referring have announced themselves as Government supporters.

The question ie, how loag will the existing state of things last, and ie anything likely to happen daring the present session to cause a disruption of the Cabinet? Much will depend on the nature of the measures submitted for the consideration of the Legislature. It is pretty clear that the Radical section of the Ministerial following are by no means satisfied with the share out of last session's legislation which fell to the lot of the Radicals. The most has been made of the few Acts passed which could be described as Liberal. The Married Women's Property Act has had to do any amount of duty to prove that the legislation of last session was Liberal, although it would be absurd, considering the history of that measure, to give Mr. Stout and his colleagues much credit for having got it placed on the Statute Book. The proceedings of the recess seem to indicate that Mr. Stout's followers will not be satisfied with another barren session from a Radical point of view. On the other hand the pronounced Yogelites are alarmed at the prospect of Mr. Stout gaining an ascendency in the Cabinet. 'J hey have let it be known that they gave (he Government their sap. port on the understanding that Ministers are to devote themselves to practical legislation, and that fads and theories are to be religiously ignored. The Vogelites are exercised in their minds at the prospect of that understanding being put aside. Mr. Ballance's proceedings and Mr. Stout's speeches have alarmed them not a little, and it remains to be seen- in what manner the Government will be able to satisfy both sections of their party. Wβ see it hinted that the threat of a dissolution will be held over rebellious followers, and in certain circumstances such a threat might have an effect. Bnt members know only too well that a threat of the kind would be mere idle bounce. Were Ministers to ask for and get a dissolution the present combination must necessarily dissolve also. As long as there is no appeal to the electors the party may be kept together for a while by means which could not possibly be brought to bear upon the great mass of the electors. The members of the Government know that fact well enough, and are only holding together in the meantime for their own political purposes. The moment either section of the Ministry feels itself strong enough to do without the aid of the other that moment we may expect to hear that there has been a disruption in the Cabinet. In the meantime the various antagonistic elements which united keep the Government in office will be kept together as losg as pp"ffhfa by such means as have been already referred to. When these fail the party must necessarily fall to pieces.