POLITICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 9317, 11 June 1891, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

OPENIN G OF riELIAMENT. Parliament will bo opened at 2 o’clock this afternoon with the usual ceremonies. His Excellency the Governor will have a Guard of Honour furnished by the Permanent Artillery, while the D Battery will lire the salute. The Garrison Band will also parade. IN COMMITTEE. The C mirmanship of Committees is becoming a very interesting subject of conversation in political circles, which arc every day enlarging. The latest gossip is that Mr W. C, Smith has by no means given up his designs on the post. Last cession, as everybody remembers, he was left in the air, waiting for tho resolution to be proposed making him the holder of the office. That resolution, report says, he is determined shall be moved at the earliest opportunity. His friends are said to speak of bis “ claims,” bat no rumour of any kind has as yst v.ntnred to define what they are. On the other hand, report says that the Government is equally determined that Mr W. C. Smith’s “ claims,” whatever they may be, must be Bovoroly Ignored. That we believe to bo true. So far as wo can learn, however, nothing has been determined by the Cabinet as to who may be regarded to have tho best claim. It would be perhaps more correct to say that whatever determination has been arrived at is kept profoundly secret. The Government, it is more than rumoured, has definite ideas, which it will ask its party to accept, and, if necessary, insist upon. THE MIDDLE PiETV. At present the Middle Party consists of Mr G. Fisher. Many competent observers of political situations declare that circumstance quite sufficient to prevent the Middle Party from ever growing larger. That, of coarse, may or may not be right. The fact remains that Mr Fisher is the Middle Party. He is reported to have said himself that he has not gone over to the Opposition. THE GOVERNMENT. Ministers are said to bo quite ready for the fray. They are certainly looking fresh and “in good trim.” Report says that this is owing to the fact that the preliminary work of casting the measures is over. They have, in fact, built their ship, and look forward hopefully to the business of launching and navigation. During the building they were, it is said by those who know them, a more united body than ever assembled in the Premier’s room since the days of the Hall Government of 1879, before dissensions crept in to weaken their cohesion.

The Financial Statement is understood to be quite ready ; the Colonial Treasurer has slaved over it early nod late, making numerous calculations, and wrestling with tbe intricacies of bis very complicated subject. It is of course now an open secret that the statement will announce a change in tbe incidence of taxation, explaining all tbe details, and treating the subject very exhaustively. Tne general expectation on the Government side is that the treatment of this very knotty question will be simple and clear. The Laud Bill is nearly ready ; the Native Laud Bills are framed, but await the completion of a separate report by one of the Commissioners, Mr Mackay, who has asked for farther time, owing to ill-health. Tho Criminal Code Bill will begin life in the Upper House, as will the Council Reform Bill. The Electoral Bill, tho Conciliation Bill, and the Labour Bills are, of coarse, ready, and we understand no time will be last in putting them before the House. mb wionsv’s cask. This has got into a now phase, Mr Wigley having written to tbe Government pointing out that after his service of 21 years, and considering all the circumstances of the case tbe Government might without any stretching of principle re-appoint him. It is understood that the Government’s view of the case is that, by advising the Governor to re-appoint, on the ground of previous service, they would establish a precedent fatal to the working of the measure they propose to introduce for the limitation of tbe tenure of office. They consider themselves to be in the position of a constituency which may re-elect a representative, and often does so, not because he has served, but because ha has served well. If they advise this appointment merely on the ground of service, they feel that tho precedent may be used at the end of the first septenate for tho reappointment of all the members retiring. The circumstances of the case they do not regard os special, as nothing prevented Mr Wigley from obtaining leave of absence In 1899. Had he asked for leave, ha would

have received it as a matter of course, and he would have avoided forfeiture. THE ADDRESS IN-REPLY. The Address will be moved on Friday evening, and nobody seems to be able to say whether there will be a debate or not. For some weeks a sort of impression has prevailed that this opportunity would be taken for challenging the Government to fight for life. But the thought was limited to a few spirits, and their wish was largely the father of their thought. A great deal was said in a quiet way about a no-confi-dence” motion of some kind, bat nothing is said about such a thing just now. THE OPPOSITION. The Opposition has not assembled yet, and therefore cannot elect a leader. There is reason to believe, however, that some correspondence has been going on among the Party on the subject, but the results, if any, have not* transpired. The few members of the Party who are In Wellington, were talking yesterday of taking an early opportunity to elect a leader, and of waiting for the Financial Statement, which will pro* bably bo delivered on Tuesday week, before making up their minds whether to attack the Government or wait.