MR W.H. PILLIET, M.H.R. ON THE OPPOSITION.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2592, 28 July 1882, Page 4

MR W.H. PILLIET, M.H.R. ON THE OPPOSITION.

The following Utter has appeared in the columns of a Christohuroh evening contemporary : "Dear Mr Hubbard,—Tour letter just reoeived. I think it extraordinary that people in my district should jump at conclusions so quickly as they appear to havo done. You have no idea of the chaotio state of affaire here. Tho Opposition is in a lamentably disorganised state. Of cohesion there is none. There is no leader, although it is inoontestible that Grey holds the game in his own hand*, and that no Ministry oould just now be formed without him being its head. He has a following of twenty-three men; then comes Maoandrew, with the ■Otago contingent. Montgomery is temporarily utilised as a figure-head. The other day, Grey's Constitution Bill, which had been on the 0.-der Paper for weeks past, came for seoond reading. Most of the Opposition looked upon it as an outrageous piece of lunacy, one of Grey's many meaningless eccentricities; why, it meant, if carried, the greatest possible political convulsion. I determined to oppose it, tooth and nail, from tho outset, and deol&red so. " And, of oourse, when tho question cf adjournment was put to a division, I voted to squash the measure. Would you believe it, but the Opposition desire to turn the Government out without having even agreed among themselves as to who should be who, and as to what oardinal points of policy should guide them, A leading member told me that should they suooeed to turn the Government out ' thay would ballot among themselves for the portfolios!!' " Now, this is an unwarrantable way of doing things, inasmuch as the new Ministry would not stand for a single week, and the other side would re-enter with flying colors stronger than ever. It is not my intention of making a fool of myself. What is worth doing is worth doing well. Wait until we can form a compact, cohesive and well assimilated party, oemented together on main questions, and et that party be led by a unanimously recognised le.-der, then I shall move mountains and earth to dislodge the present uiministration j and we want more, I take it, than temporarily dislodging them, We should give thorn such coup de grace as would give the new Government a healthy term of office, and ample latitude to do good for tho country. My responsibilities are serious, and I will not be a party to any politioal tomfoolery simply to satisfy the blind cravings for office of a few. There is a great deal too much famishing for power at the present moment. Measures and not men is the rallying cry, I take it, of the Liberal party. Then, fancy, on the debate on the Land Bill (the most out-and-out Badioal measure ever introduced in New Zoaland) men on our side praising the Bill all they could, and declaring their intention of supporting it—not because of its goodness—but because the Ministry made not a party question of it. Now this is overstepping the line of common sense a little too much. The time of the House is absolutely frittered away by faotion squabbles, the legislation is impeded, and the interests of the people entirely negleoted. At the present moment the Order Paper is hopelessly overfilled, aud not only will not one-tenth of its contents ever come to anything, but I myself have not the slightest chanoe this session of introducing anything upon it. Would you boxUva that the same portfolios h».ve Deen offered to several men as a bait for their votes ? A temporary victory this week at all events, or until there be solid cohesion in the ranks of the Opposition, would merely mean a moßt humiliating and disgraceful defeat a few days after. And then what would the Stanmore eleotors think of me ? It is wise in most things, and in politics especially, to look ahead and not be too hasty. In haste, Yours foithfully, Waxtbk, H. Fillies. Wellington, 24th July, 1882.