SOMETHING MOVING. Those Visits to Bushy Park.

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 10, 8 September 1900, Page 6

SOMETHING MOVING. Those Visits to Bushy Park.

SOMETHING is surely in the wind when we see a continuous stream of political leaders on the way to and fro between Wellington and Bushy Park, at which latter place the Honourable John McKenzie is staying. Ever since the party came into power, the Honourable John has been its Pope, and, notwithstanding his recent retirement from the Cabinet, he remains its Pope still, and so he will be till the end of the chapter. Why then these pilgrimages of the faithful and the irreconcilable to the Honourable John at Bushy Park ? First, there was Mr Seddon and Mr Cadman, and scarcely had they returned when Mr Ward set out. Sir Robert Stout, of all people in the world, was the next pilgrim to the political Mecca, and now he is being followed by Mr Duncan. Naturally, all this has given rise to much speculation in political circles, and divers kinds of castles in the air are being built upon the foundations which these circumstances furnish.

Of course, it is well known that the Honourable John is in a low and critical state of health, and it is natural enough that in a crisis in his illness he should wish to meet and take a farewell of his old colleagues and friends. And, amongst his political associates, there is none for whom he had a stauncher and more loyal regard than he had for Sir Eobert Stout, whose senior whip he was in Sir Robert's 1884 Cabinet. But this does not account for the Ministers going in turns, nor the mystery that is attending the successive pilgrimages, and, in view of the impaired health of the Premier, it is only natural that people should talk. The most remarkable circumstance of all is the summoning of Sir Robert Stout. And, striking parallel, what a remarkable similarity there is between what is going on now and what happened at the death-bed of the late lamented John Ballance. • * * Is it not probable that the Honourable John McKenzie, seeing that Mr Seddon must shortly retire from active work m Parliament, is endeavouring to maintain the future solidarity and prestige of the Liberal Party, by diplomatically arranging the choice of a future leader, as a precautionary measure against any contingency that might arise ? It was Mr McKenzies wish when John Ballance died that Sir Robert Stout should be leader. Is it not more than likely that Mr McKenzie would like to see the succession to the leadership, in the event of the retirement of Mr Seddon becoming necessary, being offered to Sir Robert Stout ? Surely. sj: -•- * Whether, in the event of such a contingency arising, Sir Robert would care to sacrifice his personal and family interests, and resign the Chief Justiceship, in order to re-enter political life, is another question. But Sir Robert is a born politician, and, following every move of the political chess-board with absorbing interest, as he does, it would be difficult for him to subdue his love for the Senate, and remain outside the arena of politics if the people called for him. * • * Sir Robert is still regarded by a large and sincere section of the Liberal Party, which does not include the labour interest, as its natural leader, and this section would view with acclamation the prospect of his return to the Premiership. So also would a large section of the present House. But, of course, this is mere speculation. All there is of fact is that Mr Seddon's health is bad, and will shortly compel his retirement from the Premiership, and that Messrs Seddon and Cadman. Mr Ward, Sir Robert Stout, and Mr Duncan have successively made pilgrimages to Bushy Park, in order to confer with the Hon. John McKenzie. What is in the air?