POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 7332, 3 October 1887, Page 3

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

The exodus of Otago members has commenced. Messrs Rosa and Pratt and the Hon. Mr Taiaroa left for Wellington this morning, and pick up the Wanaka at Lyttelton to-night;* while Mtssrs Mills, Allen, Stewart, Fergus, and Richardson, and the Hon. George M'Lean proceed North on Wednesday. Major Atkinson telegraphed on Saturday to the Opposition members of the late Parliament who have been re-elected, urging them to meet him in "Wellington on Wed nesday next. He distinctly states that on no ground will he coalesce with Sir Julius Vogel in the formation of a Cabinet. That Sir Robert Stout will again appear in New Zealand politics at no distant date, we are quite sure; but in the meantime, it is best that he should accept the decision of the electors of Dunedin East—best for the Colony and best for his own future career.— •Press.' A report has gained currency that the return of the Hon. E. Richardson is to be petitioned against on the ground of irregularities at one of the polling booths. So far as can be learned, the ground of objection is that the Maori interpreter was not at the principal booth. It was no doubt wisely considered by the returning officer that there would be a great deal of work at the principal booth, and Woodend being nearer the Maori pah than Kaiapoi, he arranged to have the interpreter there. One Nativo vote was refused at the Kaiapoi booth owing to the fact that the Native could not read the ballot paper, he being directed to go to the Woodend booth. On the other hand, it is stated that the Opposition candidate did not make his deposit of LlO before the poll was demanded. It is hinted in well-informed circles that when Parliament meet there will be some peculiar disclosures in connection with the administration of two or three departments of the public service, one of which is that of Defence. Very direct changes are likely to be made, and it is just possible that there will be some stirring scenes in the House in connection with them. ' New Zealand Times.'

In Otago and Southland 16,617 votes were cast against and 11,271 for the Stout-Vogel Government. There were no contests for the Dunstan and Wakatipu seats, which are filled by Oppositionists. Sir Robert Stout will not leave Wellington till next Monday, he having been asked by the Governor to remain there till a new Government is formed.

