Manawaiu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. TUESDAY, MARCH, 9, 1886. THE IMPENDING DISSOLUTION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1633, 9 March 1886, Page 2

Manawaiu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. TUESDAY, MARCH, 9, 1886. THE IMPENDING DISSOLUTION.

It would appear that Ministers have decided not to ask for a dissolution. Apparently they have been sounding public opinion -and have found that the proposal to ask for a dissolution is not regarded with favour*. Several pilot; balloons 1 i have been sent out, and have now came to the conclusion that it is not expedient to seek to coerce >the Governor into granting any recommendation not m accordance with constitutional practice and precedent. The following extract from the New Zealand Time* eiplains pretty clearly the present position of affairs :— " On Saturday evening it was semiofficially announced that the Government had virtually decided not to ask. his Excellency for a dissolution before the meeting of Parliament,, but that Ministers would meet Parliament as usual ; and m another quarter, presumably well informed as to Ministerial intentions, a similar imitation was given. The news wiU be joyfully welcomed by those members of the, present House who were m mortal dread as to the prospects of reelection, and to whom the bare idea of another contest, with its heavy expense and terrible '^uncertainty; ; w&s/unuttekbly 'revolting, We congratulate jtKeiri on their relief from such painful suspense: The statement which lias .been made tnat "the Government have decided hot to ask for a dissolution '" is perhaps not absolutely correct, iii so far as it implies that a decision has been arrived/at by the Cabinet. We learn, on the highest authority, that the Cabinet has, as yet, come to no formal decision on the question. But there isjittle doubt that Ministers have informally consulted'together on the subject, and ■ that the result of their consultation has been the virtual arrival at the determination which «iwa& * -made known . on Saturday evening, and whicji doubtless will be ratified- on the assembling of the full Cabinet. It may not unnaturally be asked why Ministers^ after such open declarations'in favour of a dissolution, should so suddenly change their front and abandon the idea. We cannot, of course, give an authoritative answer to that question. iWe do not pretend to be privy to Cabinet secrets. But there are certain tolerably plain indications which may very reasonably be deemed' to show the way the wind blows. It may be taken for granted that Ministers, as shrewd, sensible men, would not commit themselves to the definite resolution that they would idvise the Governor to dissolve. Parliament, until they had taken iteps m the direction of ascertaining inofficially what a reception suchj a* ecommendation was likely to meet

with. If they, did so, and if 1 the;% suit were unfavourable, tbe flat Ml outcome would be the relinqu shment of au aiteution which couui f lead to nothing if carried out. We do not not mean, of course, to x aisert that this is the case, but it seems to us a reasonable and practical solution of the problem. While we fully recognise, and have .nevei , ignored, the difficulties which lav m the way of a dissolution. being i granted, and the force of the arguments used against it — notwithstanding the- important - precedent furnished a few years agp by Victorjar^we should nevertheless have been glad if an appeal to the coun- , try could have been made before,instead of after, the coming session, if only for iKe sake of saving some <£30,000— tiie interest of nearly a million sterling.