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New Zealand Mail, Issue 741, 14 May 1886, Page 22

The Parliamentary Session of 1886 began yesterday. Whether it will be long or short, important or the reverse, useful or mischievous, none can foretell with the slightest degree of certainty. It would be rash even to conjecture whether the session will run its full course, or whether it will be prematurely cut short by a Ministerial crisis and a dissolution. On no previous occasion has there been such a signal absence of political excitement, and iu no previous instance have parties been balanced with such exceeding evenness and nicety as between the Government and their presumed opponents. We do not say “ the Opposition” because as a party the “ official ” Opposition body, that is to say as comprising those members who would follow a °leader staunchly in attack, and support him afterward with equal staunchness as Premier in the event of success, is in a hopeless minority. But there is a large “ Cave of Adullam,” and this, added to the regular Opposition, as headed by Major Atkinson, is estimated to swell the ranks of the Government’s opponents to a number almost exactly equal to that of their supporters. Apparently there is not more than one to the good on either side. So very even a balance opens an endless vista of speculative possibilities. Added to this ground of uncertainty as to coming events, there is the prominent fact that no material difference in essentials was indicated as existing between the Premier and the leader of the Opposition, comparing the speech of the former at Invercargill with that of the latter at Auckland. If these deliverances were to be accepted as a basis of operations or as defining party lines, there would really be nothing to fight about. But it must be remembered that Ministers, in their very numerous recess addresses, have always laid great stress on the irresponsibility of their utterances. They have always spoken as individuals, and not as declaring the matured views of the Cabinet. We hope that Ministers will take steps to have the Address moved at the earliest possible moment.

T*To progress can be made until this is got out of the way,. and as there seems reason to anticipate that the most likely apple of discord will be finance, the sooner the Financial Statement can be reached the better for the prospects of progress with the public business.