THE POSITION OF PARTIES IN PARLIAMENT.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1233, 11 July 1872, Page 2

THE POSITION OF PARTIES IN PARLIAMENT.

The Wellington correspondent of the Otago Daily Times, gives the following sketch of the present position and prospectsi of Parliamentary parties :— '{ The political situation here is every day becoming more curious and complicated. The formation of what is termed the " new party" is everywhere regarded as a, fact, and the members thereof are very confident of a numerical majority in the House when Parliament meets. Others think it very probable that on a direct vote, a majority will vote against the Government as at present constituted, but that amongst the component parts of that majority there will be an entire absence of any cohesion on points of principle. Until the creed of the " new party" is definitely announced, it is of course impossible to predict what its real strength may be ; but there can be little doubt as to the formation having originated in personal and provincial selfishness rather than from any other cause. Messrs I'itzherbert and Bunny have taken the initiative from exactly the same- reasons which induced them last year to support the Government, and oppose those with whom they had formerly acted and professed to sympathise.' The accession to office as Superintendent and Provincial Secretary respectively exercised a wonderful influence on the opinions of those two gentlemen in regard to the value of Provincial institutions. They set vigorously to work to make the most of their opportunities, and as it suited the exigencies of the Government last session to buy support, regardless of cost, Wellington and, its Provincial Government did remarkably well last session.- In fact, Messrs Fitzherbert and Buuny managed to save the Province from a state of almost hopeless bankruptcy, and to set it up on its feet again. Whether this was really an advantage or not is with many persons a moot point; but it at any rate secured to its authors a certain amount of popularity, and opened to them the prospect of a lengthened tenure of office, if they were content to conduct affairs modestly. But this was not the case. Not content with being set up in business with a clean .sheet as to past liabilities, they wanted more, and one of their first requests was that the confiscated land in the Patea and Waitotara districts should be handed over to the Provincial authorities. With this demand the General Government did hot see ! fit to comply, whereat the Provincial Government was very wroth. Then, again, the promised Wairarapa railway showed no sign of getting beyond the promise stage.

Oar Superintendent and his Provincial Secretary would like to have forced the Government into either delegating to them the carrying ont of the work, or entering directly into a contract for it — in either case to committing the Oolony irretrievably to the scheme. In this they failed ; and failing, at once turned their attention to an attempt to form a party in opposition to the Government. In this they have undoubtedly succeeded, but I think it very doubtful if many of those who are -willing enough to assist in ousting Fox, Yogel, and Co. from office will be at all disposed to put in or support a Ministry which will do what Messrs Fitzherbert, Bunny, and Co. want done. Wrapped up and concealed as it may be in specious professions, what the leaders of the new party undoubtedly aim at is the transference to the Provincial authorities of the carrying out of the Public Works and Immigration Acts ; in fact a complete reversal of the decision that 'henceforth public works and immigration should be administered by the Colonial Government. Unfortunately, the undeniable failure of the present Colonial Executive to administer these matters satisfactorily affords a pretext for the demand. It is, however, almost impossible to believe that such men as Mr Stafford and Mr Hall will so far forget all their former professions as to assent to any such retrogade policy, however concealed its real tendency may be. The names of both are freely mentioned as being of the new party, but people who still retain some faith in the honesty of public, men, and that the actions of those leaders whom they long admired and followed have been dictated by something higher than expediency or personal ambition, are loth to believe it. Mr Fitzherbert's desire to obtain a seat in a Colonial Ministry, which would give Wellington all it wants—Mr Bunny's desire to succeed Mr Fitzherbert as Superintendent „ of Wellington under a kind paternal General Government— are easily understood, but it is not easy to understand the possibility of Mr Stafford aiding and abetting these schemes, especially when bis refusal to join the Government last session is remembered. That. the Ministry, as at present constituted, will not * be able to weather the session, even its own supporters freely admit, and a reconstruction of it wonld be objected to by but very few ; but a very large section of its most consistent and bitter opponents would rather see it stand even as it is than see it assisted and succeeded by an ultra-Provincial party. A demand for reconstruction would, I fancy, be acceded ito even by the members of the Ministry, if strongly urged by any influential party in the Bouse ; , but if the new patty carries out its proposed programme, I think it very likely that the ultimate result will be to strengthen the present Ministry. The probability is, I think, that the question of Provincial v Colonial administration of, public works and immigration willle definitely raised in the Governor's speech, with the object of challenging the new narty to a trial of strength on this plain issue. If the Government be beaten on this, the Governor can hardly refuse them a dissolution on such a point. Altogether the situation is a most curious one, and the outsiders, who see the workings of the little game, look for the issue with a good deal of impatience.