DEFEAT OF SEDDONISM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2369, 27 July 1899, Page 33

DEFEAT OF SEDDONISM.

The by-election for the City of Wellington, which took place on Tuesday, has resulted in the re-election, by an overwhelming majority, of Mr John Hutcheson. No surprise will be felt at the result, which has from the very moment of Mr Hutcheson's resignation of his seat ou the sth inst. been a foregone conclu-

sion — so much so that Mr Seek, on dicl not dare to openly espouse the candidature of Mr Jellicoe. The result is,nevertheless, terribly significant for the Government. The issue, plain and distinct, which Mr Hutcheson „ submitted to the electors was that of good government versus Seddonism." They hare declared emphatically in favour of the former and against the latter. The most strenuous attempts were made during the election contest to disguise the question at issue, but it is absolutely fatuous to suggest that it was other than we' have stated. The issue was dictated by Mr Hutcheson himself. It was his right, in restoring, to the electors the trust they had re-, posed in him, and in asking for a renewal* of theiv confidence, to state the issue.. He had gone into Parliament originally to support the Government under the impression that Seddonism was synonymous with Liberalism.- The experience of two sessions .has convinced him of his mistake, .and has shown X him that Seddonism is built upon and supported' by a system of patronage „ that "wai prostituting them all and theic democracy." It has shown him that, the Government is held together by political bribery and corruption and a policy of spoils to the victors. The effect of this is, as he stated in a forcible passage^** one of his speeches during the election campaign, that "the unworthy, tha mean-spirited, the time-serving, the sycophantic, gravitate round Ministers and honourable' members, beslaver them, and bend the knee and debase their manhoodand womanhood for that which should be their right as citizens." Mr Hutcheson found, in fact, that the atmosphereof the Ministerial life is an atmosphere of moral corruption. He endured it as' long as he possibly could, but his allegiance to the Government was not equal to the strain placed upon it by tha marine scandal, and very properly he resigned hi 3 seat. He did not return to his constituents as a member who had' broken his pledges, but he returned to, them with a request that he should be released from one particular pledge — the pledge to support the Ministry. The reason for thi3 request was that the" Ministry is unfit to administer the affairs' of the country. The fitness or unfitnesa' of the Ministry to continue in power, was, then, the simple question, uh-' clouded by any side issues, upon which the electors of Wellington on Tuesday recorded their votes. Mr J.ellicoe repre« sented in the election that section of the. constituency which is content to witness, the continuance of Seddonism, and naturally the whole weight of the Government influence was thrown into thai scale in favour of him. His speeches during the contest indicated that he was prepared, if^ returned, to join the rank« and-file of Ministerialists, who vota strictly according to order, and who make no pretensions to the possession of any minds. of their own. It would be' absurd to suppose that such a candidate as Mr Jellicoe, when pitted against such a candidate as Mr Hutcheson, who has been most bitterly attacked by members of the Ministry and Ministerial party, did not receive all the support that Mr Seddon could give him. The fact that he was so decisively beaten must be accepted as a sure additional proof of the decadence of the Government power in Wellington.* Three years ago the. Ministry captured two of the three seats ■ in Wellington. ■ Last year a vacancy occurred, and, after ■ a severe -struggle, . in which Mr Seddon employed all the devices knowu to him to secure the return of his candidate, Mr Duthie waa • elected by a majority of 1029 votes. On Tuesday Mr Hutcheson defeated the candidate who stood in the Government interest by 2174 votes. The result is one that may well inspire the Opposition with confidence as to the result of the general election. Throughout the colony the electors are becoming thoroughly alive to the necessity of insisting on the administration of the affairs of'thes" country being entrusted to persons wh<£ will conduct it on purer lines 'than at , present.

The friends of the Hon. John M'Kenzir will be pleased to learn that information waf ' received on Tuesday that the ho». gentleman • continued to make satisfactory progress. The serious and trying nature of the operation to remove the internal growth may be judged from the fact that the operation, which waa performed by Dr Fenwick, of London, lasted three-quarters of an hour.

At a meeting of the Tokomairiro Presbyterian Church congregation it was resolved ta apply to the Presbytery of Clutha for. modera- ' tion in a call to the Rev. George Miller, o! Waikaka. We learn from the Bruce Herald that at the first vote 61 members and 15 ad herents voted for Mr Miller, and 4-7 mpmberi and 17 adherents for Mr Hall. In order to ascertain how many of the minority were prepared to fall in with the majority a second vote waa taken, when 84- members ' and 11 adherents voted for Mr Miller, and 27 members and 16 adherents for "Mr Hall. Ityra; then decided to approach the Presbytery*. ,