The Press. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1890.

Press, Volume XLVIL, Issue 7730, 9 December 1890, Page 4

The Press. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1890.

In coneideriag tbe present politiosi position, it should not be forgotten tbat the election which h»s just taken place w«s uot m eossequenpe of a special appeal to the constituencies ©yer a pwtlf?ulftr question. It is true that the general policy of tbe Government was placed prc__inei_tly before the ia *fa« manifesto issued po his own oonftitnents. But the Miijistiy hawf sfit been (Jefeateo! in the House over any specif question, and had not . to tJIO eountry.ftgainßt an adverse verdict of the House of Representatives. We #|rait/ of course, ih a, generfti way, that members were on their trial by ttie constituencies, just as the Opposition may said to have been on their trial also. The Government came before the country with certain administrative blunders on their shoulders, whioh undoubtedly told against them. The Minister of Education no doubt owes his defeat largely to the WardHialop ease; and that and other matters have had winjnrions, influence on the ancoess of the party at the polling booths. XJnfortnnateJy also, the elections have followed attar the most-erioaa labor straggle which has eve- been experienced in these colonies. That trouble has naturally been seized *opon by the opponents of the Government as, a means of influencing the elections. Those in office were, M a matter of -puree, regarded throaghoßt the struggle as ittimioal to the interests of the Unions ';s%*# wete" yespensibje for tbe r»Uways being vl&ced in tha hand* of Commissioner-, and those Commisaionera had a serious duty to discharge to the 1 esnntry. The performance of tiiat duty brought? them, more or less, into (H>cfiict witb the Unions, and it was an easy task to work up a strong political opinion advene to the Gov-cnme&t and to the Commi--ion-rs and to employer- generally. The YictorianooaJition Government, repreeemting die two sides of the House in that colonyi bave lately been defeated find. ««np-lled to . resign, mainly fo. the reaaoa that they were in' office during the atrike, and bad to rnako themselves res{K>n-ible for the peace of tbe colony a&d safety of ita citizens. The ejections in New Zealaojd, following. in the wake of onr great straggle, has resulted in calling into eifetance * labor party, and that party has to a man declared itself in opposition to; the Government of the foj- v few iw pf? sm\m

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control was ac heAttily «nd<rteed*W the majority of .the;meuabere of the' Opposition ac ife was by the-membenf of the Government party. It would have been equally futile to havd | ' pointed out that had representatives of ■the present Opposition been in offioe they must have stood by the Comj j miasioners in insisting on the business of the country bauig carried on, and must have hekTthemselves responsible for the safety of the lives and property; of the oitieeua, ' v A i \ What we have said above goes to ; show, we think, that the materials for 'forming a ©f\ fne J I views and intentions of trr% majority jof the House are not easily found. If the programme put forward by the labor party were made the test question in a ia ;the ; Dew House, i it appears to as that the eupporters of j the labor programme would be in a hopeless minority. There are Several i members elected to the new House who have no sympathy whatever with the special programme of the Labor party, who are yet described as members of the Opposition. It is talten for, granted, in some quarters, in discueeing the situation, that all these members could be relied on to give their 1 votes with the Opposition, This'is an as* sumptaon entirely unwarranted by the facts. Let us take an illustration. Suppose that a leading plank in the polioy of a Miuiatry formed from the Opposition eide of the House, was progressive land taxation, couJ4 such a Ministry hope to secure anything like a, general vote in its favor? Could the country members of the party consent to" ;i policy aimed at the cUstriiotioa of the bes# ijtftrests of f Ou the other hand, were the suggested new Go?ernijaeot coatent to pursue, policy of moderation, what would their , extreme followers «ay 1 They would probably claim — and; ;if they did j i not, then their constituents would -«the right by virtue of numbers ,to control ;thejpolicy of the party. While therefore it is apparent ! that Ministers have not a working I majority iv the new House, it is by no .means certain, takiugany leading ques- ; tion of policy as a test, that they are ! really defeated. - In other words, the i course whicli Ministers should follow is far from being perfectly clear. Had they appealed, *s we have said, on one large questiou of policy, and beeu defeated, their duty would betve bee» plain. j They would no doubt h»Y9*t once j resigned, and reoommended his Excelf lenpy to for &$, 4» it ie the position is complicated by, a variety of coueideiatious, which make the task of arriviog at a conclusion a jKiost., , one,. The general opinion appears to be that the. proper course to follow ie to call Psrlwmeiit together an speedily as possible, aa4 leave it to that tribunal to settle 1 ths difficulty* This was the constitutional course in times past, and its ie a rule which h*s only been .departed from, as we sbowed yesterday, when the position is perfectly < clear. In the prijaen* the pQaijiion is not by any meanp olejar. Neither Sir Habby AisHtsoE not Mj», Ballanoc has a majority in the Uouse, and the latter ie Co ail appearanoe in a greater. minority than hie opponent. Whether any other person could command a majority there remaiua to be seeiv If the OovernmenJ, after f»U conaideiation, determine to call the House together almost at once in order to solve the problem, they will be at least aotipg striotly in accordance witj» coo-' afcitutionai principle.