The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. TUESDAY, JULY 22, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1015, 22 July 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. TUESDAY, JULY 22, 1879.

Spch " representative Government' as the country is now being treated to is enongh to make " the angels weep." Not oven the Premier and Sir "William Fox would pay such a poor compliment to their common sense a3 to profess that the bitter personal attacks of the one and the j defence of the other were either desired 1 by the people. or represented, in thu smallest measure, their sentiments. Wlsat is wanted is not a Punch and Judy sho-.v. with Sir "William Fox shrieking the principal character, but deliberation and a ■wise conduct of the Colony s affaire. No one professes that the unseemly proceedings by which the opening of Parliament has been characterised can be called "ovenwuent. Ordinarily such obstrucciveness would be litclc short of criminal, and at such a time as the present, its principal actors merit nothing less than political banishment. It is as clear as noonday that there is more self-interest and spitefulness than patriotism in the demeanor of Sir William Fox, and none but a coterie of self-seeking political discontents, who seem determined to make another attempt to foist themselves upon the country by hook or by crook sympathise with the disgraceful proceedings that ho has precipitated. Sir George Grey has made enemies ; but there are few in the House that could listen to the vituperation of the member for Wanganui without hiding their faces for very shame. If we mint.t'ns? not, there are men arrayed against the present Ministry who would rather ally themselves to the other side or leave the House than be in the smallest degree identified with the rindictiveness and | malignity of.Sir William Fox or any mem-

ber of the party to which he belongs. There may not be a majority in the House who agree with the Ministry in everything, but there is a majority who agree in the main with those liberal principles which were set forth as the programme of the Ministry when it took office. The Ministry's adherents have dwindled away since the prorogation, but seceders have not gone over to the pther side. They only disagree with the manner in which the Liberal policy has been managed, and not with it 3 cardinal principles, and if they oppose the Government they will do so with the object of getting thosu principles carried, and not in order to help 011 to the benches in the place of their present occupants, men who liavo proved that they are adverse to anything like a liberal programme. Whatever may be the feelings of the House towards the Ministry, it will not again permit the government of the country to fall into the hands of Sir "William Fox, or any of those who would countenance his late extraordinary conduct. He, whilst endeavoring to regain a parliamentary position and distinction, ruined his few remaining chances of success in that direction. He has been considered an orator, but whatever in aj- be his claims in this respect, it is surprising how vulgarly malevolent he can be. Sir William Fox may save himself trouble and conserve the. few rags of respect that forlornly hang about him as the remnants of better days by abandoning the present attempt to woo members of Parliament. There maybe a majority against Sir George Grey's retention of office, but there is a greater majority against the accession to power of Sir William Fox or any of his political tricksters and irrepressible aspirants after office. Last session should have ! taught him and the "Conservative' 1 party this, and although there may have 1 been some revulsion of feeling against the administration of the Government, there exists as great a love for Liberalism, and hatred and disgust at the depths of degradation to whic'i government had been dragged by some of those who are Sir Wjjliain Fox's friends because they are enemies to thp people's progress that, we repeat, Sir William Fox may save himself the trouble of attempting to regain the ascendancy of his party or their sympathisers. The present Parliament has become an onimuniffuthcrum of parties. In its old age it has grown barren. It can no lontjer bear the fruits of sound judgment, disinterestedness, and patriotism. trammelled as it it by self-interest and political hatred. Its factiousness is a barrier to anything like good government. There is neither unison nor healthy definition of parties. Cliques are sounding their own trumpets with a discordant noise, and there is not a man in the House who is sullicientij a master of harmony to attune them. When we see men -wrangling from motives of self-aggrandisement or ambition at such a time as the present —when we hoar those who wish to be thought the salt of ihe Ir.nd casting aside wisdom and expediency, and indulging the worst traits of their natures —we then realise to what depths representative government has fallei:. - I\> parley now as to whether Jack or .Toe shall administer our affairs almost finds a parallel in doctors wrangling over the bed of a dying may for tlio privilege of signing a prescription. It is rumored that Sir William Fox and Messrs. Eollcston. Wakefield, J. Hall, E. C. J. Stevens. W. Johnston, J. S. Maefarlane, and Oliver have been mentioned as those from whom a Ministry is likely i< be formed. We are sceptical on this point. The House may have become demoralised, but it would not submit to the country being governed by a Ministry made out of such material. It is more likely that his Excellency will grant a dissolution if Sir George Grey shouht request him to do so, and that Sir George will be only too glad to adopt such a means of getting out of a dilemma with honor and without affording his opponents an opportunity of replacing his Ministry without an appeal to the country, wo have not the least doubt. It appears to us that the upshot of the present disorganised condition of Parliament will be that, in spite of the attempts of Sir William Fox and his parry—if the discontented politicians that hate Sir George Grey more than they love'the aspirant for the Premiership can be called such—the Loan Bill will be passed, and a dissolution granted. This will be satisfactory to all concerned, although not palatable to office-seekers who would rather that such a crucial test of the popularity or otherwise of Sir George Grey and his party should pot be adopted. It will mean obscurity to them, whilst the Liberal party will rise .re-invigorated, as it needs to be, to the surface.