The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1884.

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

The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1884.

Any man avlio thoughtfully considered what was the result of the last general election, as ho studies tho names of the men returned on tho 22nd July last, could come to but one conclusion, that the result would be an intricate and complex problem as to Avho had secured the confidence of tho country. It Avas abundantly evident that no leader had a folloAving strong enough to enable him to boldly carry on the business of the country if he were to rely solely on his immediate followers. Nay, more, while an alliance with another party Avas a necessity, he might ally himself Avith a group and make concessions to that party, and yet jointly the two Avould not be able to either command the confidence of tho country or a majority of the members of tho House. The issues put to the country wore not direct. In a great measure, Avith some exceptions, the ruling issue in tho North Island was for or against Atkinson. In the South Island it Avas complicated. It Avas not only for or against Atkinson, but it was also for or against Vogel. A number of side issues Avero also introduced, Avhich still more complicated matters, and many men Avere returned pledged to no particular leader, in fact our foul- local members -were practically all free lances, and in other parts of the colony a similar state of things existed. Thus the general election resulted in so many men being pledged to Atkinson, so many to Vogel, some were returned as Opposition members, and these Aye may class as followers of Montgomery, Avhilc here and there Sir George Grey had followers, and a by no means to be despised party consisted of those known as Independents. Thus Aye had five parties in a House, of 95 members, and only two of those parties strong enough to form a bare majority, not to talk for a moment of Avhat is known as a respectable working majority. Practically speaking no Government can carry on the business of this country for a moment with a less Avorking majority than ten votes, because under any circumstances there will be men Avho will on certain questions vote for their convictions against their party, and thus embarrass a GoA'ornment Avhich is not in the position of having an assured majority. Now, a glance at the parties as we have put them, and as members by their addresses classified themselves, shows clearly enough that the only strong Ministry that can be formed is by a coalition betAveen the forces of Vogel and Atkinson. These two parties alone can command a majority in the House, and united they Avould be strong enough to allow some to go into Opposition, who, though approving of one or other, could not conscientiously support a coalition. Strangely enough, judging by the press of tho colony, such a combination Avould be acceptable, but Avith that perversity, or cussedncss as the Yankees have it, the two principals have done their best to render such an alliance nearly impossible. While people admired for once, friends and opponents alike, the hurried resignation of the Atkinson Ministry, it is hoav seen that though that may have been a clever move to grasp poAver later on, it Avas not only risky, but the cause of the recent complications. The matter at once assumed a serious phase, and that seriousness was very much increased by Sir Julius Vogel's determination apparently at all hazards to form an Administration. To give him the least chance of success it Avas necessary that the twin fossils MacandreAV and Montgomery should be enrolled under his banner. The selection Avas resented by many of Ins Avarmcst friends, but to them he had but one answer to ,rive—it Avas necessity that forced him so to act. That, however, did not satisfy the Avhole of his friends, and it at once became evident that tho Ministry could only live by the indulgence of its opponents—a position Avhich Ave°vcnture to say is highly unconstitutional. From that moment troubles began to accumulate, and tho finishing touch Avas given by the Speech. Whose handiAvork that precious document Avas will probably never be'knoAvn, but it Avas the last straw Avhich scaled the Government's fate. Sir Julius Vogel having formed an Administration further complicated the prospects of an alliance betAveen Vogel and Atkinson, and it really seems as if such a combination can only be secured, if secured at all, by the rapid disposal of tAvo or three more Ministries during the present session. There is but one way ayo can see out of the difficulty, aud that is by an Ormond-cum-Atkinsoiwrffw-Vogel Administration, Avhich Aye venture to say Avould meet with strong support in the House, and have the entire and thorough confidence of the country. No man in this country is more highly respected than our local member, though personally not well qualified for a leader, for a reason which can be found in tho fact that he lias never been a popularity hunter. Atkinson is a skilful general, and understands the drift of public opinion, and, while he may

have fads, no man is more Avilling to hold these in abeyance if he sees the country is against him. Vogel is a good financier, though his long absence from the colony has tended to his being totally unacquainted with the feeling of the community, or ho would never have taken to himself such colleagues as he did recently. The three combined Avould meet Avith approval. The caution of the one, the generalship of the other, and the dash of the third, if they could only be blended, Avould result in a team which for capability could not be equalled, not to say surpassed, at the present moment in the colony. That such a combination will bo the ultimate solution of our difficulties wo venture to predict, if not immediately, at any rate at no very distant date, and the sooner such a combination is formed the better it will be for the welfare of the colony, and in such a strong combination there could be no local provincial jealousies.