THE Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24,18 TOWING THE MARK.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 77, 24 September 1879, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24,18 TOWING THE MARK.

" Words »re things, and a drop of ink falliug like "" dewupon a thought, produces tha. which makes thousands, perhaps o—llioss th_ak."

This afternoon is the time fixed for the great Parliamentary gathering, and although there will be really no business transa sted, the mseti ng wil I he still pregnant m result, inasmuch: as it will be an unerring index whether Sir &EOBGE G-apT is pr.is not to remain at the head pf the Ministry; ;Our oym. opinion is that should lie even ibaike possesion of the Treay sury benches with a majority, <it will he only to give the soldiers of. the Liberal army 'time yto look around them for the choice of a more popular and less autocratic leader; ."It. has. been idmbred.th4t. Sir (^EOBai? will voluntarily resign, the reins of Government to some of bis disciples, and;rest satisfied .-'to ■ .gly_» his. aid to the cause as a -private meinhei*, but we aire not amongst those who would put credence m the report. The constitution, of the man is against such a supposition, and even had he ever entertained such a desigii., his late brilliant victory m the citadel of Conservatism would cause a rev alsipri of feeling, and lead him to suppose that he has now just as great a hold upon the affections of ihe people as on that day when he th rem himself into the breach to defend the ! principles he advocated. No one ;who has read the newspaper reports of the speeohes made by the Premier during his election eerin 2 campaign, could be the least surprised at the poweryof sway which he exercised upon the masses. The address delivered at Christchurch, -—even when calmly perused at a cl'stance of time and place, and unaided hv the isoul-stirriTig eloquence m whic^i Sir G-EOR&B is such an adept — was such an appeal as is rarely made to a people, and adu"' ration was followed with regi'et that a man of sueh [ transcendnnt abilities and undoubted honesty of purpose should so hopelessly mar the splendid results wMeh he could achieve by his tetchy and way ward conduct. . Honestly sneaking, we .dp:'- not.-'.. think, that a Cabinet with Sir.G-EORGre Gket as Chairman WQuld be likely to work harmoniously, even if the "majority of Jthe House of Reoresentatives ;wei?e content to give him a trial, and consequently should the .present Ministry be- safely launched upon the waters of the Seventh Parliament, no time '; should h a . Inst in' pre- ! naring for a change which is sore to • npme.' . f ltis more .th^n. possible tbatf the alcapk ,ii poti tlie Premier w'l|; a*Bu roe the for m of a .vote of wan t of v'onfldence m the Ministry, a-s at "present consfcitu ted, . and th\s . w'-ll clear the vyay for a reconstruction ol tl)9 Cabinet. With Mr. Montoombbt supplying the place of- Sh* G--80-RGH3 Gtiey' ; Mr. Siuwos either m his own position as Treasurer, or as "Minister- of Eduction and Post-M^ai-ef-G-eneTal ; and an efficient Law Officer to succeed - ._J>. Stout as Atto rney-G-enei'a! . -.. the personnel of tlie- present "Ministry would be such as to command resneot, and largely increase the number.of its supporters. There can he no doubt that the retirement of Mr. Stout from - political life has b^en a sad blow to the Liberal party, and the portfolio lately held by him is perhans the most difficult for which to find an eligible successor, and we know of none to whom it could be offered if not to Mr Hislop, the senior member for Waitaki. Mr. Hisiop-is said to he a young man and ayoungpolitician— two defects which experience and time con easily remedy — bjifc although he cannot be the deep thinker or ready speaker that Mr. Stout uudeuiably is, still ou more than one occasion he has given evidence thathe cannot only successfully gfap^e witfe ft £«ttrtwn, l?ttt pt "his

views before his auditors m such a manner as to cany conviction with him. The greatest strength of the Liberals at the present time lies m the weakness, and disorganisation of of : the Opposition. Even were 'an adverse vote carried, resulting m the expulsion of the Gbet Ministry, as at present constituted, from office, there is really no one on the side of the Opposition capable of bringing together a Cabinet which would possess the confidence bf ihe House for twen ty-f our hours. It is just possible that the member for Selwyn, the Hon John Hall might step into the breach, but although we have said it is possible, we by no means think it is probable, particularly when we bear m mind that that Conservative journal, the Post,: actually allotted to Mr. Hall the place now held by Sir G-kobge Grey, the Ministry, with one exception remaining intact . With the absence of Fox, and Whittaker, and Richardson a terrible gap has been made m the Conservatives, and the brunt of the battle will have to be sustained by Atkinson and Ormond. No reliance can be placed upon the support or opposition of men of the Pyee and Wakefield stamp, for although both undoubtedly possess ability, their want of stability is just as notorious, and the moving of the straw is quite sufficient to turn their political artillery upon friend of foe without compunction.