THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 1882. THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2548, 8 June 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 1882. THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

A great lull has fallen upon Parliamentary proceedings of late. It may or may not be true that the Opposition are waiting for the result of the elections for the three seats which are at present vacant, but at all events just at present the atmosphere in Wellington is peculiarly calm. Nor does it seem to be the calm preceding a storm, for there are no indications that the Opposition are keeping themselves quiet in order to prepare for a spring on their opponents. Indeed the reason for their present attitude is plain enough. It simply means that the party is utterly disorganised, and in want of a leader. Sir George Grey is master of the position with his knot of devoted followers, while the remainder are wandering hither and thither uncertain how to act. Mr. Montgomery has proved a lamentable failure as an organizer. It was at first thought that his mild sway would have the effect of giving the Opposition that peace which they had previously been unable to obtain. As we stated at the time when the choice was first made, Mr. Montgomery is not brilliant, but he is suave ; he is not enterprising, but he is honest. It was possibla, therefore, that had he possessed ordinary capacity for party tactics the result should have been to knit the opponents of the Government into a firm and compact body. But three causes have militated against this much to be desired conclusion. The chosen leader has shown himself to be unable to grasp the possibilities of the situation; he has frittered away his efforts in details, and has allowed himself to be swayed too far by petty motives; in short he has shown that he can never be considered a leader of men. Then again Sir George Grey has made it plain that he has not the slightest intention of being tiod to Mr. Montgomery's chariot wheel. With him it is out Ccesar aut wullus, and, althongh at present he is the imllus, yet he has every intention of preventing anybody else being the Caesar. And, lastly, the Opposition cannot manage to get up a respectable platform. The Local Government cry of last session has evaporated, partly through the action of Government and partly because from the very first the excitement in the matter was almost entirely fictitious. Then the Native question, over which it was hoped that the Government would trip, has absolutely proved to be one of their strongest cards. The education question is not available, and, as to the raising of a loan, there is every indication that it will be made, not so much a party question, as a local one. Caucuses have been held concerning it, not of the members holding the same political views, but of members who belong to contiguous electoral districts. The fear that their particular provinces will be overlooked in the possible partition of the money borrowed has overcome all political antagonism, and Ministerialists, Greyites, and the Opposition members have harmoniously passed resolutions to the effect that the claims of Auckland, Canterbury, Otago, and indeed of all the provinces separately have been hitherto overlooked, and that it is now full time that justice was done them. Thus a new phase of feeling has passed over the House—one that bears safety on its wings for the Ministry, but can hardly be considered to be fraught with advantage to the country at large. Although the Government is growing stronger day by day, it is doing so because the old feeling in favor of an extravagant expenditure is creeping over both sections of the House. It is not a pleasant sign this. It would have been better to have seen the Ministers struggling for a bare existence with political parties clearly defined, but with the morale of tho Legislature unimpaired and healthy.

AFFIRMATION'S AND DECLARA TIONS BILL.

The Affirmations and Declarations Bill introduced by the Hon. Mr. "Whitaker is a step in the right direction. There can be no doubt that the sentiment of the majority will be in favor of it, because it proposes to remove an anomaly which at present exists. The inconvenience, nay the immorality, of compelling people to use a form of oath in our Law Courts and elsewhere 'which they may consider objectionable has long forced itself on thinking minds. The Bradlaugh fiasco in the Home Parliament has acted as a warning, and has shown that it will not do to shut one's eyes to existing possibilities. Whether the English Legislature is right or wrong, in refusing to allow the chosen of Northampton to sit in the House, is not so much to the point ■

is (he fact that the situation has comJelled it to enunciate the very rotten islom that it is right for a deliberative >ody to go behind a plain statemeat nade by an elected representative, with a rievT of seeing whether it is a sincere one a otherwise. If the principle were boroughly carried out, we should like :o know how many of the membera jrottld not have been excluded from takng their seat. The oath is taken by too nany as a mere form, and none would be 10 surprised as themselves if they were> ieked if they could honestly state their ihorough faith in a Supreme Being. It is no use blinking the fact that very many persons are apt to allow such faith to remain among the undetermined problems of existence. Snch people do violence to their own honesly when they call to witness a Being, with regard to whose existence they are unfortunately undecided. It is no backward step in the religious feeling of the country when this is recognised by the Legislature. It is a refusal to live in a fool's paradise, and it is more—it places the oath on a higher and more solemn footing. A man when he possesses an option cannot claim that he looks upon the oath as a mere form. When, under such circumstances, he calls the Supreme Being to witness, he does so by choice and not by any necessity of a conventional nature. Mr. Whitaker's Bill provides that " where by any law or enactment now, or that may hereafter be in force, any person is required or permitted to take an oath, such person may make a solemn affirmation and declaration in the manner prescribed by this Act, instead of taking an oath." The form of affirmation and declaration is then given, which, whether the same be made orally or in writing, " shall, in all respects, have the same effect as the taking the oath for which the same is substituted." The penalties and disabilities for refusing to make the said affirmation are the same which would follow the refusal to take an oath, and by clause 7 it is enacted that " if any person shall knowingly and wilfully make any false statement in any such affirmation and declaration, he shall be liable to the penalties attached by any law in force for the time being to the offence of wilful and corrupt perjury." THE LOI OF A POLICEMAN. A comioai incident occurred the other day in a case which has yet to come before the publio. A man, maddened by rum and jaalousy,on seoitg another person whispering soft nothings into the ear or a lady whcm the papers describe as " the object of his affections," " one for whom he had more than a common regard," ite., fired a pistol. Whether or not he shot at his rival remains to be seen. However that may have been, the bullet found its way into his own left hand. Shortly afterwards he was taken out of his bed by two police officers, handouffed, and the party set out for the lock-up. On the march the prisoner complained of severe pain from his wound, and begged to be relieved of the handcuffs. The cfficers, moved to pity by his sufferings, and having a wholesome rir.'ad of being charged with cruelty, took off the bracelets, when, lo ! the poor fellow who was suffering so much slipped suddenly beneath the arms of his guardians and incontinently bolted, showing; u marvellous turn of foot. Then began a chase. Sir John Falstaff, relating a somewhat similar incident, says, " He fiod from me like quicksilver." "Yea," replies hit gossip, " and thou followedst him like a church.'" This appears to be what really did happen, as one of the officers would, with little padding, " make up" very well for the jolly knight, and the other is nearly up to the same weight. At any rats they caught him not. They ran after him, and as they went discoursed in language that it is perfectly impose iblo to print, but he got o'ear off. The affair ended as strangely as it began ; for the fugitive, an hour or two later, calmly walked into the police depot and gave himself up. A policeman, according to common repute, is credited with no more tender-heartedness than a wooden doll ; but, as the above story shows, " There be exoeptiono." A few days ago an officer received a stern reprimand for undue severity ; it will be interesting to note whether these men will be equally punished for having given way to the dictates of humanity.