POLITICAL NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 306, 25 June 1898, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

(BY TKLECJKAI'ir - SPECIAL COIVKESPONDENT) Wellington, Tjast Night, THE OPENING CEREMONY. The weather to-day was wet and disagreeable ; but this did not deter the usual crowd from attending the opening of Parliament. On the contrary the Legislative Council Chamber was so c'osely packed that it was extremely difficult to secure a position anywhere. There were only about fifteen Legislative Councillors present, and about forty representatives of the people, when Lord Ranfurly read his speech, many inembeisof both Houses being still absent from Wellington. Referring to the speech itself, the Post considers it as far as new legislation is concerned the most temperate and reasonable which has emanated from the Seddoti Government. It also displays less cf that long-winded verbosity which so painfully inflated previous productions of the present Ministry, and its moderation is clear proof of the beneficial effect of a narrowed Ministerial majority upon politicals of the Seddouhn type. MR GLADSTONE'S DEATH! The Premier this afternoon, when moving a vote of condolence to the late Mr Gladstone's widow, got completely out of his depth, and appeaved to very poor advantage indeed. Mr Seddon's intentions were no doubt of the best, and he seemed honestly desirous of honouring the memory of a great English statesman, but his method of doing so was almost ludicrous, and that i 3 the opinion expressed by some of his own supporters. Ca.pt. Russell, on the contrary, in seconding the motion, fairly rose to the occasion, and he has seldom been in better trim in the House. The Opposition leader's remarks were in excellent taste, and whilst paying the greatest possible respect to the memory of the late Mr Gladstone, he held up a strong object lesson to the Seddon Government when he warmly declared that never but once in Mr Gladstone's long public career had he been accused of using his position, to reward political supporters. Capt. Russell, pointing to the Ministerial benches, said that even on that solitary occasion, when the matter was enquired into, it was found that the gentleman appointed by the late Mr Gladstone.was not only highly qualified for the position, but he was actually a .political opponent of Mr Gladstone himself. The contrast between the speeches of the two leaders this afternoon may be summed up in a remark made to me by a gentleman present in the House, namely, that" Seddon was at his worst on the subject and Russell at his best." HEAVY ORDER PAPER. An unusually large number of questions, notices of motion and returns were given notice of this afternoon. Some of them, such as Mr George Hutchinson's return of Minister's expenses and travelling allowances, will be hotly opposed by the Premier and will lead to highly interesting debates.