THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1882. MR. GREEN ON THE SITUATION,

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2696, 28 November 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1882. MR. GREEN ON THE SITUATION,

Mb. Geebn, the member for Dunedin East, is dissatisfied with the piesent situation. Whichever way he looks at present there is a barren waste without profit. He has tried both existing parties, and has found them wanting. He went up to the House full of hope and, and returns full of disgust. As for his own personal exertions, they have not met the success they merited. His attempts to reform the masses by Bible reading in schools and local option have not met with sufficient appreciation, and as to the fate of his eight hours’ proposals, wo all know what became of them. “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity,” says the preacher, and Mr. Green thoroughly agrees with him. It is necessary, therefore, to make an entirely new start; to reconstitute the political map. But the reconstitution proposed by Mr. Green reminds one very considerably of the reconstitution made by conquerors jn the old days, who, at the close of a campaign, used to partition of countries, totally regardless of the feelings and wishes of the conquered. Mr Green, being anything but a conqueror, he appears a little over-sanguine. A middle party is to be formed for Mr. Green’s sole benefit, and it is to bo led by no loss a personage than Sir John Hall. What the exact platform of this middle party is to be remains a mystery, but one thing is very certain, that Sir John will have to alter his own views very considerably to meet those of Mr. Green. This latter gentleman, for instance, declares that he is in favor of a land and income tax, and not in favor of a property tax. Now, as is well known. Sir John Hall himself brought in this lust tax, and thoroughly believes in it as bearing most equitably on all classes of the community. Hence, either Mr. Green or Sir John will have to give way on this particular. Sir John has a pretty stubborn will of his own, and the question remains to what extent will Mr. Green be prepared to waive his own ideas for the purpose of this new party. Besides, Sir John Hall may not enjoy the title given to the proposed party. When the Middle Party was last heard of, it was not remarkable for the wisdom or scope of its operations. Mr. Montgomery was in some way its shadowy leader, just as he is now in some way the shadowy leader of the Opposition. As with the Opposition now, so then with the Middle Party, nobody could ever find out what it wanted, except that it had a strange liking for office. Mr. Green is a young politician, and has no doubt learnt a good deal during the past session. He has probably been considerably chastened by his experiences during that period. Ha will have found that to lecture a number of more or less experienced politicians is something very different from haranguing constituents or a miscellaneous audience. But ho has apparently yet to learn this truth, that men do not control events, but that events control men. It would no donht be very charming to get up a Middle Party with Sir John Hall as leader, Mr. Green as First Lieutenant and the creme de la ere me of both parties as the rank and file. But it is not to bo. Many an ambitious lady in the old country with a strong taste for startling the social world, would like to get up au evening party at which would bo present, say, the Prince of Wales, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Mr. Spurgeon, Mr. Bradlaugh, a leading music hall singer ar two, a few distinguished foreign diplomats, Archer the jockey, and a mob of other miscellaneous celebrities. But such ideas are purely visionary. It would no doubt be nice, but at the same time it is utterly impossible. In the same manner Mr.

Green’d plan of a Middle Party such as ho describes is all moonshine, and the very fact that he has let his vision out to the world is a proof that he has yet a good deal to learn.