THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 287, 10 June 1896, Page 2

THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

The reply to the interesting' question of '• What -is going to happen when the House meets?' we do not know, and it is difficult even to surmise. AU are agreed, on one point, bowtW, which is tbMf

Mr Seddon is a yery clever Parliamen- j fcariaD, and may have a set of very in- ( tticate tactics up his sleeve to spring upon the House when the time comes , that we will know nothing of until he unfolds his bag of tricks. Therefore, let us be patient. The Wellington correspondent of the Napier Telegraph, who is generally well informed on political matters, says that some allege the Cabinet is riding for a fall. If such is the case the reason of the galloping about the country is in some measure accounted for. It may be that Mr Seddon will arrange to be defeated and then ask for a dissolution. If some great constitutional question were at stake the Governor might grant it, but that is not very probable, as the ordin* ary elections are so near, so that if he were defeated and no dissolution granted, Captain Russell would be sent for, and we would then find the meaning of what the Premier said in a recent speech that if the " Government were defeated, Captain Russell would not be in power twenty-four hours." The interpretation of this is tbafc the dumb-dogs would form a New Liberal Party led by Messrs Pirani, Riccarton Russell, and Co., Mr Seddon lying by content with his directorates. That position could not possibly hold good. With the latter part of that Opinion we agree. In fact, we believe that Mr Seddon thoroughly appreciates the difficulties of his {position, and is prepared for all emergencies, and especially in the direction of his defeat. He knows perfectly well that public feeling has undergone a change within the last two years which is now as much against his party and policy as it was in favor of them at the last general election. Even members who entered Parliament Under his protection, and whose seats were won for them by tbe influence of Ministers, have been alienated and become his bitter opponents. Not, perhaps, because they have changed their opinions, but because they see his is a losing cause, and to save themselves they must desert him who at one time was their " leader and driver. 1 ' It is nofc likely— continues the corres. pondent we are quoting —His Excellency will grant Mr Seddon a dissolution unless he were defeated on some matter not likely to come before the House. And if defeated, Captain Russell is the only member the Governor would recognise. But Captain Russell could either ask for a dissolution on the grounds that Parliament did not repre- { sent fcbe feelings of the people, or he could ask for a vote to meet the ordinary expenditure of Government, get tbe Appropriation Bill passed, and dissolve by effluxion of time. That course would enable him to get behind the scenes in the Treasury, and discover where the huge sums spent in contingencies have j gone to. This is exactly where the difficulty comes in ot agreeing with the quid nuncs who are cocksure about tbe riding for a fall theory. However— time will show.