The Mataura Ensign WITH -WHICH ARE INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN FREE PRESS AND WAIKAIA HERALD. GORE, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH, 1883. THE CONTINUOUS MINISTRY CONTINUED.

Mataura Ensign, Volume VI, Issue 293, 28 September 1883, Page 2

The Mataura Ensign WITH -WHICH ARE INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN FREE PRESS AND WAIKAIA HERALD. GORE, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH, 1883. THE CONTINUOUS MINISTRY CONTINUED.

The resignation of the figure-head of the Ministry and the dissolution and reconstruction of the Cabinet must afford a heading for a page of history, though of no moment iv practical politics. Ever since the defeat of Sir Geokge Grey, Major Atkinson hay been at once the backbone and the brain ■of -the- Sdwznmcßt. Me is- persona}!??however, or rather was, <■;.}>•■) o u lav. especially with the ladies, w\Uo aro vodoubbable "whips? "and Yoc(; ; coiitpei-(brh-T-A^few years ago the blunt, pugnacious J Major, who, like the Iron Duke, hlTd : no small talk, had not yet persuaded the fair sex to endure and even j reverence him for his ability, courage, and success. H e therefore needed a venerable and amiable puppet to distract attention from himself and to be otherwise as useful as possible. He was fortunate in' finding in Sir John Hall and the Hon. Mr Whitakeb, good manners and grey hairs, combined with no small power for scheming amj -worlung. He probably fee:s , that now he no longer needs any disguise and that, he may safely appear iv his true colors as Premier. Beyond this addition to the Major's title no important change has occurred. The loss of., a -.Premier in the Upper House, whatever his ability, will always be compensated for by transferring the position/ to' an equally good man in the Lower House.. On that-ground, therefore, the Ministry may be said to have gained. Next in importance stands Mr Betce, who is a born practical ruler. He retains the position of which history will no doubt acknowledge him to be the only ornament up to the present date. Messrs Rolleston and Johnston also remain as they were. Mr Conollt adds to his post of Minister for Justice, the Attorney-General-ship, vacated by the late Premier ; while Mr Oliyeb, who was before a member of the Cabinet without a portfolio, relieves Mr Dick of the Post-master-Generalship and the Commissionership of Telegraphs. Many persons were anxious to know who the new Minis+er would be, but the mi.- . tiated knew' that such old stagers as the retiring Premier, the Major, and Mr RpLLESTON were too vyisw to fill the gap and thus blight the hopes of twenty aspirants at once. For the purpose of securing votes the vacant post, is always.the mos^effective Minister; on the bench. A judicious .flirt cas btkYS'ft-g^a-t'many- Wars to buy her presents- But, let her got married and they will all swear she is "ugly. Now, the Ministry. want an unmarried .port-: folio — or two. These, to change the simile, are the bunch of carrotsheld by the rider before the hose of his donkey, ai" er which he patiently trots and c rries the said designing rider whifcherso^ever he listeth.

The'vitality of thu Government, as compared with the Opposition, is strikingly shown in the ooutinuousness of the Ministry. Before sir Oeorge came into power, Stafford, Fox, Vogkl, and A-TKiifSON, h&d. been successive head of the pavty. After the brief and :Ttu;rbuleut .GrJftEYiTB parenthesis, the same party take up the running again and continue the " Cbntinuous Ministry " with Hall, Whitaker and Atkinson. We would like to see a sitt)iU>r euccession of Pienaiers chosen froni the • Ppppsj^P 11 ! f^ ake away Sir G-eorgi; and what a pigmy, limping prew come after ? As the acftjit pQVpiolio in fefee oaost popular

.Minister, so the flabbiness of the Opposition is the strong- Ht point "n the Grorernment. Charlbs I knew ha T vas not a great blessing to the country, but he felt safe in the supeiior " cusaedness "of his brother, the heir apparent. >aid this brother to him one day — "fire, there ar^ grievous plots against your lffe. You must take more care." " JNo, no. Jamie!" said lhe royal joker, " they L never kill me to make you king."

The Ministry under its Lite head have been twitted with the poverty of their measures as compared with those passed by Sir J. Hall. It is, however, only fair to reniem er that ev^n Ministries cannot reap tlu-'ir cr<>p and have it still to out. There « not an infinite supply of great measures, thank goodness. Oiih Magna Ch-irta is enough, and one Bill of Rights. L«t it not be a reproach to any Ministry th.it they h >v« not passed several Bills of Rights. There is no higher boast for a Government than that having already passed the grn.at measures that the country cried for they now busy themselves with those smaller matters, over which perhaps men's " angry passions " more natural y * r s«," but whi.h are not only wanted but the only things wanted. Laplace, the French mathematician, complained that he was born too late. " Newton had the advantage of me in the start !' said he. That is i\ie dfcft.ct of Ministers that fall on times immediately following great legis* lative epochs. They are too late. The big fish have been caught with the sweep net, and only the sprats remain. To discover these sprats the Government have "fished " beside all waters. This, we take it, is one of their best qualities. Any Q-ovemtnent deserves to stand while it knows th« real wants of the country and endeavours to gratify them. That there is anything dishonorable in refusing to gueas at these wants and in determining discover them by deliberate investigation we deny. That Major AtkinsWs Government will stand through next session there cannot be a shadow of a doub^. That the country will then further continue the " Continuous Ministry " is we think highly probable.