The Oamaru Mail. THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1273, 6 May 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail. THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1880.

Mr. BalliA2.ce, the bete noir of Sir William Fox, scored a signal victory at "Wanganui last night. The occasion was a meeting of electors, at which he j delivered his pre-sessional address. • The report to hand, by telegraph, is necessarily meagre, but from it we glean sufficient to show conclusively that no stone was left unturned by his opponents to secure for him an adverse vote. Later information, received this afternoon, details one of the expedients resorted to by those who call themselves Conservatives to turn an overwhelming tide of public favor against one of the most practical and useful Liberal men in Parliament. Mr. Ballance -was severely handicapped. Four of the most prominent joints in the tail of the ascendant party attacked him with vehemence. They lashed him furiously, somewhat after the fashion, we suppose, of their great High Priest, Sir W. Fox. These men, who were opponents of Mr. Bryce as well as Mr. Ballance, at the last election, demonstrated that nothing less than a revolution had taken place in their opinions since that time. They were solicitous for the feelings and the security of Mr. Bryce's position, and warned the assembled electors that if thev passed a vote of confidence in Mr. Ballance, they would imply a vote of censure on Mr. Bryce. It must, of course, be admitted that Mr. Bryce has become demoralised since his association with the Hall Government. We find it difficult to realise how a man of Mr. Bryce's stamp could have sunk so low as to join such a Government, much less to devote himself to the patching up of the notorious Sutton native land dispute. We believe Mr. Brvee to be an honorable man, but if he associates and co-operates with bad companions he must expect to pay the penalty of jeoparding his good name and position. It is by no means strange that when Mr. Ballance replied to those gentlemen by treating his audience to logical reasoning, he carried them "with him, that a no-confi-dence motion was lost by 500 to 20 votes, that a vote of confidence was Garried almost unanimously, and that three cheers were given for Mr. him. Why should Mr. Ballance be deprived of a public recognition of the good services he has rendered in Parliament in order that the actions of Mr. Bryce might not be attacked by implication. Let every man answer for himself. If Mr. Bryce's newly-won supporters are anxious that he should set himself right with the electors, let him pursue the same course that Mr. Ballance has done, We are sure that Mr. Ballance's supporters wjoald jiot raise the objection that a vote of confidence in Mr. Biyce would imply a want .of confidence in Mr. Ballance.