THE AUCKLAND BY-ELECTION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIII, Issue 12162, 28 March 1900, Page 4

THE AUCKLAND BY-ELECTION.

The announcement made from Auckland this morning that Mr Hobbs has decided to contest the seat in the House of Representatives rendered vacant by the death of Mr Crowther reminds ns that there is at least one member of the Opposition who does not entirely despair of the future of his party. At the last general election Mr Hobbs stood filth on the poll for the northern city, a considerable way below the three successful candidates, and he must be blessed with more than an average share of optimism to imagine that he has any chance of being returned in the altered temper of the country. Public opinion has undergone a great change since last December, and the change has all been in the direction of a closer adhesion to the principles to which Mr Hobbs is opprtecl. This fact is so fully realised by the members of the Conservative Party that they do not even pretend to believe that there is the slightest probability of decreasing Mr Seddon’s overwhelming majority during the life of the present Parliament. The “New Zealand Herald,” which predicted on the eve of the general election that the Opposition would secure the wholeXpf the Auckland seats, now refuses to recognise the existence of that party at all. “We ate inclined to take this election,” it said the other day, when referring to the approaching contest, “not on any party ground. At present, V'c cannot be said to have any political parties. There*.,is a Government and a Seddonite Party, but no other party has.yet come into being. We should be inclined to 1 take the present election very largely on the consideration of Who was likely to do most good for the city and province of Auckland.” This does not betray a very high conception of the duties of a member of Parliament, but it shows that the Conservative Party in Auckland, if not absolutely extinguished, is utterly disorganised. The only danger that the Liberals in the northern city have'to fear is that by splitting up t heir own votes among a number of candidates and allowing their opponents to* concentrate theirs on one, they may succeed in sending another minority representative to Parliament. Probably the “ Herald ” has some hopes of something of this kind occurring when it urges the electors to pass by the candidate who has been selected by the local Liberal Association and vote for Mr Witheford, a gentleman of the same political colour, who qualifies his pledge to the Government with a declaration that he will support Mr Seddori only “ so long as he fulfils his present determination to do justice to Auckland.” But if the Liberals are wise they will not beguiled into imperilling the seat by the suggestion that Mr Holland would tolerate any injustice to his consituency. He has already proved himself a thoroughly capable and conscientious representative, and we have no doubt that a majority of the electors will be glad l to secure hits services in the new House.