POLITICAL

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 27, 19 March 1881, Page 6

POLITICAL

NOTES AND NOTIONS, By am " Independent M.H.R."

Mr. Walter Johnson, the new PostmasterGeneral, is a man about 45 years old. He is one of those lucky enough to have had his father born before him as the Hon. John Johnson, M.L.C., is one of the richest merchants in Wellington. His brother-in-law Dr. Grace is also M.L.C. Mr. W. Johnson is a hard prosperous man of business, and the owner of valuable sheep runs. He is said to be Avorth a a hundred thousand pounds and his sympathies are entirely with the hundred thousand pounders. He has never done anything in politics or in public life to show that he cares two farthings for any one out of his own set. But in Society he has a large house, and during the contest of las party with the Grey Government his house was a centre of political intrigue. • The Opposition always had a good place to hold their caucuses and there ■were always good dinners and delightful attentions to wheedle over doubtful members of the Grey Int. It was no secret that Mr. Johnson was dissatisfied at finding himself excluded from the Ministry after all these sacrifices and he showed this discontent in a hundred ways and was becoming a warm supporter of the Middle party. He will now be alienated from that party, but Avill bring no strength to the Government. He will be of value in checking the Treasurer's ligures, for of finance and politics in their higher sense Mr. Johnson has never given the least sign to indicate that lie has the vaguest glimmer. His only strong feeling is a bitter dislike to .Sir George Grey, whom he was always "told oft'" to harrass by paltry questions and "'nasty" speeches, which Sir George invariably treated with lofty disdain. Such is the new Postmaster-General. The Ministry must have been reduced to great straits before they fell back on him as their only possible colleague*

My Wellington correspondent gives me the amusing side of the Johnson promotion. It appears that Mr. Wallis' difficulties were not all political. The ladies had to be taken into account. Several of them had rendered great services, and had helped to put and keep the Hall party in power. Were they to take all this trouble, to keep open house and to coax and flatter, merely that their husbands might be passed over when the victory was won ? In the early days of the Ministry they were willing to make some sacrifice. But they had shown patience enough, and each thought her husband's turn, and her own accession of dignity, should now come. Hall has been terribly pestered with these claims, and, according to Wellington gossip, will partly meet them by recommending knighthoods for a few of the leading aspirants. So Sir George McLean, Sir George liichardson, and possibly Sir John Studholme, will be added to the roll of New Zealand's nobility at no distant date.

From the same correspondent I hear that never was party so overwhelmed with aspirants for raiik and office as the Hall party. The intelligence takes me by surprise, for I had been under the impression that it was otherwise. But my correspondent's authority is undoubted, and lie tells me of such strong dissension on this score that during the whole of- last session the Ministerial Party kept silence, lest their differences should become public. Their leading idea was to keep out Grey, who would be troublesome to those who had axes to grind. The axes are either ground or all chance of grinding has gone by, and my correspondent anticipates a different course next session. He thinks that the tongues of quasi Hallites will be loosened, and that from among them will come the hottest ebullitions of discontent. Ministers are fully aware of this, and are very likely either to resign or reorganise before the House meets.

Among other anecdotes which have thus reached me are two worth preserving. One tells how Mr. Masters, a weak member from the West Coast, was won over by the wife of one of the leading Oppositionists of the day, who invited him to dinner and coaxed him into disaffection to Sir George Grey. " You will vote with us, won't you, now, Mr. Masters ?" This request, made just as he was leaving, after a dinner, at which the hostess and guests all paid him the most marked attention, settled the matter. Masters then gave the fatal promise, which made him a follower of the Hall party — a party with which neither he nor his constituents had the slightest sympathy. But one; of the snares used to trap our Auckland Adonis is described as the most amusing. After similar good feeding and delicate attentions, he was told that it had been often remarked there were only two gentlemen on the Opposition side of tl:e House, of whom Adonis was one. What a pity he should continue in such company? Poor "Hurst succumbed, and was another victim to the clever ladies who managed so well and did so much to put the Hall Ministry into power.

