PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 401, 17 October 1884, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP

[BY TJitEGKAPH.] (From our Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Thursday evening. There is very little of interest in to-days' proceedings, the Order P<iper being entirely made up of private members' business, Tomorrow will be a very heavy day, bp^ever, Government policy bills in committee and the report of the committee on tlje North Tsiand Railway claiming the attention of the House, Th« anomalous position of Major Atkinson having excited considered comment in that he is in no sense performing the duties of leader of the Opposition and in allowing Mr JBryce to lead, has caused members on the Opposition side of the House to meet frequently this week in solemn conclave. They have in no way asked for an explanation from the Major, but the matter has been discussed at their several meetiuga. Inventive correspondents have made a good deal of capital out of those meetings, but there ' is really " nothing in them that was not ] known very much earlier in the session, • Thy Opposition long ago decided that !

there should bo do organised opposition Ihif session, mid Major Atkinson, who', urgorl that he requires th it political rest he \ has for so many 3 ears preached abour, do^S not therefore consider it his duty to raise his voice against the policy bills of the Go-v-jrnment, but. is willing to relegate his duties as chief of the Opposition to an able lieutenant in Mr Bryce. M;vjt>r Atkinson's followers appear to be perfectly satisfied with the conduct of their leaders, but it would be difficult to suggest in what way they could explain -why Mpjor Atkinson' either votes with the Govern men t in their policy bills or walks out of the House, which is almost tantamount to the same thing. Sir G. Grey, who is, he says himself, a supporter of the Government, is the only recognised leader of the House who has sufficient courage to perform what he considers a duty in denouncing the borrowing proposals of the Government and their syndicate scheme whereby large tracts of land are to be for ever taken from th« people of the colony. Not that it is likely any great good will come oE Bir G. Grey's protests, for the Government have a large majority, who seem determined to get all they can for their particular districts and to keep in office a Ministry that allows them so to get the property of the colony. Mr Fergus made a capital speech last night, as did also Sir G. Grey, and the former's ridicule of Mr Stout as the great exponent of the principles of larid nationalisation while he was prepared to hand over the land of the colony — which according to thos^ principles is the property of the people— to acompanj', was a splendid hit, and was received amid much applause.