THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XII, Issue 9511, 11 September 1879, Page 2

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

(Post.)

The defeat of Sir William Fox is certainly no loss to the Opposition, and no gain to the Ministry. Personally, perhaps Sir George Grey would probably rather have seen Mr Ballance ousted, and, politically, the presence of Sir William Fox in the House was a decided benefit to the party opposed to him. His strong vindictiveness, violence of speech, and injudiciousness of action, alienated the support of a great many members who were otherwise ready to throw in their lot with the Opposition. It was utterly hopeless to expect that any party under Sir William Fox's leadership would ever reap the substantial fruits of victory. No Ministry under him could hold office, and while he was in the House he could not well be deposed, or in any way shelved. It was, of course, stated that he was willing to take a back seat ; that he did not wish to take office, and all that, but we have a very vivid recollection of Sir George Grey's professions to a like effect under similar circumstances, and we have not one whit more belief in the disinterestedness and self-sacrifice of Sir William Fox than in that of Sir George Grey, and we all know in what fashion the latter displayed these qualities when the crisis came. Sir William Fox is now out of the way of temptation. He is out of the House, and unlikely ever to re»enter it. This is a result eminently satisfactory to the coun a try, and wa only wish a similar one was attained in regard to Sir George Grey. That the latter will cling to office as long as he can there is no doubt. Any hope of his voluntary retirement is futile. It is possible that the present elections may give the Ministry, of which he is the head, a majority, although that majority would include a large proportion of members like Mr Turnbull, who are anxious that Sir George Grey should resign the Premiership, Mr Turnbull said he would personally counsel Sir George Grey to do this, and his representations will no doubt be concurred in by a larger number of members than will make up the difference between the avowed Opposition and the Government party. Looking at the action now being taken in Auckland, however, where, no doubt at the insti~ gation of Sir George himself, meetings are being held to affirm hia right to the leadership of the Liberal party, it is evident he has no intention of giving it up, and that he will certainly have from Auckland a strong band of supporters to back him up in retaining it. Indeed we believe that at any caucus of the Ministerial party there will be a majority in favor of Sir George Grey Retaining his present position. This will place the minority in an awkward position. They cannot well, on the mere personal question, sever themselves from their party and unite with their opponents. Major Atkinson may be regarded as the natural successor to Sir William Fox in the Conservative leadership, bat there is not the slightest chance of his commanding a majority. Under these circumstances what is wanted is some expedient by which a reconstruction of the present Ministry and the compulsory retirement of the present Premier may be attained. There seems to us one way in which this might be secured, and that is a combination between the Hon John Hall and Mr Ballance. There is nothing to preve?it Mr Hall taking up the same platform as that on which Sir George Grey stands, and putting him aside. A motion worded on the precedent of that moved in one of Mr Stafford's Ministries some years ago, " That this House has no confidence in the Ministry as at present constituted," would enlist the sympathy and support of both the Opposition proper, and the section of the Ministerial party who regard the leadership oi Sir George Grey with distrust. A Ministry composed of the Hon John Hall as Premier, Mr Ballance as Treasurer, Mr Macandrew as • Minister of Public Works, Mr Sheehan as Native Minister, Colonel Whitmore as Colonial Secretary, and Messrs Gisborne, Oliver, and Montgomery filling the other offices, Would be a thoroughly and genuinely Liberal one, and would command an overwhelming majority both in the House and country. Such is the solution of the difficulty which we should like to see.