The Press. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1894. THE POSITION OF MINISTRES.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8898, 14 September 1894, Page 4

The Press. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1894. THE POSITION OF MINISTRES.

Thb telegraphic reports of the proceedings of Parliament give us graphic pictures of wordy battles, of smart and bitter retorts, and of moving events from day to day, bat necessarily fair to record the broader and slower movements, in a word, the real inner life of the House. It is only now and then that the under;enj*reota are revealed to us. by these daily telegrams. Yet it is thiS'lnner life which gives the slue to olapjF coming changes in the state of and the trend of The House 1 & t: 6 « been About two and a half - mod ths In

seGsion, and will last till about the middle of October. Taking a bird'seye view of all this ungracious past, it is clear that several weighty changes are in progress. .Ministers began the session backed by the largest majority yet known in New Zealand's history, and large .as* was its numbere its enthusiasm for its chiefs was equally great. All on the earface was smiling and pleasant, but it was the fair outward eeeming only, for internally there were visible signs of decay, and as the weeks rolled on these sigus became more and more marked. Ministers, viewing the empty seats on the Opposition benches and lookiug with haughty pride on their own well filled and enthusiastic ranks, grew insolent in their pride. This pride is of the kind which goeth before a fali. They would rule as they pleased; their word should be law, their slightest command be obeyed. Every Ministerial follower should be as well drilled, as obedient and unthinking in his actions as Tommy Atkins drilled by a pompous sergeant. Whenever a supporter asked an unpleasant question he was answered with rudeness and insolence. The puffed-up Minister for Lands one night, working himself into a Highland fury, grievously insulted the raiik and file of the party True, he apologised a few days later at the party caucus, but angry feelings, aroused by public curses and threats, are not healed by balf-bearted apologies in private. ■; The Premier followed it later by most abusive ine >lenoe in the House to Messrs ftusse i.l, of Eiccarton, and Smith, of Christ church. Fierce jibes at men like Sir Kob-Ejiit Stout and; coarse, abuse of a brave minded man like Mr. Ears shaw are, sure to be hotly resented. Members; scut for by the Premier' and interviewed in his private room upstairs and then "carpeted" in his most bullying fashion, may vote etraighter for a day or two, but in their hearts spriug up an undying hatred. Members, putting civil business questions on the Order Paper and met by sneering replies by Ministers, feel hot and angry. Enthusiasm for Ministers, first ohilled by smart biting retorts, changes week by week, first into lukewarmneas and then into coldness, aud next into hate. Theu, again, Ministers seem from afar leading a conquering party to victory, loom grandly, large and heroic. But the 6ame Ministers, standing on the same floor, giving insolent replies to the faithful or frowning down their supporters, lose this grandeur. "No man is a hero to his valet ,, applies to Ministers and members of Parliament. Familiarity sometimes breeds contempt. Then, too, Ministers gave dire offence in the Governor's speech to several red-hob supporters by putting off the queetion of revision of the tariff. The opening Ministerial utterance, therefore, sounded the firat note of dissatisfaction—a note whiah has been repeated week after week and always in a louder k«y. Great too in the dissatisfaction uc the way iv wbicu mistersareever crying to alienee their friends. " Littie M.H.tt's, iike little boys at table, should be seen atid not heard" is the Ministerial order, and the members, though oft obedient, always chafe and free Mr. -Smith, of Kew Plymouth; give expression to the feeling when he shrieked out in the House " Don't; put a padlock ou our mouths." Former Premiere have been , charged with tyranny over their opponents. The "Dictator" Premier and i the imperious Minister for Lands kick their own followers the hardest. "Love is hurt with jar and fret" sang the poet, and so also is a'ffeotiou for Ministers., Members after all are men, and the strongest Ministry that ever was cannot afford to bully and browbeat and gag them for ever, or these political worms will certainly turn., Captains of ships making long voyages all agree that a crew which is good, hardworking, docile, Obedient, oheerful at the stare, becomes as the weeks roll on, discontented, quarrelsome, mutters threats, and becomes mutinous. That is exactly the ease in tfte House. The . Ministerial crew grows leas obedient, less .good tern* peredf and is week by week more inclined to open mutiny. In politics'as at sea open mutiny is punished with frightful severity., So far there has been no open avowed rebellion, but in the lobbies and in the House the spirit; of discontent is abroad. The crew in the political forecastle blasphemes against Ministers,, and in not choice in its phrases. ' Criticisms on MiuUters are as keen and as harsh among the faithful Liberals as amongst the Opposition. The captain's aud officers , commands are still obeyed, but no longer cheerfully. Ministers are aware that the spirit of discontent is abroad and their Whips know it full well. Several divisions baye' shown that members will no longer blindly obey as they did early in the session. The most etri&ing outbreak recently was when Ministers threatened to put a tax Upon coal and another tax upon corn. So fiercely did the crew break out; in condemnation that Ministers were cowed* and will pot this Parliament dare to pursue their pet policy. Many Ministerial supporters* are so discontented that they would dearly love to have the chance of breaning away, if Ministers would only bring ia such measures, but even Premier Seddon date not go so far. Iα every Parliament, there is what is called the " Wash-house" party, consisting o£ M.H.R/s who belong to neither section in the House; who do not hang up their coats ia either Whip's room, bub ia the lavatory, which lies between the two. The men who hang up their coats there are those usually disliking the Ministry but heeitatiug. about, going direct.into Opposition. The " Wash-house M party to-day consists of Sir Rosbbt Stout, Mr. Earnshaw, Mr. Hall J Ones, and tar.,RoBBRT Thompson. „ The " Washhouse " party ia growing, and may be much larger soon. It will probably be joined presently by & mutitioua section of the Liberal members from Canterbury, viz.,. Messrs. G- J. Sjoth and BtrssELt.. This is the" section bo vigorously "dressed down" by the.Premier the other night. < As a result of trae thonging they are momentarily more pbedient, but their hearts hold ft bitter hatred of tie man who inflicted the flogging. The tession has yet another month to run, and in that time 'the breach will probably widen between .several Ministerial supporters arid, ike Premier. Certain i& is tbaft solar this session Minister* have bat

