The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 1891.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 8971, 2 January 1891, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 1891.

THE-holidays being over, public attention wjll once more be directed towards political .subjects. Parliament has" been called together for the despatch of business on Friday, January 23rd — that 18, in three weeks' time, and within nine weeks of the termination of the financial year. Mr -Balltmce and a few of his adherents assert that the Ministry are. in a minority ; but vchen the raembeiß assemble, and find the position of affairs, we think it very doubt ml, should a direct vote of confidence be moved by Mr Ballance, if he secures a .majority. Anyhow it will be a very considerable relief to know that the country js not lo be handed over to the Socialistic However secure the Ministry may feej themselves in being able to avert there is one thing which it may js^taken for granted will occur, and that la^Lre-construction of the Government] yl.i^t take place. If Sir Harry Atkinson is .'not strong enough in health to take -an Iqjjjjire part in the House, there is W — alternative Out his retirement. 'Such a farce- as last session will not be jpermitted in a new Parliament. ■ The ifoder of the party will have to be in the even if the Premier sits in the Legislative Council ; but that leader must he one whose position will command respect, and not as it was last session, one of the Ministry acting as Premier who could not hold together a following of half a dozen members. The democratic party are making a great fuss just now fbont the constitution of the. Legislative Council, and petitions are being signed for presentation to the Governor,,protesting against any increase in the. number of "members. This in being done by the party who, wh n, in. power, were most lavish in their Upper Chamber appointments — twenty of those occupying seats in the Council being of their nomination. When the Council had forty-five members the Stout- Vogel-Ballance Ministry added, in one batch, eight of their friends to that number ; but now that the Council consistH of only thirty-seven members, of whom there are three lik*ely, through old Jige, to retire very "Shortly, the party who helped a score of their friends to life annuities, are howling at the thought of the present Ministry getting some of the- vacant chairs 7"' in the -Legislative Council filled with gentlemen, who, from their known abilities, will be able to help materially in the administration of the colony. Such is the inconsistency of a party who seek power, and evidently hope to rule the country.