POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2605, 12 August 1882, Page 3

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

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[PBKSS ASSOCIATION' TELEGBAIC.] WELLINGTON, August 11.

There is no particular change to-day in the political situation. The Opposition give Ministers a majority of two to four, the Ministerialists claim six to eight. It is quite certain that Fiat's “slashing” speech last night was much “ too ” slashing for the interest of his party, who grumfcla exceedingly about it, and declare it cost them at least two votes by converting “doubtfuls" into irrrconoil&bles. There is alio grumbling at Mr Montgomery's weakness as a leader, and one member to-day openly asserted that it was the list time Mr Montgomery would have him for one of his chicks. I hear that some half-dozen of the Opposition paity have written to Mr Montgomery formally intimating that after the pending division he is no longer to count them among his followers, and it is said others will follow their example.

Sir George Grey went to a Ohnrch tea fight last night instead of bothering himielf about the no confidence debate, and he won golden opinions on all hands by hi* chnrming speech. He looks with ill concealed derision on this clumsy no confidence attack, and hardly concealtd his view that with any other leader than himsslf euch an attack must be a fiasco. He has the air of being constantly on the watch for Mr Montgomery to make a mess of things, and so to demonstrate his iir*— capacity as a usurper of Sir G. Grey’s prerogative. Most of the Oppositionists rapidly doming round to the opinion that_ Sit _Q. Grey 1? thsir only possible leader, in vrbioll view I am inclined to fere hot. fax wrong. To-day’e debate has, so far, been T er 7 dull and uninteresting. Messrs Stevens, Peacock and Fergus supported tbe Government, Mesaftf . George, Dodson and Bracken opposed them. C Mr Hunthouse made one of his eccentric speeches which might mean almost anything. Mr Smith is now on his legs “ pitching into ” the Government. There is still some talk of dividing to-night, which I shall believe to bo likely when I hear the division bell ring, and not before, I should not be at all surprised to see the debate run well into next week. Only thirty-four members out of ninetyfour have spoken as yet in a whole week. As there are sixty more still available, including some of the most inveterate wind-bags in the House, it might last another fortnight, were not everybody so thcrsugnly sick and weary of the whole thing. lam sure both sides will try all they can to finish to-night, even if they have to go on until daylight to-morrow morning, but I question whether even that would afford sufficient talking time for the orators.