The Patea Mail. Published Wednesdays and Saturdays WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1876.

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 80, 19 January 1876, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Published Wednesdays and Saturdays WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1876.

Fuk results u; the general <- f.-ctton may now be slid In in* Completely known, and it is greatly to be regret Pal that they have )tol been as favorable- to (lie Abolition cause as could have been hoped, 1 he ‘-old identity'’ 1 Tofincia! element having ralluT gaiiw-d than lost power in the iii-w parliament. 'I hero cannot however he a doubt as to there being no possibility of retrogressive action on the part of the l.cgi.-datlire, or that, light a< its party may. Provincialism, with its attend mt evils, will not this year cease in the colony ot New /.calami. It is somewhat strange, how variously those elected are classed, and it will be found that many, set down as supporting the Provincial party, will go with the stream and vote on the other, side. On the c 'ii tin rv, .s< <m< “ ? w<a-.‘ 1 < toeimwl a t present ministerialists will turn tail whefi the fray begins, and he found In the ranks of the Opposition. There is alwavs a kind of political flotsam and jetsam iii every parliament composed of varied elements. >Some are weakminded, and liable to lie inllltoitccd fit the moment of a crisis by any stronger will, that at that time they iiaopen to be most immediately in contact with ; others have interests to serve, and hold back till they know how best they can. do so; some, almost nnblnshingly, virtually offer their support to the highest bidder, and so a small band, but one frequently sufficient to turn the scale, when parties are nearly balanced, manage to secure seats in legislatures of all kinds. We of course do not say that such can exist in so pure a parliament as that of Neiv Zealand, but they have lived and breathed, and had their being elsewhere, and even this colony may yet have experience of them. It was freely stated, with rriiat truth wc cannot say, before the elections commenced, that u considerable fund had been subscribed, In order to further the election of proviuci d supporters. Circumstances, in two or three cases, i, p, fivor lids supposition, for }i(|- members of that ilk have secured seat.-, wlio n ver could have, done so niiP ss sinews of war, not possessed by themselves, had been Ihriiishcd from some mysterious source or other. Be that as it imiv, however, in round numbers, the Provincialism will probably count nip tbrec-ijuart.crs <-l the numocr of their antagonists—a proportion that may make its.li exceedingly obstiucti\e ami euiliarrassnig. I)uihig‘ the last session Sir Ueorge ( <ivy, Mr Macandrew, and others accepted abolition, on the understanding that the issue should be out to the. country, and it is probable now, as their force has been strengthened, that, they will claim a victory on that account./ That, on the other hand,.they, have suffered defeat is undoubted, but an excuse tor obstruction will be needed, and a lame one is better than none, at is not at all unlikely that the scenes of last A'ssi.m will be repeated in the next, that talking against time will be the chief accomplishment cultivated — and in this respect the Opposition have received large extra power — and that anything and everything will he done to aver! the evil day, the short interval after the close ot the session, when Froviu.-ialism shall he no more. Even with the recruited ranks of Provincialism, the Abolitionists have a large majority, and, what, is more, are muted tm* one itid, so tuat an\ wild nroposal for Separation of the islands, or other idiotic sTume that may be nrojiosed, has no chance of success, but, mi tfie other hand, will tend to split up the incongruous army of Opposition. As to a reversal of the verdict of last session, the idea is absurd, for, though little hotbeds of ancient tradition have, bv influences wo have, hinted at, secured (he iviiuu of believers, or affected beiicvers, in its truth, the country iceks

tlmf the* time for abolition has coni''; and will stdibr uo iumjc.r:.s.rry d-.lay ii; (•fleeting it. Both sides are equally determined ami lienee tlic interest dial must be I'dt at the issue of the impending struggle, though ns to which sole victory must ultimately incline there can be no doubt. ! thus been suggested th.it Parhaiii! Nt shonh! ’no called together sonn 111011 ths earlier I bis ye,a rfor several reason - on. oi’n hi el iis lliai as Fro vincinl ('onnet is caiiiior m.iill me-r, at tin ir nsm-.l time, about Maidi or April, and supplies have io In- vole,-'. Hu eh a course is n-vt saury. Whether this will lie the eas ■ or in t, we hav" vet to learn, thoiu li w her! iy i!ti-e,k- the Mmisirv will depart iroiu ties.'mhi! nwiiue. That the s; ssmn will he

ail eSCeedingit Riolm'iged, and specially stormy one', unot be doiibtiti. and that a hast v dissolution may cvi utuaie is by no im-iii;?, improbable. li tin- Oppose lion prove ;iX p< werful. and intractable as is tcaml, a d. ad-lock will be brought about tliul can only be got rid oi by some such p occss, and auotlicr appeal to the com.try is yet possible, this year. 'Faking the r suit of the elections as a whole, we fear they bode political trouble at uo distant date ; it is to Ini hoped that the storms apparently impending may not be realised.