At his final meeting, Mr Garratt said that overtures had been made to him by the supporters of the Hon. Mr Tole to retire, on condition that his expenses would be paid ; but Mr Tole authorised the Press to state that no proposal to that effect ever came from him or wa3 directly or indirectly sanctioned by him. The ex-Premier is not the only member of the late Ministry who is accused of making private correspondence public. A similar charge is preferred against Mr Tole by Dr Laishley, who writes to the Auckland « Herald ':— " The Honorable, Mr Tole writes of a letter which I sent him, and endeavors to produce the false impression that I, by it, asked or sought office or favor; but he forgets to add that, notwithstanding the letter wa3 marked private, and notwithstanding he was then Minister of Justice, he not only disclosed its contents (permission for which I would willingly have granted had it been asked), but so misrepresented them that they wero published in the Auckland Press in a form calculated to hold me up, during my absence, to ridicule. I need scarcely remind him that the only name for one guilty of such conduct is far from a parliamentary one. Of his C.M.G. reference, it suffices to say that I have never applied to the Ministry or any member of it for any such favor." A Press Agency telegram states that Parliament will be opened on Thursday by a Commission comprising Sir William Fitzherbert, the Hons. Messrs Reynolds, Waterhouse, and Buckley. A piece of bad luck for Mr Harkness in the recent election has come under our notice. Two men from the Pelorus Sound cmne up in the cutter Mersey on purpose to vote for him, but the bad weather delaying them they missed the tide, and had to bring up at the back of the Arrow Rock, and could onlv land when too late.—Nelson ' Mail.' It is rather interesting to see how the appeal to the country has affected those who voted upon the vote of want of confidence last session. It will be remembered that forty-eight voted against the taxation policy and forty-four in favor of it; and thereupon the Ministry asked for a dissolution. The consequences of that areas follows:—Of the forty-eight, no fewer than six did not seek reelection—namely, Messrs Conolly, Lake, Locke, Montgomery, Sutter, and Wakefield. But of the forty-two who offered themselves again, nofewerthan thirty-one were returned. Of the forty-four who voted in favor of the taxation policy, on the other hand, four did not seek re-election—namely, Messrs Grace, Holmes, M'Millan, and Bracken. Of the forty who offered themselves again, however, only twenty-seven were returned, and of these three—namely, Messrs Cowan, Moss, and Stuart-Menteath —have declared against the Ministry and been elected in opposition to them. Thus it will be seen that the appeal to the country from the decision of the House on the taxation policy has resulted overwhelmingly in favor of the Opposition ; a fact which appears to prove that a dissolution ought never to have been granted. It has taken four months of precious time, during which the affairs of the country have been getting into worse and worse confusion, and has involved an outlay of L 20,000 or L 30.000, only to show, after all, that the late Parliament faithfully represented the feeling of the country.—' Evening Press.' At the official declaration of the poll for Kaiapoi Mr Moore said that there was one matter on which he felt the election had been won, and that was: he hoped soon to see the railways taken away from the Government management. He had not contested the election so much against the Government as against the Minister for Public Works, with a desire to have railway management reform. The few thousands spent over these elections were well spent if that object were gained and the appointment of Boards brought about. Returns from Victoria showed that the raijways there not only paid interest, but gave a surplus of HQO.OOO, which "they attributed to their being out of the control of the Government, either so far as raariagemenlS or politics went. An instance of the present management came before him the other day, when a gentleman told him he had just met a carrier from Lyttelton who was prepared to carry for 30s what the Government wanted L 7 for, to perform the same service. He regretted as much as anyone that the Premier had been defeated, fotas a member of the House he was a useful man, but apart from that he did not grieve over his defeat. ' At "his final meeting at Onehunga Sir Maurice O'Rorke expressed himself with no uncertain sound as to the doings of the late Ministry, and said, inter alia:—" The question was, could the people place any confidence in such a Government ? He thought they could not. He had voted against the Stafford Government because Auckland was unfairly treated. Now, because ho declared against this Government, they offered threats ; but he despised such threats, and he would do his duty to those who sent him, Qn Monday he believed the polling woulc pottle the Government policy of increasec taxation.' Had they (Jono their duty to th< ppuntry they would have vacated office anc allowed another policy to be brought for yard, so that people could have selected but at present they wpre in the dark. H< belieyed they could reduce expenses so as t( retrieve the position of the country, a* had said thev must retrench to the extent o half a million, and he believed those re turned would effect the saving." The • Oamaru Mail' thinks that M Hlslpp'a accession to office may be reckone< ImpnKst tbe possibilities; but whatever ma; Z thf coition of the Ministry, if; doe not expect to see them stand very long. _ I adheres to its previously expressed opinio that a coalition between Sir Julius Voge and Major Atkinson wjll bo the ultimat joutconje of thecrtai*. ~.,,..„ , A Cromwell telegram in the Lake Count; Press' states tbat about twenty of theleadin Kent?of Cromwell wired Mr R, Stout e? pressing deep regret at his defeat, and oharat terisingitas an everlasting disgrace to Dur edin. Sir Robert sent a reply as follows :- "Nothing has so profoundly touched me a the sympathy I have received from all part of the Colony. The faot also tbat those 1 mining communities wero the first to wir mo has been a special pleasure to mq. I/ eaa jideeptmy warmest thanksf'and convey sairt to'the other gentlemen signing."

One of the scenes at Te Aro on polling day was that of Mrs Menteath riding on the box-seat of a drag full of voters coming to tho poll. It was indeed a sight to see the lady nodding gaily and cheerfully to the crowds on the footpath, who cheered her heartily. Mrs Menteath worked magnificently all through. Nor must the spectacle . 1 oir Julius Vogel driving up to the scene o" action and shaking hands with Mr and Mrs Menteath go unmentioned. Zealand Times '