The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 134, 30 October 1877, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30.

Major Atkinson's Want of Confidence Motion has received an unlooked-for check in Mr Reynolds' amendment to the effect— " That the Government having " not yet declared their policy, the House v declines in the meantime to entertain I'" any vote of Want of Confidence in the " Ministry." The spirit which has moved Mr Reynolds to oppose the motion of the leader of the Opposition, and not only to oppose it, but to substitute for it an amendment, which in the present feeling of the House, is almost certain to be carried, is one that cannot fail to strike a sympathetic cord in the hearts of all who love justice and fair dealing. Let the present Government be as weak and - unsatisfactory as is alleged, still they are entitled to the same courtesy and latitude as former Governments'have recieved when taking office. Mortified by his recent defeat, and burning to avenge the ignominy of j ham i (.'.land colleagues, Major Atkinson I

has allowed his temper to get the better of his discretion; and by a premature and hasty action in the offensive, has not only defeated his own object, but caused disaffection in the ranks of his party, for, without doubt, many will now vote for the amendment who would, had the attack been made at tha right moment, have otherwise voted for the original motion. His speech is petulant, crabbed, and redolent of animus ; verbiage hard-hitting and sarcasm are made to do duty for common sense and statesmanlike reasoning ; while the drift of the whole is nothing more nor less than— see how much better off you would have been had you retained us on the Treasury Benches. Honorable members must have been highly amused at the exhibition of such an ebullition of spleen, but it can have carried as little weight with them as it has with the colony at large. The policy, if such it can be termed, of the late Government, was not such as to confer honour and glory on its originators, or to command the confidence of the House, and the effort of the exPremier to prevent his successors from declaring their scheme, seems on the face of it a mere attempt to hide his own deficiences. On the other hand, the reply of Sir George Grey is essentially characteristic of the man. While working on the feelings of honorable members by an appeal to their sense of fairplay and justice, the usual egotism, bombast and impetuosity is noticeable in every line of his speech. With beautiful, but somewhat farfetched allegory, he likens himself to a " gentle lamb," and his opponent to a "great wolf," who is determined to " gobble him up," while the affairs of the country are as " a stream of water," which he (Sir George) is accused of dirtying. Should the wolf carry out his determination, we fear the " gentle lamb " would be found to be considerably out of season, and the " stream of water " is apparently subject to such interruptions in its course, that it has become a stagnant sheet of water. Whether or not Mr Reynolds' amendment will be carried, is. of course, only a matter of conjecture, and doubtless the contest will be keen and close. The Government have brought forward grave charges of unsoundness, bungling, and incompetency against their predecessors, which the country has a right to see substantiated, and on that account, as well as for the sake of justice and fairplay, we trust that the amendment will be carried.

It is to be hoped that the steps taken by the Committee of the " Banks Peninsula Pastoral Association," will result in the forthcoming show being one of the best, if not the best, ever held in connection with the Association since its establishment. It will be a success if the Committee put their shoulders to the wheel, and with the members, act unitedly in predetermined concert. We trust that every member, will deem it to be his duty to send such specimens from his flocks and herds as he may deem worthy of exhibition. If this be done, we have no doubt that the forthcoming show will be a credit to the district. Before we conclude, we must congratulate the Association on its choice of a President. We believe that the late Mr Buchanan's mantle has fallen upon the right man, and, that the gentleman selected will prove himself to be a worthy successor of the late lamented President.