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New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6821, 27 September 1883, Page 4

Our own. correspondent at "Wellington, who we need hardly say is likely .'to' be well informed,- sends'information, regarding the" alternative .courses under deliberation to secure the representation .of Auckland in ■ the Cabinet,' Ministers are, us a .matter of course,quite "a-syare-that Auckland'' expects that'the present arrangement : is only a provisional, one, and that- as soon as possible steps-will be. taken to. secure an adequate l-epresentation of this provincial' district;. ' .The understanding that the''Cabinet shall, contain gentlemen from" the; diiferer.t; districts may be subject to many objections, but.at all events it exists, and cannot be set aside at present. ■ There is not, however, any burning haste about-the matter. There are three alternative' courses proposed—(l)' That -. ah Auckland Legislative. Councillor should . be. appointed aMinister without portfolio y '(2), that a. new Auckland, member should.be sailed .to the , -Legislative Council; I with the object/of his .being appointed j 1 Minister :' (3) that Mr. Walter John- I | ston's place should be ijllecl up on his

I retiring by an Auckland member. We I think Auckland is entitled to expect that two of these courses should be taken. If none of the piwsent members of the Legislative Council from Auckland are considered suitable to make Ministers of, or if 'those who are suitable decline to take office, then some public man here—who has the confidence of the people, who knows the provincp, and who has shown public spirit and an interest in public affairs—.should be called to the Legislative Council and made a Minister. But it has always been made a subject of complaint, during the Whitaker Ministry, that Auckland had no member on the Ministerial

benches in the House! of'■.Eepresentatives, and that ground of'" complaint should as soojj as possible be : removed! Indeed, we think that the ; time has fully come when the privilege hitherto enjoyed by Otago might in turn be conferred upon Auckland, and that in addition to a Cabinet Minister in the House of this district might fairly claim "to.be represented in the Cabinet by a member of the Upper House, if need be without portfolio

If it has worked satisfactorily m «' "* "* case of Otago, it would be equally fe£ r '' for Auckland, whose interests and n>7 fgress at the present hour fully -warm i a claim to the privilege. * i