THE COMING SESSION

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 151, 26 June 1912, Page 6

THE COMING SESSION

The special session of Parliament that was held in February last was looked forward to with keener interest than any previous session for twenty years at least. To-morrow Parliament meets in ordinary course to pass ah Imprest Supply Bill before the end of the current quarter, and then to proceed with the general business of the country. The circumstances are, nevertheless, bo extraordinary that public interest in the result is just as keen as it was in February. The object of the apecial session was to determine whether or not the Ward Government had forfeited the confidence of the country. By a process which at this time of day it is quite unnecessary to characterise, the Ward Government secured tho rejection of the Opposition* no-confidence motion, on the condition that it should at once resign. The result of this manoeuvre was that instead of making room for a Massey Cabinet, the Ward Government was ■succeeded by another representing the same party. Theoretically Mr. Mackenzie and his colleagues hold office because they have the confidence of the House of Representatives and the country; practically there is no good ground for eupposing that they have either. If the Ward Government had not been driven to escape destruction at Mr. MasBeys hands by promising to commit suicide, it might well have been in a stronger position to-day than that in which the Mackenzie Government finds itself. Reconstruction of some kind would doubtless have been necessary. But if a reconstruction could have been peacefully effected under the old leader the party might have taken advantage of what was apparently the mind of the country in December Utat. The electors declared against the Ward Government by a very small majority, but refused rather less indecisively to express their confidence in Mr. Massey. Unfortunately, however, instead of accepting tho verdict,- and embarraesing Mr. Maesey with all the embarrassments of forming a Government without a majority to'back it, Sir Joseph Ward adopted another expedient. The bitter dissensions attending the formation of the Mackenzie Government have uot been healed by the lapse of time, but have been publicly proclaimed a« incurable months after the caueo of offence arose. Mr. Millar is in open revolt, and two other Otago members have declared their intention to follow his lead. Against tho defection of three members, counting as six on a division, the Mackenzie Government, which at the beat had but a very precarious hold on power, could not possibly etand. The uncertainty of Mr. Millar'e health, however, still leaves some hope of escape from an otherwise certain doom, for the rest of the Otago "cave" is not likely to prove very dangerous without him. But -there is also . Mr. Roderick M'Kenzie td be reckoned with. The obstacle presented by his unaccommodating personality to the formation of the new Cabinet was indicated by hie reeignation before the process wae completed, and while Sir Joseph Ward and tho rest of hi« colleagues etill held on. Taking much the same line as Mr. Millar, Mr. R. M'Kenzie has juet declared for a coalition or an appeal to the country. He does not suggest, nor has anybody else suggested, on what lines a coalition could take place, nor does he give the slightest indication of tho cleavage in the Opposition Party which would be neceeeaa-y before the idea of Mr. Millar and himself could be carried out. On the other hand, the Opposition managers seem to b© fairly confident that they can not only defeat the Mackenzie Government on a vote of want-of-confi-dence, but that they can thereafter secure the support of a sufficient number of Liberals to enable them to carry on the Government. How this can be done without the same kind of pledge-break-ing which irretrievably damaged the reputation of the late Government lias not been explained. The outlook is indeed as obficuro ac it was on the eve of tho February session. The Mackenzie Government, on present appearances, can hardly escape defeat, but for the rest we prefer not to prophesy until wo know.