POLITICAL NEWS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4086, 26 August 1884, Page 2

POLITICAL NEWS.

[by telegraph.]

(From our Special Correspondent.)

SIR GEORGE GREY DECLINES TO FORM A MINISTRY.

Weixinoton, This day. I must make the amende honorable for Avhat appeared to me trustAvorthy authority. I stated that Captain Russell and Mr Smith had received telegrams from their constituents expressing annoyance with them at having voted against the Stout Administration. At the time I wired I said that probably it was a case of wire-pulling.

I am now assured that there Avas, no foundation for the statement, and that neither has received such a tologram, SO 1 regret that I should have been misled in tho matter. , , The caucuses held yesterday were not productive of much. At the first, that of Canterbury, members simply affirmed.that they would have nothing to do with Sir George Grey or any Ministry he might formf The second one was attended by some fifteen lukewarm supporters of Sir George Grey, and seven former supporters, but who had voted in favor of thc_ Ministry at the recent no-confidence drvision. lhe caucus lasted some two hours, the upshot beino- that a resolution Avas passed that Sir George should consider it expedient to consult with the members of the Stout Ministry. Don't suppose for one moment that this is not serious, though it seems absurd after Sir George has moA'ed heaven and earth to bring about such an alliance and failed that he should be asked to do so. Reading betAveen the words of the resolution it simply means that the caucus ended in a fiasco, and left the great Pro-Consul in a worse state of mind than ever ; but, practically, it means that Sir George will give up the attempt to form an Administration as hopeless. I got a good sporting tip last night, to use the slang of the turf Avriter. A little bird Avhispered to me that for the Avinner of tho Premiership Stakes of 18S-1 I need look no further than Mr. Waterhouse, of our Legislative Council. When Sir George Grey throws up the sponge the Governor will send for Mr. Waterhouse, and thereby hangs a tale. He will form a coalition Ministry, and the team is pretty well cut and dried, as follows :—Mr. Waterhouse, Premier ; Major Atkinson, probably Colonial Secretary ; Capt. Russell and Mr. Hurst completing the list for the North Island, while Sir Julius Vogel will bo the Treasurer. The others are not yet decided on, nor are any offices allocated, though it is easy to fix the offices of the first and last named. Such Avas my tip, and it will bo seen that all are moderate men, _ and proAdncial jealousies are Avell studied. I at once suggested that here Avere two Aveak men in the North Island contingent, but Avas promptly told they could not bo bettered by men in those districts, as some Avould not accept office, and the remark AYas also hazarded that the Administration would not only prove a lasting one but a strong combination. As the authority Avas a pretty good one I forward it to you as it Avas given to me, leaving the future to slioav Avhat sort of a tip it Avas. I regret to say that on enquiry this morning I Avas told there was no improvement in the health of Sir Julius Vogel. On the Order Paper to-day Mr Ormond asks leave to introduce the Harbor Bill and also the Hospital Bill. Sir George Grey has just returned from an interview Avith the GoA'ornor, in which he informed His Excellency that he declined to form a Ministry.

Major Atkinson has just been sent for. Should the old team go back our troubles will not be ended. When tho House meets to-day it will adjourn till Thursday, but the business of the session will probably not commence till Tuesday. Monday's Post ach'ocates an AtkinsonOrmond coalition as the only solution of the difficulty, asserting that there is no other course open unless a dissolution, and that the latter, if granted, would not improve matters one bit.

The Wellington correspondent of the Auckland Telephone must bo a yerdant gentleman. He actually wired away the skit which appeared in the New Zealand Times the day before tho opening of Parliament as the Governor's speech in all seriousness, so journalism in New Zealand as a profession is progressing at a great rate.

A Christehurchtelegram in Monday's Post gives the folloAving as Sir Julius Vogel's opinion on the political situation. Sir Julius Vogel, in a letter to Mr J. T. Matson, says : —" Personally lam not sorry to leave office, as I have told you all along my only idea in mixing myself up with political affairs in New Zealand is that I have confidence I can be of material aid to the colony, and that confidence is greatly increased noAV, since I have had an opportunity of making myself acquainted with tho position of affairs. We had no idea our antagonists would denny usthc opportunity of fully explaining our policy, therefore Aye frankly stated our aims in the Speech, aud depended upon the Budget to slioav that they could be realised. Some of those who opposed us doubtless Avere frightened to let us continue, because they believed we should gather strength as Aye went on, and others voted under the misapprehension that the policy of the Speech was before the House, Avhich Avas not the case. Mr Thomson's amendment was only an addition to the Speech, expressing disapproval of the personal composition of the Ministry, but leaving tho Avhole of tho paragraphs expressing approval of the policy of the Speech undisturbed, so that, to take an example, Mr Grigg, who had undertaken to support the jwrsoiiiid of the Ministry, and avlio Avas violently opposed to a laud tax, really voted against the Ministerial composition and expressed himself favorably to a land tax. This misconception arises from precipitate action. Had tho not-con-tents waited for tho Financial Statement I am sure their discontent would have vanished. I pledge you my word as a gentleman that I am thoroughly convinced that my Budget would haA'c contained thoroughly satisfactory proposals for greatly reducing the present taxation. Tho condition of tho country is much better than people haA-e a conception of. Again wo have been greatly misunderstood about borrowing. AVhen I brought down my railway proposals in 1870 I gave, as Avell as I Avas able, an anticipation of the financial results of tho proposed borroAving over a period of ten years. After I left, Mr MacandrcAV proposed extensive Avorks in 1879, and two years ago Major Atkinson's Government came down Avith proposals for Avorks and other objects which would confessedly have covered an expenditure of about tAvelve millions, of Avhich authority Avas asked for four millions, and during the same session fragments of about twenty systems were put in one loan schedule, and, as far as I am aAvaro, no attempt was made to hlioav how the revenue Avould come in to help to meet tho interest on the twelve millions as it was obtained, and to which the colony was Adrtually committing itself. Now, we had no idea of any such indefinite system. We Avould have adopted, will not' say the statesmanlike, but the common-sense business course of laying before the_ House the Avorks we proposed to proceed Avith, the yearly borroAving Aye anticipated, and the returns avo looked forward to to assist additional borrowing: in short it was our intention to let tho" House see exactly what Avas proposed in tho Avay of borrowing, and not to make ' a leap in the dark ' by blindly adopting a number of fragments. On this point also we have been much niisundcr-" stood. People have rushed to the conclusion that we Avere going in for extensive borroAving and blind finance. They are Avholly .. deceived. We should not only have pro- . posed relief of the pressure of taxation, but the colony Avould once more have knoAvn its position in the present and its requirements and prospects in tho future. But, my clear Mr Matson, there is a limit to the enthusiasm which leads one to the desire to be useful; it may be made to appear tho aspect of intrusiveness, to which I am far from inclined. I have done my best. My counsels have not met Avith acceptance sufficient to enable me to develop them. I can only Avithdraw with the earnest hope that someone will prove more useful.—Very sincerely yours, Julius Vogel. I send you a copy of the address before the House to which Mr Thomson moved an addition. The address itself was carried, virtually giving' an acceptance of its policy."