TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3240, 18 November 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1881.

The Wellington Evening Post doee not know where to look for the coming leader of the Opposition in the new Parliament. Mr Macandrew has shown himself incapable of keeping a party together ; Sir George Grey's influence has gone, and the Post thinks that Mr Ormond does not desire the position. Our opinion is that Sir George Grey's influence has not gone, and that it is extremely probable that he will find himself with a larger following in the new Parliament than remained true to him in the old one. We think it will be found

that the same fear of his return to power, that was manifested by all parties last session, will prove the main strength of the Ministry, and will as effectually prevent any healthly legislation for the reform of local government institutions as it has done before. Sir George Grey is a wily old politician, and his followers have not been slow to take lessons from so adept a teacher. Of all the-candidates now standing for election how many of them may or may not be devoted followers of Sir George Grey, but who dare not openly declare their colors ? Does any sensible person in Napier believe for a single moment that Mr Buchanan would not be found in the ranks of Sir George Grey should he be elected to Parliament ? Mr Buchanan's supporters state that that gentleman "is at one" with Mr Ormond. This may be perfectly true aa regards the questions of taxation and local government. Mr Buchanan has always been a consistent provincialist, and would work with any one to secure some sort of return to the old form of government. But it is not with everyone Mr Ormond would work, and he certainly would not act with Sir George Grey in such a manner as to replace him at the head of a Ministry. Mr Ormond said in his speech at "Waipawa that, in ' moving his no-confidence motion last session, the fear lest his success should pave the way to Sir George Grey's return to power, induced [several members, who agreed with him in disliking Ministers' local government policy, to vote nevertheless, against his condemnation of that policy. Mr Ormond (says the Evening Post) " might have added that the suspicious alacrity with which Sir George Grey gave in his adherence to his bitterest and most detested enemy in the whole colony—Mr Ormond himself—was quite sufficient to inspire distrust, and to convince thinking men that directly Mr Ormond had effected the defeat of the Ministry he would find himself almost alone in the victorious party, and that the only way out of a deadlock would be that resorted to in 1877. In other words, Mr Ormond's victory meant Sir George Grey's reinstalment as Premier. The House could not stand that, and so Mr Ormond was beaten, while the Government measures which he had denounced went into the waste paper basket." Such was the course that Mr Ormond adopted; he himself courted defeat lest a success should put Sir George Grey into power. We doubt very much whether Mr Buchanan's sense of what was due to consistency would have permitted him to have acted in a similar manner. We will go further, and say our belief is that Mr Buchanan, if elected, would work to put Sir George into office, and if it could be done on a question of local government reform no one cculd charge him with inconsistency. He is a provincialist and a Greyite. Mr Ormond is a provincialist but no Greyite. It is therefore that we believe Mr Buchanan and Mr Ormond will never run in harness, for it is certain Sir George will again take the lead of the Opposition.