THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Evening Star, Issue 5607, 26 February 1881, Page 1

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

We arc inclined to acres with certain O journals which express unaffected regret that the Dunedin daily Press should he all of one mind in regard to the general support afforded to the Ministry, As it is we are Lft completely in the dark as to the aims, objects, and aspirations of the Opposition, and have no clue either to their policy or organisation. Tho “ great Liberal party " had their organs in town and country, distin* guished for a versatility in the arrangement of facts which unimaginative people were wont to consider bordered on mendacity; and we were never allowed to forget for a day the lofty principles which actuated Sir GEORGE Grey and his colleagues, eventually bearing such fruit as the Native expenditure, the hypothecation of the loan, and consequent heavy taxation, in combination with the suspension of the public works. Were these journals in existence now, or of the same mind, we should not be left altogether to conjecture what may be the intended “littlemove” which, according to dark hints thrown out in country papers more or less obscure, is to upset the Ministry by a coup d'etat, and bring about again a state of confusion in which the usual pickings will be obtainable for those persons of the right opinions who keep their eyes open. We are inclined to think that very probably no united action of the various sections of members opposed to the Government has been found possible of arrangement, as these sections— e.g., the extreme Auckland and Otago mendiffer between themselves on so many essential matters that, unless united in the immediate expectation of sharing the spoil, they are hardly likely to fight shoulder to shoulder. It may, however, be otherwise, in which case the secret has been well kept, and a much more subtle tactician than Sir George Grey must be the controlling and directing power. Will Mr Mac an drew again consent to “lead a ragged army through Coventry,” and just on the eve of a dissolution oft Parliament display to the country the weakness of such a party as the hybrid Opposition of last session, whose force was only developed in obstruction, and who individually, with a few honorable exceptions, were neither true to their standard nor their chief 1 The last of the Superintendents will hardly care,, wo think, to repeat the experiment, which must sufficiently have satisfied his common sense. A vase once shattered, however ingeniously pieced ter? gather, can never be depended on to hold water; and wo question much whether the party so rudely broken up. in 1879 can ever be redintegrated, even although Sir George Obey resumes his old position as leader by general consent and again makes the Colony ring with his denunciationof the wrongs of the people and the detestable wickedness of holding land in fee* simple, always excepting Kawau. The strength $f the Ministry—we speak now entirely from a party point of view—consists very much in the fact that their opponents are on the horns of a dilemma as to the choice of a leader. Sir George Grey would, we believe, do anything to oust Mr Hall, Mr Whitaker, and Major Atkinson, who all three are his especial aversions, and would to this end consent to follow Mr Macandrew ; but experience has proved that he cannot control the Auckland irreconcileables, who will never loyally serve under an Otago man. A majority of the Opposition might be expected, in the light of the past year, to be ready to return to their allegiance as the only course open which affords the remotest chance oi victory; but, on the other hand, the minority, who have no confidence whatever in Sir George, and who, indeed, regard his opinions as dangerous to the stability of tho Constitution and the rights of property, constitute the backbone of the party, and by their defalcation might leave a mere residuum, consisting of the class of members of whom Mr De Lautour, Mr Barron, and Mr Hutcheson, of Wellington, are types. We should not be speaking tho truth were we to say that we are in any degree sorry that such a state of things should be. New Zealand just now has need of a strong Government, in order that the financial and administrative reforms initiated and in the course of initiation may be successfully carried out to completion; Next session, also, is the last session of the present Parliament: and it is much to be desired that the Ministry should have full scope to put the finishing touches, as it were, on their policy, in order that it may not be in the position of uncompleted work when the critical period of the general election arrives. The circumstance of a weak and divided Opposition is so far fortunate that tho Government, if they act witfi. prudence and good temper, and do not force the enemy into closer cohesion, by presuming on large majorities to enforce every little detail of their measures, will be enabled to effect urgently-required and muchneeded in, matters both political and social. Amongst tibb former the most important is the rer.;:]iistmc ;t of the representation, with ’r; gird to which we would only at present obsene that we hope the mistake will not be made of increasing the number of representatives, which ie already in excess of a reasonable pro* portion to the adult population. The opportunity should be undoubtedly taken to wipe out all old scores, by embodying in Parliamentary statutes the conflicting Acts and Ordinances of the defunct Provincial Councils on £ variety of subjects which still remain ia

ft&ce. This would be a crowning work for the Parliament which expires by lapse of time in February, 1882. Ministers, in our humble judgment, have “ the ball at their “ feet,” and should take full advantage of a situation, fortuitous as it is almost unprecedented. If they do “improve the occasion,” as wo have every confidence they will, they will have little need to arrange a skilful programme of wonderful things to be effected in tho future, wherewith to go to the country; but they will be enabled to point to the past and to the material benefits conferred on the Colony under an Administration which has not only been inspired by sound principles of polity, but has been vigorous and able enough to inscribe those principles in the statute-book of tho Colony.