fallen in the estimation of their followers. The early enthusiasm is replaced by hostility. The criticisms so treuohant and free of Sir Bobbrt Stout, and of Messrs. G. J. Suits, G. W. Russell. Earsshaw, Ha^l-Jones, ROB«Wr THOMPSON, PUUSI, SAUSDB&S, Graham and Buick are very significant. These ten uien are all more or less avowedly in revolt. Several of them are bpenly away from Ministers, the rest would like to go. Several are standing shivering on the banks of the political Rubicon dividing the Ministerial and Opposition parties j one o? two are in mid stream. As opposed to these, defections Ministers can show no gain, for no Opposition member shows the smallest leaning towards them. Ministers are extremely bitter against those Independents, " Dictator " Seddon oannot brook any independence; all must obey his imperious rule, and id this he is backed by his blustering colleague the Minister for > Lauds. " There is but one Allah, and Mahomet) Is his prophet," cried the faithful, and in the name of Allah the faithful slew all doubters. Blind obedience is what the Premier demands, and the mau who goes wandering after the rivai leader, Sir Robert Stout, is a man to be hated r and curaed. All Ministries go out of office by the falling away of their own supporters, and are not turned out by the original Opposition. Even if the whole of the Wash-house party coalesced with the Opposition, Ministers ,rrould still have a working majority, so they are in no danger of defeat. Nevertheless, it is by auoh secessions multiplied that Ministers are hurled from power. The Ministry, iv 1881, had a major icy in the House, hue gradually members seceded until Ministers were defeated in 1884 by a big majority on a no-confidence moved by Major Steward. Iα ISS4 the Stout-Vqghl. Government took office and had a comfortable majority, but they lost ground in '85, in and in 1887, until the seceders, coalescing with the minority in opposition, lefc Ministers open to defeat. The AiKiNsoy party was defeated after several years of office by secessions from its ranks. The Seddon Ministry has a bigger majority, but that" majority is less enthusiastic than it was, and* there is a goodly following of the politically discontented in. the Qave of Adullam, Whether next ~ session eeveril of these discontented members secede altogether or go humbly back to kiss the hands that struck them, depends very largely lipou the coastituencies.. Members are sensitive aneroids of the political weather. If the enthusiasm for the Ministers has waned as much in the country as in thd House, then the seceders will harden their hearts and break into open mutiny. Ministers themselves are so bloated with pride, so certain that they are going to rale New Zealand for evermore that they refuse to mark these signs of "the times but so did King BblteßßAZ2br in All his pride and power—uutil ho saw the handwriting ou the wall. Miuistera have not yet seen this handwriting- bufr they will presently. The words,written on the waflla of the House this session are the same, "Yβ have beett tried in the balance and.found wanting.* .