THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume I, Issue 8, 14 October 1879, Page 3

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

[by telegraph.]

(FROM OUR OWJf CORRESPONDENT. ) Wellington, Saturday, 1.50 p.m.

Last night’s division shows the extreme equality of parties in the House. If Messrs Ormond and Russell had been in their places, the division would have been a tie, and on such a question the Speaker’s casting vote must have been with Government. The apparent retirement of Sir George Grey has made his party far more united and compact, but the revelations that the new Government are getting out will not fail to shake the faith of any who are opon to conviction. Besides the utter wantof anyattempt to make both ends meet, and the most wicked and personal extravagance and contempt of Parliamentary control, Sir G. Grey’s groat concern for the welfare of the colony, and of the working man in particular, has just been shown by the production of a despatch which he had kept back from the immigration papers, laid on the table of the House, in which he advises Sir Michael Hicks-Beach that wo wanted 0000 immigrants. He received for an answer that Sir Michael Hicks-Beach had communicated with the guardians of thepoorin England to supply them. This was done last Feb., after the bad harvest was known, and the consequent depression and want of employment was apparent to every one. Borrowed money would be worse than thrown away in the introduction of 6000 paupers. Alluding to the accusations against the Premier made by Mr. Montgomery last night Mr. Wakefield said, “I will not waste any words on such small fry. ” Monday, 3.5 p.m.

The constituents of Mr. Joseph Shepherd, the member for Waimea, are very indignant, and request him to resign, but he is not made of that kind of stuff.

Messrs. Russell and Ormond return by coach to-morrow, and the week is likely to be one of very close lighting, in which every form of the House is likely to bo stretched to the utmost to prevent the present Government from holding office long enough to reveal to the public the frightful state that Grey and Sheehan rule has brought about; the many thousands that have been spent in paying election agents under the name of native land purchasers, land tax collectors, etc., and in many cases without any such blind. A very few more weeks would have brought the Grey Government to a dead standstill, and it is difficult to sec how the same able and prudent Government can got the colony out of the mess it has been brought into by their reckless manner of seeking popularity ; and who have been seeking popularity by taking off taxes when the circumstances of the colony should have called fur great additional taxation, however unpopular.