The way in which the Christchurch Press treats Mr. Johnson's accession to the Ministry confirms all I have heard from "Wellington. The Press is par excellence the Hallite and antiGrey paper of the Colony. On the present occasion it gives expression to the views of the disappointed Candida) es for Ministerial seats, who are more numerous in the Hall section of the Canterbury members than in any other party in the Colony, That is the real purport of the cry to disregard financial boundaries which the Press is now raising. It means that Canterbury has already two members in the Ministry, and wants more. The number of persons in that province who regard themselves as born to rule the rest of the world, is astonishing. Mr. Hall has always been their leader and representative in the past. In their name lie opposed popular education, vote by ballot, extension of suffrage, and every popular movement that has occurred in the Colony. His expressed opinion in the Legislative Council is that "the i>eople" have a right only to ask for " good Government." This, of course, means Government at the hands of Mr. Hall and Hall's friends and supporters Mr. Johnson's opinions are as strong as Mr. Hall's in this direction. But the Canterbury Hallites are evidently not satisfied with the predominence they .already exercise, and are crying out to disregard all provincial boundaries — except those of Canterbury. I should like to hear their opinion if Otago or Auckland were to claim the power which they, with the help of the small provinces and of the Auckland Rats, have managed to acquire.

T see Mr. Harding will not act like a reasonable man, but is ready to plunge the whole country into trouble and expense rather than forego the assertion of his own will. There is a bit of land in Hawke's Bay of some thirty acres, which lias always been a Maori village and ■which has become the only rendezvous now left for the Maorics in all that part of the province. They are sure of a •welcome there and of food for themselves and horses, instead of being forced to go to the neighbouring hotels. The rest of their land was sold for an old song many years ago. Mr. Harding is the lucky owner of many thousand acres of that land. He is a rich man, a Good Templar Chief and a model good man in all ways. But his heart is set on getting this thirty acres which the Maories declare they never meant to sell him and "which, if included in his survey, was included by mistake and by an oversight on their part. The Government have frequently offered Mr. Harding £400 (equal to £10 per acre) to forego his claim. But he is obdurate and is now probably encouraged by Mr. Sutton's success in a like but much larger claim at Omaranui to push his own. I cannot and do not wish him success. Such men as Mr. Harding perpetually standing on their wealth and exceptional goodness are a nuisance when their pretensions are not backed up by performance and by some proof that they have hearts that can beat in sympathy with their fellow men.

By-the-bye, whatever my Wellington correspondent may say, I cannot forget that more potent excuses were given by the four Auckland members who sold their party on a certain occasion. Among these excuses were justice to Auckland and an Auckland Representative in the Ministry to secure it. How is it that neither of these alleged promises has been met? Is it true, as I have heard, that the excuses were an afterthought and that the promises were never given ? The public has a right to know. The mischief done by the ratting on that occasion is plain enough. It has demoralised the whole party, and created such deep distrust that the same members can never work together again. It has destroyed the influence of Auckland in the House and in the Government of the country. It is time we should hear something of the benefit it has done. lam entirely in the dark, and think the public are as ignorant as myself. Will any of the "four " enlighten me ? I shall be glad to hear from them if they will.

So the H®n. Mr. Oliver is making another trip South to look over the public works going on or projected there. When will the lion, gentleman favour Auckland with a little of the same kindly notice ? We shall be happy to see him, and promise him full immunity from unsavory eggs or other of the unsavoury attentions bestowed on him during his last visit to the South.

Messrs. Batkin and Seed have also gone South to look into the working of the Government Departments there. We hope some member will get a return of the cost incurred for the commission which these gentlemen are carrying out, to the great neglect one would suppose of their own. ordinary official duties. Mr. Saunders and his Commission last year could not have been of much use if a second is already required.