WELLINGTON ITEMS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6885, 21 June 1890, Page 4

WELLINGTON ITEMS.

[feom oub special cobbkspondbnt.] WELLINGTON, Junk 20. " WAB IT A SUBPBIBE ?" That is the question going round the lobbies. It was a surprise, as everybody agrees, tbat the Address came before the House before half-past seven ; but the question is not in that sort a surprise. Is it a Burprise tbat the Government has blundered with its first Order Paper ? j People on the Opposition Bide deny that there is any surprise in that, and they ask what can be expected of their conduct in the session when an Order Paper has proved too much for their capacity. Belying on the Order Paper, which said " halfpast Beven," Sir George Grey had Dot fori mulated his amendment to the Address. Whin the Address came on he went out of the House to prepare his document, and returned to find members hurriedly leaving, and Mr Ballance in command of the position, that gentleman having moved the adjournment to the evening. IN THE INTERVAL Mr Tanner, writhing in the ' grasp of "la grippe," and having been refused permission to have his speech read by some one else (Mr Beetham), had simply moved the Address ; and Mr Boss had devoted one minute to seconding the same. " After the very eloquent remarks of my hoa friend," said Mr Eoss, with sublimely unconscious humour, " there is nothing left for me to say." Thereupon he piously agreed with the prayer at the close of the Governor's Speech, and remarked that the Speech had said everything he wanted to hear, and' sat down in rather a flutter of excitement. At once Mr Ballance saw his opportunity, and promptly catching the Speaker's eye, moved the adjournment. What he ib going to do with the lead he has thus secured, time will tell. Sir George, who has thus got the worst of the second move, waits for the Opposition leader. If Mr Ballance moves an amendment, probably Sir George will move an amendment on his amendment. The game is well opened. THE ACOUSTIC PBOPEBTIEB are to blame for what I have made Mr Eosb say above. In referring to the eloquent remarks of the mover Mr Eoss made use, I have since ascertained, of a negative which did not reach all of us in the gallery. He said, " after the eloquent remarks which the mover did not make." It will be seen that there is a considerable difference. When the House met at half-past seven. MB BALLANCE was in remarkably good form, and delivered one of his carefully-arranged incisive speeches^ Fluent he was, and rapid, rushing from one point to another without giving himself time to take breath ; but contrary to general expectation, he moved no amendment. Th 9 veteran, who had taken a seat near him, and listened in- | tently, was visibly pleased. The leader of the Opposition began with some generous remarks about the Premier, which were much appreciated on all sides of the House. That preliminary over, he attacked the Government all along the line. He denounced their land administration in detail, and summed it up as neutralising the effect of the increased production in the country. He was scathing in his remarks about the Native land purchase, which he described as of no benefit to the public or to the Natives themselves. He declared that General Edwards, who had inspired the Government with their new defence policy, was no better than a tout for one of the Australian Governments. The primage duty, Federation, the appointments of Judge Edwards and Colonel Trimble, the public works appointments, the Queenstown speech — which had, Mr Ballance said, after all, underrated the Ministerial policy — all came in for a share of very pointed criticism 5 after which the Opposition leader made his point by regretting that the Government had not accepted his dissolution resolutions last year, and after lightly handling some points of the Governor's Speech, sat down amid the cheers of his party. THE COLONIAL BECBETABT answered him in that slow, measured style, occasionally halting, for which he is famous. He appealed to figures that were coming for the success oC the land administration; he twitted the hon gentleman for his spending of vast sums .of money on settling people on land on which they could not remain j he referred hon members to the Financial Statement, which would give them all the policy of the Government,- he defended the appointments, and made a neat little peroration glorifying the administration as one of the best in the country's record. Then 818 GEORGE arose and unswathed himself, after which he unbosomed himself. " Oh, what weariness— oh, what dreariness," he said ; and having paused, pointed out that while a starving people were deprived of their, electoral rights by an act of tyranny, their representatives were bandying words about trifles. Representatives ! They were a dead Parliament, unfit to legislate for a living nation. When he had developed this strain with much fervour and impressive language, he proceeded to point out the many things the disfranchised living nation required : — " The immediate exercise of its rights, to obtain, amongst others I may mention, the Governor's position, abandoned to the peerage by a gross breach of trust; and the Legislative Council, given up to the nominees of a Government deaf to the call of duty ; and the law, set about with obstructions." The lands were not really open, and the Native land administration was scandalous. All this and more the veteran piled up, getting more and more impressive. At last he came to his proposal for a dissolution. He represented the Governor as anxious to grant it. He declared it was the right course and the only course. Hj earnestly advised the House to say so, and he wound up by reading his amendment, which he said he would move when the Speaker came to put the clauses of the Address seriatim. MB TAYLOR followed with a palpable play for time, and gave way to Major Steward, who moved the adjournment. THK UPSHOT is that the leader of the Opposition has given way to Sir George Grey, and the outcome will be that Sir George Grey's amendment will not be carried. That is the present idea, in the lobbies. The Opposition, it is understood, reserves its strength for a serious attack after the Financial Statement.