FRIDAY'S DIVISION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1883, 3 July 1888, Page 3

FRIDAY'S DIVISION.

The division on Friday evening on Mr Seddon's proposal to adjourn the debate on Mr Monk's amendment to the p_totion for going into Committee of Supply is significant of the very peculiar position of parties m the House. On looking over the names recorded by tho teller, it will at once be seen that five members of what is known as the old Opposition, or Opposition proper, voted with the noes snd even Ministers were m a minority of 9. No doubt, Messrs Fish, Feldwick, Levestam, Turabull and. Pratt voted as they did m order to show that the question wag not to be regarded as a party one, and that the division itself was not the outcome of an organised movement to unseat Government. But the fact remains that with the aid of five of their following the Government were badly beaten and that had the division been taken strictly on party lines they would have found •hemselves m a minority of not Jesa thaii eighteen. 'Jn fact, as stated during tne debate, it is absolutely fine thas Ministers are at. the head of the smallest of the three parties m the House, and are dependent for their retention pf office on the support or forbearance of the party of which Mr Lance is apparently de facto the leader, and Messrs Walker , aud Fitchett, the whips. In regard to i the Tariff proposals, Sir H. Atkinson is m the main carrying out tho v'""^ 0 f this party who cn»£ not i iave c ; rried mem without his assistance, and therefoie the Opposition proper rally round him when needful to enable him to push on m tl^e direction m which they wish hiin'to go, but knowing by past experience how high handed tho Premier is, the Opposition evidently think it necessary to make him aware that while they may be counted on ag $lUe_s so long ag t^e, Goyericiuient pursues the path or policy whioh they approve they are not to be regarded as having merged their identity m that of the Atkinson following, and have not gone over to the Ministerial stqucford. That, as we readj the indications, is the mean ing ot Friday's division and no more than that. By the division the Opposition have made this clear to the country and they have made it equally cleav that the Ministry without their aid could not stand for a day. The Fremiev will, it may be anticipated, try to $mpn the position to best account by forcing the estimates as far as. possible, trusting to the unwillingness of his opponents to turn him o^t $t thp urpsen^ critical juncture, but h,e vf\\\ do well to abstain from pushing too far or he may have reckoned without his host, and that m place o% a friendly hint, he may be confronted with an uumistakeably hostile demonstration, »