The Fielding Star. TUESDAY, JULY 29, 1884. Political Affairs

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 21, 29 July 1884, Page 2

The Fielding Star. TUESDAY, JULY 29, 1884. Political Affairs

♦ The position of parties at the meeting of Parliament will be for a while apparently veiy undefined, but after a short time members will gradually fall into the ranks under their respective leaders. The diminution of the Gbey following is looked upon by all impartial observers as an unmixed blessing to the country, while the accession to the House of many of the strong men of the " old time before us" is of, as yet, incalculable advantage. The thought, however, forces itself upon us that it is reasonable to expect, where there are so many who have held portfolios in former Governments, it may be difficult to select members for a new Ministry so judiciously as to take only the best of them, -and yet allot the portfolios in such a manner that neither the North or the South Island shall have any undue preponderance in the Cabinet. 1 That each of tne iex-Ministers will believe he has an imaginary right to be called upon is unquestionable, while the fact of being overlooked may turn a lukewarm friend into a mortal enemy. The only way to really overcome this difficulty is by a coalition between the two men whom the country has recognized as the leaders in whom it has confidence — Sir Julius Yogel and Major Atkinson. The united forces of these two would leave a respectable Opposition, without which, we agree with Mr Stout in saying, the proper government of the colony cannot be conducted. The great question on the other hand will be who is selected to lead the-Opposition. Sir George Grey, Montgomery, and Macandbew are out of the question altogether. Among the men who now form the House these will find their level. For a time they will naturally enough straggle to again take the position they assumed in the past, but the pressure of the master minds will crush them into insignificance. Sir George Grey has been finessing in every way to be the admitted leader of the Opposition, both before the elections and after. He is now negotiating with Eome of the southern men, but with what success is not yet known. We do not think that he will gain many recruits in the south, inasmuch as a large majority of the members have been returned with the full determination of doing the business of the country, and the singular incapacity of the Knight of Eawau in that connection will be a positive inducement for them to select any other leader than one who is so weak as Sir George Gbey. In point oi fact we believe that the' colony aS a whole would have been delighted if the place of Sir George in Parliament " knew him no more." No other member has put himself so prominently forward, and it is impossible to conjecture who will be the next leader of a genuine Opposition.