TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3207, 8 October 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1881.

What is Mr Ormond going to do next session? is the question that is at present troubling the press of this colony. Is Mr Ormond the coming leader ? The Wellington Post, discussing this question, eaye :—'• That the result of the want of confidence debate in which Mr Orraond appeared for the first time as leader of the Opposition, is not to be measured by the narrow majority of four which retained Ministers in power, few will dispute. It was the first bold endeavour to emancipate the Opposition party from Greyite thraldom. Hitherto, all attempts to attack the Government have been iudicrous failures, simply because the presence of Sir George Grey and the impossibility of ignoring him in any conceivable combination have been fatal points of weakness. Now, however, for the first time since the present Government have been fairly settled on the Treasury benches, we have seen a strong,

6dmp&ci, and formidable assault made on their position, and defeat only very narrowly averted. What does this mean ? la Mr Ormond really the coming leader ? That ouly the future can i reveal. It is noteworthy, however, that ' soma anonymous political sketches of cofisideiablc but unequal men*. \Vbieh were apparently the work of different bands, and e&cited attention during the session, partly owing to their being attributed to various prominent politicians were palpably written expressly with the object of glorifyiug Mr Ormond and putting him forward as a sort of Coming political saviour. This may be one of those straws which show the way of the «md, or it may have been a mere feeler. l\ is pretty well known among those who closely watch the current of events that there ha« been of late a very eafaest, al'.hough quipr, effort to fotm a new party, wi?Rh should be independent alike of the sfffjnch Ministerialists on the one hand, an} of the ukra-Grevite on the other. It is il-o known that Mr Ormond has been .'uettioned. as the only leader of this eornbipation at present possible." The Wajganui Herald, (Mr Balance's paper,) H^ys;—"lt is because Mr Ormond's speeches have inspired the hope that he is capable of submitting something practical and workable, that he has beeu looted upon as a leader, and commands a large share of the confidence of those who bavj for sometime been viewing with alarn the centralising tendencies of the present administration. Prom some of Mr Ortnond's opinions we must express «nr (liesent, but for a long tittle we nave watched with no little interest hisgenuine and hearty sympathy with the deferredpayment settlers and other small farmers, whose cause he has repeatedly to our knowledge kept in the fore-ground both in the House of Representatives and in Committee. When, therefore, Mr Orraond has been accused of selfishness in desiring to get rid of the Property Tax, we put against the assertion the J fact that personally he has not sought to advance hia interests in Parliament, but his alway been found standing up for the bumble pioneers of the settlement, who, struggling with their bush sections to make ends meet, have had a hard time iv battling with their miserable fate. One thing cannot he said of Mr Ormond, tba tie has 'neglected his district.' This sin cannot be laid to bis charge, and he stands before hia constituents as good a type of the ' local man , as any this day in New Zealand."