The Timaru Herald . TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1899.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 2976, 13 June 1899, Page 2

The Timaru Herald . TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1899.

Not long since we referred m a leading article to the terribly shattered condition m which the Seddon Government will have to face the business of the approaching session. VVe notice that the same subject has been taken up by the Neic Zealand Times, which, m spite of many disclaimers, is the recognised organ of the Premier m Wellington. Yet our contemporary, m an article which appeared on Saturday last, exposes the weakness of the Government m very trenchant but truthful terms. It is not an attack upon the Premier or his policy, but rather an expression of regret that he should have to meet Parliament with such an exceedingly weak array of colleagues. It is hard to say what was the reason for the publication of the article, coming as it did from an undoubted friend of the Premier, and the champion both of his policy and administration. On this occasion the New Zealand Times has played the part of "the candid friend," but whether the Premier feels grateful for the service rendered, or regards it as such services are usually regarded, is more than we can say. : The article, however, has the merit of being for the most part true, and that is a recommendation which does not always attach to the advocacy of the Ministerial organs. The Times commences by setting forth some particulars of the constitution of the so-called Liberal Ministry m the past : — " The changeful and fleeting nature of things mundane is well exemplified m the history of the Liberal Ministry that took office m 1891, and has, with reconstruction, remained m power to the present time. As originally constituted, the Cabinet comprised" Messrs Ballance, Seddon, Reeves, McKenzie, Cadman, Ward, and Sir Patrick Buckley. Of these, practically only one remains m power to-day — the Right Hon. R. J. Seddon. Mr Ballance and Sir Patrick Buckley are dead, Mr Reeves is m London, Mr Ward has retired, Mr Cadman is retiring, Mr McKenzie is absent m the Old Country, with only the hope of returning to office after undergoing a critical operation. It was a strong Ministry that Mr Seddon formed after the .death of his former chief m 1893 ; but where is it now ? Its history has been one of declension and decay, until now the once meaningless gibe about it being a ' one-man Ministry ' is almost literal truth. The gaps created by the removal of Sir Patrick Buckley and Messrs Reeves and Ward were filled — if it be not irony to say so — by Messrs W. C. Walker, Hall-Jones, and. Thomas Thompson. The Ministry was numerically restored to its former strength ; but owing largely to the inexperience of two of the new Ministers and their failure to command the confidence and respect of the , House and the public, the Cabinet was really weakened. Mr Walker has made a highly respectable and successful figurehead m the Legislative Council ; but his ability and knowledge would have been of much greater value had they been available for the House of Representatives." All this is is obviously true, except perhaps that too flattering an estimate of Mr Walker's success m the Legislative Council. Next, the Times acknowledges that of late the Premier and the Minister of Lands have done all the fighting m the House and m the country, and that Mr Cadman, " troubled and cumbered " with the detail work of the Railway Department, has had no energy left for political strife. Our contemporary lets Messrs Hall-Jones and Thompson down very easily with the remark that " they have been of no real service m the House, however efficiently they may have discharged their Ministerial duties of an administrative character." " Thus," says our contemporary, "Mr Seddon finds himself within two weeks of the session with a Ministry that is literally falling to pieces." Of course it is, and. m addition to what has already beqn stated, Messrs Cadman and Thompson will not be candidates at the General Election. The article continues thus : — " It is not a rosy prospect that fronts the Premier, and it is little wonder that he should desire to make the coming session of Parliament as brief as possible. Messrs Thompson and Cadman, being to all intents politically dead, cannot be expected to exert themselves greatly, or to carry much weight on the side of the Ministry. Mr McKenzie will be absent during that portion of the session when 'no-confidence' motions are likely to be moved ; and Mr Hall-Jones is certain to form the object of a strong and combined attack, because of the ' scandal ' m the Marine Department, for which he must be held responsible, even though he shows conclusively that his hands are absolutely clean m the matter." This " candid friend " has sketched the position m colours quite as gloomy as would have been employed by a pronounced and bitter enemy. We shall give one more short quotation :— "Our opinion has long been that Mr Seddon should have reconstructed the Ministry during the recess that is now drawing to a close ; but apparently the canons of political warfare do not allow of the ranks being re-formed at such a juncture. By electing to face the House with a weakened Cabinet, Mr Seddon takes the full responsibility for the consequences. We have no misgivings as to the Liberal cause, for Liberalism has sufficient vitality m New Zealand to survive the discomfiture and even the totqj rout of the present Ministry; but we fear that the business of the country will suffer on account of the disorganisation that must result from the present condition of affairs." We do not agree with the New Zeafand Times

m thinking that m his own interests as the head of his party the Premier should have reconstructed during the recess. Bad as matters are for him at present, they would have been worse had he taken to himself new colleagues out of the material at his disposal m this Parliament. His only, chance was, and is, to fight the Opposition with the Ministry as they stand. They are no doubt a miserable gathering, but unless we are greatly mistaken the party mean to stick to the Premier through everything till the dissolution, and if so numbers will carry the day. After the General Election anything may happen.