The Press. MONDAY,SEPTEMBER 23. 1889.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7422, 23 September 1889, Page 4

The Press. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23. 1889.

Judging- by the tone of the Opposition $*r4si throughout the country, one must st-ppoeo them to do not a little plated with the results of the session. We certainly did Tiear niraburs before lie session commenced of a grand attack to be forthwith made upon the Ministerial Benches, the result; to be that the present Ministry were to be displaced and the session .itself given up to* the excellent measures i which the Opposition were intend-' ing "to . pass. This ?a say is what, we used to" hear before tho session actually commenced.' It has how come and gone, the Government are still upon the Ministerial benches,, awi the chances e_ tha Opposition are not only relegated to a future .meetings of the Hbuse, but it is absolutely unoertain what, when it moats* they will find* it convenient to ; do. Iff is jo-tb as well, however, that * they* should".'; keep up a. cheeiful heart. If they cannot make __er*ry.over a defeated Ministry they can at aU events express themselves highly satisfied with things as they are: Tbe power of adapting bneseK, to r exirtlnjgf eii-innstanoes, especially when it is plea* that.the eireumpjanees won't adapt thetnaelves to us, is one of tha.____tufle.ul things in nature } we cordially congratolatef bur Oppo-E*-tion Mends on the ability they are i make the mostof it*. *... I 'What havetheydone f They have;

-wraghtfor-rwd seve*^TOteto**w*w * attr -They* hare opposed, psrtJry-Hsy stonewalling and partly by a con- ' venient change of front, one after and some of them they have thus succeeded in defeating. Of those, however, which have- not been passed some of the most important certainly do hot failure to the brilliancy of the Opposition tactics. In a community like ours it is o<*a-.onaliy aJmost|a aref*ssi*y that a Measure should be brought ttrbythe Government and pressed somewhat seriously upon the attention of the country, as *to "which it is recognised from the first that it is impossible that it can. pass, at all events during the existing session. Sir H. Atkinson's proposal of £he Hare, system war ]u_* such an mstanee. • -It' i_j most of us think, a very desirable change. But it is, a change which the country had not itself called for, and which had no chance of attracting public attention untjfl it wa>introduced and brought before the House as a Ministerial measure. Sir H. Atkinson secured for it a full debate, and thua a discussion of it upon its merits all over the country. When the 'nest general election takes place it will be found, we think, that candidates will have to be prepared to explain to the constituencies their own views; of the system, and why they are or are not ready to aid in passing it into law. The course, therefore*, which has been taken by the Ministry, will probably result in the system being adopted by the colony some years earlier } than would otherwise have been the case. That the Opposition would oppose and would for the present succeed, in defeating it, goeswithoutsaying.; "'" We alluded just now to the frequent want of confidence motions. Nd doubt it is commonly spoken of as being the duty of an Opposition to turn out the Government. But it is not less well recognised as their. when they cannot succeed in this object to make the best bargain they can for the country in fairly criticising apd improving the actual measures which the Government submit. This; part of their duty we are unable io say that the Opposition have performed. So far from it, that where they have seen an opportunity of en_ba_*f_«_i_ , g the Government they have turned round upon themselves, and contrived to procure the defeat of measures of which' earlier in the session! t/bey had expressed their approval. The OtagoCentral is an instance of this kind, of proceeding. Earfy in 1 the* 'session Mr. Ballance ~expressed ,Jtns approval -• e£ -the course - thefi Government proposed to take, 1 but later, the circumstances remaining unaltered, he and bv*.-party joined iff with others who. had th*:oughou| r a<*ted in conscientious opposite***, to the meaiaure, and with their aid" threw out the BilL Perhaps* we; were wroag> in saying that the -ircumatances had remained unaltered. The actual facts, we think, were the same, but the "appearance which* these a, facts presented, m the eyes' of the"*"Opposition had, there is reason to think, undergone a material 1 change, i The Opposition have not succeeded in keeping. their secrets -ao jdisciately as I might be. It has come to be quite understood that they are now playing a Waiting gainw. {-".jr H. Ai-rorarag. baa succeeded in bringing the finances into a state of admirable order, promising, as they think, in a short time to render : less absolutely necessary than now the • economies which have been practising. There are still, as we all know, a \ number of railways whose further progress has been abandoned on account of their non-paying qualities. I Once or twice efforts have been made to have these railways brought into | consideration along with the Otago [ Central. It was, of course, the duty 'of the Government stedfastly to resist suggestions of this kind. The Government action could not openly !be complained of, but there has j nevertheless been sedulously fostered

lin the House an under ciirj-e^t O o|. : feeling which maybe i§ the expression "All or none." The • Opposition are, in fact, looking to the moment—early they hope it will be— when they shall be seated themselves on the Ministerial f side o_|s|e House. jThey hopcg financial \ condition ijbrjpjptfewii fwwSi *>y the Government will enable them to I present a favorable budget to :the country, and they will take the opportunity notwithstanding e4l thair-has been said and vdOOeK d£ obtaining the consent of a gratified House to a fresh loan. Thus far, as our readers are well aware, the whole policy of the dw§r_*__iei_# I has proceeded upon the principle that |the thing itself is to be wound up as steadily ajad little delay as the admit. ; And this carried out nearly to its conclusion. In a short time, if the present Government re_na|raß iT&#mce, the public wiltceale'to be. This will not Suit tfii Opposition. They want the public works system stilljx* be continued. To this end ifc is necessary that they should secure as large an area

a# ,it» . which «&#»©& in favor of '' that : *-|M_y *' * %Iy be fostered. It seems to have astutely occurred to them that if the Otago <$9sv| SUI pi 'She iession were suffered to* pass," those *ano were interested in that measure would ceri development of the Public i system. A word to the wise is enough. ;We are sure the publio will carefully f watch the proceedings of the Opposi- ! tion in this matter, and will form their own conclusions.