CONTEMPORARIES’ OPINIONS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1628, 15 December 1881, Page 2

CONTEMPORARIES’ OPINIONS.

OTAGO DAILY TIMES.

Otii"o is not New Zealand, and the ■ Government have seemed so strong a fallowing in the North that no combination at all likely to be formed against them in Otago will succeed. Canterbury, Wellington, and Taranaki are strongly in their favor j Auckland is about equally divided; and Nelson, Westland, and Marlborough together can only muster a majority of three against them; A careful examination of the whole list leads us to the conclusion that the present Administration can count on about 40 votes with certainty; while the Opposition can only count on about 34. Oitf Wellington correspondent gives the numbers as 45 and 34 respectively, but probably counts on some of those we have mentioned as doubtful; Of the doubtful votes, the Maori members excepted, the strong probabilities are in favor of the Government securing considerably more than half; as all thelndependei.t members are opposed to Sir George Grey, and, failing any other strong leader on the Opposition aide, are almost certain to maintain the Status quo; The defeat of Mr Ormond puts a possibly formidable leader of a Middle party out of the field, aud, having regard td the general character of the representatives on the Opposition side, we fail to see how a Ministry could be formed With the slightest hope of maintaining themselvbs in power without Sir George Grey ; and Sir George declaresj as Mr J. C. Brown tells .ns, that he will never take office again; Mr Ormond, Mr Ballance* Mr Reader Wood are all among the slain. . ° Dunedin morning herald. We heartily congratulate the Liberal electors of Otago aud Southland oil their splendid victory. From North to South, in town and in Country, the Ministerialists and land-mOnopolists have been thoroughly well beaten, nb£ withstanding the tremendous exertions put forth by them on their behalf. Out of twenty-four members only three declared Ministerialists have succeeded in obtaining seats in the new Parliament* and of these three one was unopposed* another is generally regarded as “doubtful," and the third, a Minister' himself* was so closely run that at best he can only be held to have merely escaped rejection. Never has a great popular battle been more stubbornly contested* and never has a Ministry sustained a inoi e crushing defeat. All that money* position, and governmental influence' could do was done on their behalf. We say “ their successor's,” because on the most moderate computation the Government are in a very decided minority in the imwly-eleCted Parliament. Of this there is no question. Talcing the calculations even of their ow*n supporters, Ministerialists arid Oppositionists are evenly balanced, for they admit that each numbets 3fl, while of the 17 mem-' bers set down as “independent” and “ doubtful,” 11 may fairly he claimed for the Opposition* besides the font* Maori votes, all of which are cast against Ministers, making a total of 5l as against 43, even though they obtain the “doubtful” votes. Arid this is precisely the net result we arrive at;