The Otago Witness.

Otago Witness, Volume 26, Issue 1705, 26 July 1884, Page 17

The Otago Witness.

WISH WHSOK IH IKaOKPORAI'JID TRR 'fcKWHXR' MBKOTIK7. ' BA.TUH.DILY, 23th JULY, 1814 Wb cannot, but believe that the tide■which leads cm to fortune haa been taken at the flood by the electors of

New Zealand. The last Parliament was perhaps the least capable of any that has over sat since the coming into force of the Constitution Act. At the general election by which it was inaugurated, several good and tried men were rejected for inferior new and untried men. But the mistakes then made have now been rectified. The Parliament just elected is unijuestlonablj an improvement on that which it has superseded. Very few able men have been displaced, but many who floated on the temporary wave of an evanescent popularity have been set aside for others in every way their superiors. On the other hand, men whose enforced absence from the councils of the nation during the last two yeara has been almost a public calamity have regained their position in the House ; and even where men of only equal political calibre with their predecessors have been elected, there is to be recognised a gain in the fact that public dis-service has been promptly punished by the withdrawal of public support on the first opportunity that has been offered. Such ' a reaction was inevitable in the natural order of things. In seasons of prosperity men fold their hands and are contented. Political and public affairs concern them not. Ib is only in the season of adversity that they begin to ask themselves how they are governed. And it does not require much consideration for tho dullest intellect to comprehend the syllogistic argument that bad representation results in bad government ; bad government is injurious to the public welfare; theretore bad representation is an evil thing. And to carry the argument one step backward, the people are themselves blameable for bad representation, since the remedy ia in their own hands. The depression which so long prevailed ■is sufficient evidence of this. . Commercial stagnation has been equalled or surpassed by political stagnation ; but the sharp, severe times through which we have passed has forced a correspondingsharpening of brains, aud the electors are no longer c intent to elect as their 'representatives men who, however personally popular they m^y [,•■, do not possess tho ability to shape aright' tho present progress an<3 fnturo de^tinies of the community. Thanks to the instinctively wiye direction of the public mind, the governing fwwor has now been transferred to more fitting and capable hands. Strongly as we deprecate the payment of the double honorarium, the price thus paid for the deliverance of the, Colony from the trammels of the past is a mere trifle in i comparison with the value of the.results achieved by the elections. But the fight is not yet over. It will have to be followed up and brought to a final issue within the walls of Parliament. ' What will Major Atkinson and his colleagues do ? Will they perforce calmly wait to have the sentence already passed upon them by the electors confirmed by a solemn vote of dismissal, or will they peiform the " happy despatch" and tender their resignations to the Governor before the House meets 1 In the former case there is nothing more to be said, nor can any fair objection be taken. But what if they prefer the latter ? The Governor, following constitutional usage, will no doubt ask their advice as to whom should be sent for. What will that advice be 1 It seems to us that herein is concealed the danger' of the future. We cannot but remember Major Atkinson's audacious declaration that he only recognised Sir George Grey as the leader of the Opposition. Will he so greatly risk his well-earned reputation" as to advise that Sir George Grey should be sent for? There is no more subtle tictician than Major Atkinson in the House, nor any who better knows how to maintain himself and his party in power by creating discord in the ranka of his opponents. And for such purpose ie is possible that he may condescend to resort to this device. But we wern him that any such attempt would have the effect of relegating himself to the oold shades of opposition for a much longer period than otherwise is likely to be allotted to him. He is bound to come to the front again. Nothing can hinder it. A man of his experience and attainments cannot possibly remain long absent from the Treasury benches. But th© time of his return to those pleasant places will depend very much upon how he comports himself at the present critical juncture. Now it is quite clear that fibe intentionally-exaggerated exaltation of Sir George Grey as "the leader of the Opposition " was a mere I party move at the timo ib was I ventured upon. But whatever may

have been the calse then, how much worse is the position of Sir GeorgeGrey at the preserit time.- He had in the last House a fluctuating following of from 10 to 12 members. In therece&t elections his following has been diminished to at most eight, including himsolf. If Major Atkinson is in a minority, assuredly Sir George is in a minor minority, and has no claim to be consulted as to the formation of a new Ministry. If Major Atkinson allows himself to become a party to any attempt to set up this fallen idol, he will suffer an eqiial fafce^ in the political ruin that will follow the attempt. What ia the position ot so-called " parties" in the House ] The Ministry are confessedly in a minority ; the Montgotneryites, so far as may be judged from the public utterances of candidates who are now members, are two in number — himself and Mr Barron, of Caversham. These are the only two fragments remaining.

Hans Breitman had a barty — Where is dot barty now ?

The Greyites, as wo have said, nuip.ber aboub half-a-dozen. And it may bewell here to draw attention to the fact that whilst . there are still some persons in the extreme South who profess to believe in Sir George Grey, he is losing caste in hia own country. Not all his influence, nor all his eloquence, expended at the public njeetinga of his dear young friends, could persuade fche Auckland electors to return either Mr de Lautour or Mr Seymour George to the House. A few years ago a word from him would have been sufficient to seat men of much humbler talent. But from him also has the glory departed. Of both the erstwhile leaders of the Opposition, then, Ichabod may be written. Will Major Atkinson — keen watcher as he 13 of men and events — seriously advise his Excellency to send for either? We scarcely think he will venture to take so daring a course — a course which could oaly have the one result of throwing public affairs into confusion for some time. Tfc certainly would not redound to his credit to do so, and whilst it is yet time we caution him to beware of injuring his reputation by any such overt act of folly. He must know right we!l that neither of the gentlemen named could hold office for 24 houra. And he may bo assured that his own return to < f6.ee will not be facilitated, but rather delayed, by any such political stage-trick. Ie may be asked : What, then, is to be done if neither of the avowed leaders of the Opposition in the last Parliament is to be " sent for " ] What ought to be done, if mere business were meant, is to send for the one man who is in a position to form a strong Government — Sir Julius Vogel. He can either do that, or he can wait for the House to mett and choose its own leader. In either caae tho result must be the Bame ; and in view of the large following Sir Julius Vogel his secured, the nobl-r and better course for Major Atkinson would be to advise the Governor to fend for Sir Julius Yogel at once, thus Having a great deal of f'lllo and. trouble. Oftwo things a public man may always be assured — that by loyally doing what he knows to be best for the carrying on of the government of ihe country he will lose nothing in the end ; whilsfc if, for purposes of faction, he uses the powers entrusted to him by the Constitution to the obstruction of the public business, the people never forget it. The path of duty is ultimately ihe road of policy.