THE EFFECT OF THE OTAGO AGITATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6996, 19 April 1884, Page 5

THE EFFECT OF THE OTAGO AGITATION.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington", Friday. It is a significant indication of the effect produced in the North by Mr. Montgomery's recent speech, and by the utterances of Mr. Macandrew, Mr. Bathgate, and Mr. .Reynolds in the direction of insular separation, that whereas only a few weeks ago there was a strong feeling in Wellignton that a change of Ministry was desirable, now all three candidates for Tborndon have most plainly and openly declared in favour of the present , Government. This is not so much a snr--1 prise in the case of Dr. Newman, although not long ago he was understood to have marked inclinations foward Mr. Ormond as Major Atkinson's successor ; and Mr. Dwan's candidature, despite his protestations, is regarded as more or less of a joke. But Mr. Bonny very recently had made no secret of his antagonism to Ministers, or of his opinion that the first thing to be done was to turn them out, and clear the way for better men (similar views being put forth by some of those who promoted his candidature); that he was almost universally believed to be brought forward in the Opposition interest, and his outspoken declaration of • adherence to the Ministerial side is a very striking indication of the way the wind blows in the North just now. His unfurling of the Ministerial banner was a tremendous surprise to some who had been hugging themselves in the. idea that his past Wellington service would secure bis return, and that they, .would thus obtain by a stroke of generalship another seat for the Opposition, and some very wry faces have been made at the unexpected denouement. • Mr. -Bunny is notoriously fond of being on the winning side, and i his preliminary canter round Thorndon. soon showed him that such serious uneasiness had been oreated by Mr. Montgomery's speech, as to render it certain that a < candidate would not have a ghost of a 1 chance who did not flatly renounce Mr. Montgomery and all his works. Mr. Bunny is a veteran political campaigner, and shrewd in forecasting eventualities, ido has promptly detected the tendency of events,' and has skilfully trimmed his sails to the breeze, .with ' the result that his return is almost certain. Public feeling here is how rapidly consolidating in the direction of sinking ail points of political difference, in order to preserve the unity of the colony. This will materially affect the prospects of the coming general election in the Wellington province.-