THE MORAL MEMBER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 997, 17 July 1883, Page 4

THE MORAL MEMBER.

JF2OM timaru herald.] Mr M. W, Green has changed sides again. Last session he began as a Government suppporter, but soon went into Opposition. This session he began again as a Government supporter, then went into Opposition, and has now gone over again to the Government. How long he will remain under his present leaders is a matter of the wildest uncertainty. His letter to the Opposition Whip, conveying the sad news of his latest conversion, is one of the most delicious things we ever read. —“ Having come to the conclusion,” he says, “.that, although I may not fully agree with the principles of "either party in the House, yet it is necessary that I should identify myself with one or the other, and I find myself more or less in sympathy with the Government on general matters than with the Opposition, I have concluded to give the Government my support until such time as I find them to act so flagrantly * that to support them longer would be a crime. You will not agree, I dare say, that I act wisely in deciding to do this; but I am sure you will at least give me credit for openness and honesty in writing and telling you of it, so that you may know where I stand.” He * ’ evidently thinks it is quite on the cards * 'that the Government will act so fla- . grantly that to support them would be a crime; but until their iniquities reach

a point beyond which his precious con- ■ science will not permit him to go with them, he is determined to give them his vote if not. his confidence. The most amusing part of it is that the Opposi,tion are greatly distressed by this defection, while the Ministerial party are correspondingly jubilant. It is a fine Illustration of the state of party politics, that a member should be welcomed as a Government supporter who openly avows his conviction that the Ministers are capable of acting so flagrantly that to' support them any longer would be a crime. We should say the party who have lost Mr Green, not the party who have gained him, are to be congratulated, — if only they ■ could be certain that he will not come back. Mr Green says he has taken this step, “ so that he may know [where he stands.” He does not seem to us to know whether he is standing on his head or his heels.