MINISTERIAL ARITHMETIC.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1750, 29 September 1879, Page 3

MINISTERIAL ARITHMETIC.

To the Editor of the Globe.

Sib, —With a view to getting at a correct estimate of the strength of the Ministerialist and Opposition part'es I generally look at both the Christchurch papers, and of late have been amused by the discrepancy of their statements. The “Times” of Saturday morning, however, gives, “ from our Wellington correspondent,” an account of two meetings which have been held by the opposing parties, which shows the strength of each party in a most explicit manner, and winds up ■with a Government majority oi/our. Knowing from experience that correspondents are not always reliable as calculating machines, I took the trouble to cheek the result. I quote the paragraphs:— “ The following members are said to have pledged themselves, in caucus, to veto against the Government on a want of confidence motion, namely—Messrs Adams, Atkinson, Sain, Beetham, Bowen, Brandon, Bryce, Dick, Driver, Fulton, Gibbs, Hall, Hursthouse, Johnston, Kelly, Kenny, Levin, Mason, McCaughan, McLean, Moorhouse, Murray, Oliver, Ormond, Pitt, Pyke, Richmond, Eolloston, Russell, Saunders, Seymour, Stevens, Stewart, Studholme, Sutton, Trimble, Wakefield, Whitaker, Whyte, Willis, and Wright. Mr Tamoana and Mr Masters will either vote with the Opposition or refrain from voting at all. Mr Whitaker has paired against Government with Mr Lundon. This gives the Opposition 40 certain. “ At the Ministerial caucus this morning there were present 35 members, namely, Messrs Allwright, Andrews, Barron, Brown, Bunny, Colbeck, De Lautour, Fisher, George, Gisborne, Sir G. Grey, Messrs Hamlin, Harris, Hurst, Hutchinson, Ireland, Macandrew, McDonald, Montgomery, Moss, Beeves, Reid, Shanks, Sheehan, Sheppard, Shrimski, Speight, Swanson, Tainui, Tawhai, Te Wheoro, Thomson, Tole, Turnbull, and Wallis. Besides these there were 10 proxies. Comparing this with the Opposition caucus, the Government have a majority of four.” The Opposition stands, according to the “ Times” Pledged voters 40 Tamoana and Masters ... 2 Whitaker, paired 1 43 How for the Government side. Thirty-five were at the caucus, and ten proxies, to which I suppose must be added one for Mr Lundon’s pair. The Government party stands then at forty-six, being a majority of three for for Government. This looks all right till I proceeded to add forty-six and forty-three together, when I made eighty-nine of it. There ore only eighty-seven members elected yet, so there must be an error somewhere. The members whose names do not appear in the “Times” are Messrs Ballance, Finn, J. T. Fisher, Heslop, O’Eorke, Seddon, R. Wood, and G. Hirst. Of these two, Messrs Hirst and Finn, ore of decided Opposition tendencies, so I am puzzled to know where the ten proxies came from. Mr O’Rorke being the Speaker still further reduces the majority claimed, until the figures StandOpposition ... 45 Ministerial ... ... ... 41 which I believe will be found correct on the first division. I am, &0., CHECK. Christchurch, September 29th, 1879.