The Globe. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1876.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 695, 11 September 1876, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1876.

The present state of affairs in Wellington is more complicated than ever. The Government, by appointing more than the legal number of members of the Executive have, it is urged, brought themselves under the provisions of the Disqualification Act. The Committee appointed by the Legislative Council to consider the matter, have reported that a breach of the law has been made. Whether the Committee consider that all the Ministers are disqualified is not clear. The Opposition however, are quite satisfied on the point. It is stated that Sir G. Grey has taken out writs against Ministers for the full amount of the penalties he says they have incurred. Ministers themselves have admitted their position to be questionable, and we look forward with some interest to the statement to be made in the House this evening. The point of course to be settled is, are all the Ministers disqualified or only two. The Act limits the number of the Executive to seven, and nine have been appointed, and although two do not draw salary, still they are entitled to certain allowances, &e, which whether they draw them or not bring them under the provisions of the Act. Admitting that the law has been broken, we do not see why all the Ministers should be disqualified. Seven have still a right to sit. But there are two who have not, and how are those two to be selected Is it to be by ballot, or are two willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their colleagues, and thus do a service to the Ministry, and the country at the same time. But whatever the result is, a great deal of valuable time is sure to be lost, and we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that for this state of things we are indebted to Mr Whitaker, lie was warned by the legal members of the House at the time that he was doing wrong, but he contended he was right. It seems to be a very inauspicious opening of his career as AttorneyGeneral that his first act should be to land the Government in a dilemma such as this. The country is anxiously looking forward for the bringing on in a practical shape the scheme of Government which is to take the place of our present institutions. Three parts of the session are over, and as yet nothing is done, and now a more formidable barrier to progress than any that have yet been raised stops the way. It is really time some real practical work was got on with, and if ihe present Government are able to do nothing better than involve the country and themselves in such predicaments the sooner they give way to others the better.