WELLINGTON NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4676, 21 June 1893, Page 1

WELLINGTON NEWS.

[PROM OTXB OYttf COBBEBFONB2BNT. I 1 WELLINGTON, Jura. 20, POLITICAL I TOPICS. The signs of the political atmosphere ar< beginning to be significant. It is> ©< course, the natural consequence of' th< arrangement by which the presenl Government came into office. The theory, yotf may remember, on which the member* of Mr Ballance'a Cabinet acted waVifo&i the skipper having perished, the first matt should bring the ship to port, i.e., the session, where the ownerß, videlicet the Party) would be appealed to for a decision as t< the command. Was it to be the first mate who would be skipper, or was it someone else ? The someone else the Inabgahua electors have since named. On thatrunderstanding the Government was formed, on that understanding Sir Eobert wae the' Government candidate for Inangahua, and" on that understanding Mr Seddon loyally fought his battle during that last vißit to the Coast, and got his friends to fight tooth and nail. The natural consequence of all this is that theapproach of the session is attended" by a certain amount of interest, and not a little excitement. Before any of the members began to arrive, the talk in political circles was subdued and divided, and on the whole what may be termed academic. 16 had not much more substance than the deliberations of a debating society. One idea was that Sir Sober t would be foolish to think of .entering the Ministry just now, as there-was nothing for him to do ; the promises of his predecessor are all performed ; the time for making fresh promises will not come till the general election ; the session can afford nothing for a leader but the duty of giving the last word of command to a force organised by another, whose plan of campaign it has successfully followed. On the other hand, the next session must offer a splendid career to splendid talents. Besides this, there was much talk of other things germane, to -the occasion, things pertaining, to Sir Roberta inclinations, to .Mr Seddpn'fl ; desires, and to the private fortunes of Both of them. But these sort of diecuß9ions ended in academic fashion. With the arrival of the first birds of the Parliamentary flock, there is a revival of the talk, and this time there is ateel in it. You meet men who openly tell you, Parliamentarians these, that Mr Seddon has won his position fairly, and must not, on any account, be disturbed, at all events till the session of 1894. Others go no farther in the formula than "disturbed," and they look a little defiant when they see that you understand they are declaring in Mr Seddon's favour, entirely without reserve. On the other hand yon meet men who keep to the old idea of the skipper and the mate. They point out that Bir Robert having commanded cannot be subordinate; they insist that his talents are a sufficient claim, without his services at all; they talk of the confidence the party has in him. You will gather from this that the knotty question is getting into a condition requiring imperatively something in the way of a settlement. THE SIGNS, as I can read them, are indicative of a> parting of the forces.' At present. there is nothing more than an indication that the work of ad j ustment may bo difficult. Indeed, the talk of partisans is . almost violent at times;. so much co that when Mr M'Lean said last night that the present Premier must not be disturbed on any account, it wsb felt that he had thrown down a bombshell. The forces are drawing into two camps very unmistakeably. There may not be hostilities. Peace may be attainable: by simple- process of negotiation. The only thing sure is that the settlement of a difficult problem is at hand, and will have to be gone through, with what fate to the Liberal party, time alone will tell. Tbe party believes firmly, at present,, that the settlement will be facilitated greatly.by the amicable spirit and good senße of the leaders. So mote it be. ' . ! MISCELLANEOUS. : Mr Ward has one hundred applications I for the post of Private Secretary,, vacated by Mr Russell's appointment to the Hansaud staff. ' Sixteen members oif both. Houses have arrived to-night from. Auckland and the , West Coast, amongst them Mr Willis, the newly-elected of- Wanganuij,. and the new Legislative Councillors* " [Per Pbbss Association. J In the Legislative Council the Hon J. M'Qregor will move,, and! the Hon W. Jennings will second,, the- Addrees-in-reply. ; It is understood that a member of the Legislative Council; most likely one of the new members, will be appointed a member of the Executive Council* without portfolio, in order to assist the Colonial Secretary in that chamberOne of the speakers at an unemployed meeting attacked the Labour Bureau, saying that it had not scratched the surface, and that if the Government did not deal with the question the unemployed would deal with and settle them. His remarks, however, did not meet with) the favour of the assembled men, who loudly applauded a subsequent eulogy by the Chairman of the Government as the best in the Colonies. Another meeting is to be held to-morrow to hear the report ofa deputation whioh will wait on the Premier at 9.30 to-morrow morning. The residents of Petone will present aix address of weloome to Lord Glasgow on his arrival there to-morrow afternoon to witness the football match. Mr H. M. Gore, private secretary to the Minister lor Lands', has been appointed to the vacancy on the Hansard staff occasioned by the resignation of Mr Parkinson.