POLITICAL NEWS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4087, 27 August 1884, Page 3

POLITICAL NEWS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.]

(From our Special Correspondent.) Wellington, This day,

The outside tip I forwarded you yesterday did not turn out such a good one after all, but though apparently shelved for the present there are those who assert that it will come very near the truth presently. In sending for Major Atkinson it is felt on all sides a difficult task has been imposed on him, and there are those who think that he will, after consideration, hand the matter over to some member of the Upper House, probably Mr. Waterhouse, so as to get himself out of a difficulty in the way of his colleagues, or that he will ask for a dissolution in tho event of defeat. The trouble iv his forming a Ministry is, as 1 have all along pointed out, what is he to do with his colleagues. Should he throw some of them over there will be stranger complications than ever. To a certain extent he cannot command the support of a majority of the members of the House. Again, his forming a Ministry would prevent what tho colony is nearly unanimous in wishing for—a coalition with Sir Julius Vogel, because the latter would at once object to allying himself with the Major after his recent defeat at the hands of the Atkinson party. But should Mr. Waterhouse undertake the formation of a Ministry, I believe there would be no difficulty in the way of a coalition. Others, again, say that as the Governor has practically exhausted the leaders of tho House, the Major going back with his old colleagues would receive a sullen support from members because of the fear of a dissolution. Such is not my view at all. The old Atkinson Ministry could not last a week in the present House with its present temper, because of the absence of party ties, and tho inability of the leaders to command the rank and file. The latter are not at all amenable to their leader, and in a crowd where every man considers himself competent to lead I venture to say, should all the leaders pledge themselves to uphold the old Atkinson Government, it would not save them for a week from shipwreck. The House is in a state of anarchy, and the number of lone hands being played cannot all be contained in a single pack of cards.

Tuesday's business should have lasted a few,minutes, but instead we had to listen for nearly three-quarters of an hour to Dick Seddon. Mr Stout said a few words, followed by Mr Thomson, who was succeeded by Sir George Grey, to whom succeeded tho Major, all four combined probably occupying half a dozen minutes, and then Seddon followed, giving fits to the Continuous Ministry, Sir George Grey, and Mr Dargavillc, in fact hitting all round. Once he described the work of the last few days as a waste of time, which provoked such a storm of ironical cheers from a long suffering House that it would have disconcerted an abler man, but the individual who thinks that Mr Seddon is easily knocked off his perch is verdant in the extreme. With execrable taste lie had hit the Government for thinking there were only four men in the House capable of being leaders. He said the day when that came would be a bad one for tho colony. It is easy to conceive of a worse day for New Zealand, say when Mr Seddon should be considered a leader. Apparently he had two warm admirers in his slating of Sir George Grey in Messrs Holmes and Shrimski, who kept encouraging him by loud "hear, hears." The Grey party are very highly incensed at the vacillating conduct of Sir George Grey all through, and it may be safely assumed that his influence in the House has been greatly weakened by the advice he tendered to the Governor to send for Major Atkinson wheu he himself failed.

■ When first I wrote of a Government under Mr Waterhouso I was considerably in the dark, and was, to a cortain extent, holding the pen for a gentleman not a press man, who was much moro behind the scenes than I was, but it now appears there was a sort of tacit understanding between parties that, should any one be asked for advice by toe Governor, Mr Waterhouse should be the gentleman named to him, so considerable disgust was felt- when it was known that Sir George Grey had violated that unsigned compact and had recommended Major Atkinson. Of course it wants eyes that can see through a deal door and a flight of stairs, to quote Sam Weller, to know what will now be the result. ■' ■ - ■

Here is one part only of a nice little problem. Sir George Grey says he will oppose any Government in which Vogel has a place, and then he immediately suggests that Atkinson should be sent for, which is done. Atkinsou then promptly places himself in communication with Vogel. The remainder can be worked out by quadratic equations, or any other very unintelligible process, and the result in any case will be equally satisfactory. Those who opposed the Stout-Vogel Ministry hold a meeting this afternoon, too late for me to wire the result. If Vogel is included in the Cabinet Canterbury will support Atkinson by a large majority, but then again many of Atkinson's own followers, those who have followed him through thick and thin, will resent the presence of' Vogel in the team, and havo intimated that they will follow Atkinson no longer. But I am not going back on myself, as I still hold the only coalition that would give'an' Administration

a decent working majority is one led by Atkinson and Vogel. At noon to-day it was known _ that negotiations between Vogel and Atkinson had entirely ceased, so that the Major is now thrown back upon Grey. He is determined to form a Ministry, but up to the present he can only reckon on forty-two supporters, which leaves him in a minority of ten. , Some funny petitions aro presented occasionally to Parliament, but the following will want some beating. One is being prepared at present by a native, who modestly asks the Lower House that he should be sent to the Upper House in the room and stead of Wi Tako, who is at present a member of the Council. . The Stout-Vogel caucus this morning did nothing, as they prefer to wait and see what will be done at the caucus to be held by their opponents later on. _ Sir George Grey has got the wire-pullers to call a meeting at Christchurch this evening to pass a resolution in favor of a land tax It is needless to add that Grey telegraphed the resolutions from Wellington to-day, and the farce will be enacted ot sending them back here. _ _ The quidnuncs are enquiring is there any political significance to be attached to Dr. Pollen's presence in Wellington, after the authoritative statement that it was doubtful if he would put in an appearance at all this session, and is he preparing for eventualities ?