The Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1894. THE WRITING ON THE WALL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12120, 29 September 1894, Page 2

The Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATE A-RANGITIKE I ADVERTISER. " NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1894. THE WRITING ON THE WALL.

The sooner Ministers send the representatives of the people about their business the better will it be for themselves. Every day the session lasts Ministerial influence with the followers of the Government is steadily weakening. It is true that the Government can still count upon a large majority on important questions— but they have now to flacate the more independent of their supporters before they can risk venturing into the division lobby. In the early part of the session Ministers made it very clear that they regarded themselves as the appointed of the people, and the members of the Liberal Party as mere servants sent to do their bidding. Now, the despised and often humiliated members are beginning to feel that if only a little knot of them like to stand together they can become masters instead of servants, and make the Government do their bidding. The facfc of the changed relations between themselves and their followers has began to dawn upon MrSeddou and his colleagues, no now we have caucuses of the party to decide upon the course of legislation. A little while ago the Cabinet roled, and tlie party silently obeyed i— " not theirs to reason why, not theirs to make reply "—bat now fcho party rules, and Ministry obey with as good a grace as possible under the unpleasant circumstances. But what is most significant of the changed relations between the Governraent aud their supporters is not the independence that is shown in debates and divisions, but the utter loss of confidence in the government as j a whole, and particularly .0? the leading members of it, to which ; those who still vote with thorn givo i tho freest utterance in tho lobbies and in private conversation, A Ministry that has lost the confidence ] and respect of a large section of its followers, and the more prominont members of which are cordially disliked and held in mitempt by several of those on whose votes it depends, holds oflioc on suffrauee, no matter how large may bo the majority v/hicli i< can command on policy bills approved Sty its party. AVitliout being behind the scenes at all, it is easy to see how small is the amount of re«poct Ministerialists entertain for Murisloi'H. About a week ago Mr Pirnm — hi the words of a press correspondent— " Disregarding the usual mandate of i\\a Premier to go on with tho (Jovernmont business, moved tho adjournment to express very freoly his opinion of tho unsatisfactory reply of the Minister for Lands to a question affecting the lands adminiatratioE. Hv Scddon expressed iudignation i\ia& £l)e time of tho House should bo. wasted upon trivialities ; but the Ministerial whip has nu terrors for Mr Pi rani, wUoiio.uiully

time of the House being wasted over a trivial matter. Well, sir, this questiou affects the interest of every Crown lenant in tho country'; and then, with unprecedented audacity, went on to express the opinion that the time of fie Government and tho House would bo sometimes better spent on such trivialities. Mr Firani's example evidently put heart of grace into others of the Ministerial following, who got even with the dictator by talking ont the afternoon under cover of the adjournment upon every possible subject, from the London price of New Zealand debentures to the local price of New Zealand binding twine." If Ministers are not much more careful next session than they have been this, they will assuredly be hauled otf the Treasury Benches by their ow:i irate followers. Indeed it was only the casting vote of their own Chairmanof Committees which saved them from a bad defeat at the hands of the son of a Minister— Mr Montgomery — two or'threo uights ago on the question of tho amount to be borrowed under the Advances to Settlers Bill ; and quite as bad a fate would probably have befallen them a few day3 previously, had not Captain Russell stopped forward and challenged tho whole Ministerial army to a division on the Consols Bill. The Liberal Party will not allow the Government to be defeated by the Opposition. When the Liberals are sufficiently sick of Mr Scddon and his colleagues they will take a leading hand in tnrning them out themselves. From present appearances that time will not be very long in coming.