The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, AUGUST 1.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 317, 1 August 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, AUGUST 1.

The curtain has fallen on the first act of the political drama now enacting. As will be seen elsewhere, the division on the proposed amendment to the address in reply has been taken, and has resulted adversely to the Government by a majority of 14, the numbers being, including one pair, 48 and 84 respectively. This majority is larger than was anticipated by the most sanguine friends of the Opposition. * The debate, though prolonged for over a week, might very well have been completed in one or two nights. No grave questions of policy •were at stake, as the Opposition avowedly and expressly avoided raising any issue of the kind. The whole thing resolved itself into an attack on the one side, and defence by the other of the administrative action of the Government. Under these circumstances, it was hardly possible but that a considerable amount of personal animus should have been displayed by the speakers on both sides. And this was undoubtedly the case. The speech of Sir William Fox was a grand specimen of that style of oratory in which he is facile princeps. The special correspondent of one of the Opposition papers describes it as being " in every sense of the word, a characteristic speech ; giving almost an exaggerated picture of all Sir W. Fox's great power and great weakness ; of all his wonderful wit and fluency ; of all his want of caution, and want of policy. Fortunately his case was too strong to require much caution or policy either, and after he had flung charges broadcast at the Government, with a rapidity and a jocularity that made them sound like a well written novel, he could afford to rouse their utmost ire against himself by holding them up to public ridicule." No wonder that a speech of this description brought Sir George Grey to his feet. He seemed to look upon the whole attack as dictated by personal enmity to himself, and professed the greatest delight in having incurred the undying hatred of land sharks, &c. The Canterbury runholders, the " human race," and Sir Michael Hicks-Beach were somewhat mixed up in one of Sir George Grey's accustomed passionate harangues, but the attack having been so exceedingly discursive, the Premier can hardly be censured for straying from the record. The only other speehes in the debate worthy of mention were those of Mr Sheehan and Mr Wakefield. The former had been attacked, perhaps, more severely than any member of the Government, and might have been expected to retort with equal severity. He confined himself, however, strictly to the defensive, and made a most effective speech. Mr Wakefield's denunciation of Ministerial delinquencies was, if anything, more discursive than that of his chief, and, in some parts, in attempting to be very sarcastic, he degenerated into puerility. However, the debate is at an end, and the House has pronounced an unmistakeable verdict. The qnestion now arises—What next ? That the present, or perhaps we should say the late Opposition, can form a Ministry which shall have sufficient cohesion to secure a working majority even in the present House we think more than doubtful. In one quarter it is stated that the new Ministry will propose to carry the Loan Bill and the Electoral Bill, and then terminate the session. This is very likely to be the case. Two years ago the same party cried out for "political rest." We consider the carrying out of such a programme would be a public j misfortune. A clear, distinct policy has been laid down in the Governor's Speech, and it ought to be fairly carried out, or fairly defeated.. But we doubt if any Ministry likely to be formed will not split up the moment they get past the former of the two measures named. A singular unanimity will no doubt prevail on the subject of procuring money, the spending of which will come under their supervision ; but when they come to the question of the franchise, we consider it highly improbable,ifthey could be brought to consent to any measure which would meet the views of the present House. As :to the adjustment of taxation, a question that must be solved, sooner or later, it would cause an immediate split in the ranks from which the late majority has been derived. Under these circumstances, we see no means for a solution of the difficulty, other than a dissolution. There are two distinct issues to lay before the electors, viz., the programme .enunciated by the late Government, and the question as to whose hands is to be entrusted the work of. carrying it out. Whether the issues be submitted to the ordeal of the ballot box at once, or the settlement be delayed for a few months matters little. We are inclined to the opinion that it would be better for the interests of what we must call the Liberal party that their opponents should first have the opportunity given them of trying their hands at the distasteful task of professing to carry out a policy which in their hearts they most cordially detest. At the same time, remembering that a considerable number of those who voted with the late majority were returned to Parlia-

ment on the express understanding that they should support Sir George Grey and his policy, we think the defeated Premier has a perfect right; if he desires it, to give these gentlemen an opportutunity of explaining themselves to their constituencies.