The Situation.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5260, 2 July 1888, Page 3

The Situation.

ANOTHER TURN OF THE POLITICAL

KALEIDOSCOPE,

THE GOVERNMENT CLAIM TEN OF

A MAJORITY,

THE NATIVE LAND QUESTION,

MEETING OF OPPOSITIONISTS

IPABUAMENTAnY KBPOKTBB.J

Welukoton, This day,

There has been another revolution of tho political kaleidoscope, with tho result that the intrioaoios of tho situation havo assumed an entirely now aspect. The Government now obtiia a certain majority of eight or ten votes on the party question to-morrow that the! estimates bo mode tho first order of the day, and it is doubtful if even a division will be taken. .One result oi the Friday night's move is that the Free Trade secessionists,' fearing the advent of tho Opposition to power, have returned to their former allegiance to (he Government, who olaim that they will havotheir support during tho remainder of the session. The repentant* do not, however, include Messrs Newman, Macarthur, Scobie ■ McKenzie, or Men tenth, noither is Mr Withy included. Mr Loughrey, a former Oppositionist, has also given in his adhesion to the Government. He says they have brought in tho legislation asked for by his constituent!*, and ho will support thorn independent of what the other Canterbury .members may do. After his speech on Friday night Mr Turnbull is also oxpected to secede from the Opposition nnd givo the Government his support. Ministerialists are now jubilant, and satisfied that they will reyerso Friday night's vote with a majority of at least eight or ten. Great interest is centered in a meeting of membors convened by Mr Ballance whioh haa'.bcen. just held, to consider the native policy of the Government, in regard to its effect ou colonisation, and the settlement of tho land. Mr Kelly occupied the chair. The feeling of the meeting was in favor of tho iudivuluaiisation of titles, giving natives tho same rights of disposal of their lands as Europeans enjoy. This is in contradistinction to the Government policy of frac trade in native lands, by which blocks may bo disposed of, though there may be a thousand names in the title. It was con--1 sidered that the bill should bo amended bo as to give facilities for fixing the papers with notmore than twenty owners in one grant, and that tbo law should not go further than allowing the sales of sections comprising tbe area held by twenty persons. Tho meetinsr also thought that no person should be allowed to purchaso moro than 2000 acres in order to prevent a and the land falling into the hands of ffcvge oorapanie&,