The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1879.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 452, 20 August 1879, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1879.

3 v we are to judge from the manifestoes of the candidates, the new Parliament will be n happy family indeed. Such a thing as an Opposition will bo impossible. One enlightened measure alter another will be eulogised, and passed without a murmur. All the candidates are Liberal. The new men are all Liberal —with out Grey. Among the old members some of the Government supporters are Liberal with, and some without Grey; but all are Liberal. As to the Opposition, they declare, and perhaps not without truth, that the Liberal policy was stolen from them. They are the original Liberals, and their opponents are shining in borrowed rays. All this is certainly very complimentary to the Liberal policy, as it unmistakably indicates what is in favor with the country. At the same time, it is a crushing condemnation of the Government, who, vaunting the very policy that everybody wants, could not carry it out.

Most of the advertised addresses deal in generalities, and are simply attempts to fill a decent space without saying anything ; or where any detail is entered into, it is carefully done, so as to steer between Scylla and Charybdis. One of the candidates in Auckland, however, with consummate impudence, breaks through conventional restraint, and declares he is in favour of abolishing the Government monopoly of Native Land purchase. This has a familiar ring with it, and we shall not weep If the gentleman is not returned. It is only as a convenient fiction, and to save trouble, that the right of a handful of savages to this island is recognised at all. If the savages did not exist, the land would, without question, belong to the public, and the public alone would benefit by the sale of it. But as the savages do exist, the convenient fiction referred to is allowed, as a means of getting the land for the public in the cheapest manner possible. But that it should exist for the purpose of letting the public estate pass into private hands, without the public benefitting in any way, is simply monstrous. It has been a standing curse to the country that any besides the Government were ever allowed to deal with the natives for lands. We hope that no party will ever be in power who will give the public inheritance over to designing men, who, with astonishing impudence, dare publicly to call that inheritance a monopoly. The election promises to be a very exciting one. We.have three candidates —Major Atkinson, Mr G. F. Sherwood, and Mr F. McGuire, of which the former has much the best footing. There are two for New Plymouth, and three for Grey and Bell. Wise people say that Trimble and Kelly are to be the men. In Wanganui there are three of the leading politicians of the colony standing, but one of them must be thrown out. Many think that Mr Bryce is the marked man, and it is certainly a little strange that after forsaking the late Ministry he has coupled his name with a late member of that Ministry. But those who observe how the greater of the two B’s. forsook his own constituency for fear of a comparatively obscure man, and how he left Ins post in the House, leaving that constituency, which he did not want any more, to look after itself, and stole a march of ten days on Sir William Fox, who was doing his duty to the country, will not look upon the said great B. with favor. Major Willis, who stands for Rangitikei, is regarded as safe against the Grey . man. At Grnhamstown nothing will go down but Grey. There is nothing like a railway for carrying a

man to the head of the poll. Mr Hobbs has paid the expenses of his re-election by giving half of his honorarium to charities in his district. In Wellington the candidates arc legion. All we are sure of at present is that they won’t all get in. In Christchurch there will be a furious contest. Mr J. P. Andrews, the working man’s cohdidate, refuses to stand. This no doubt improves Sir George Grey’s chance. There is a prospect of a hot contest in Geraldine, Mr Wakefield’s constituency. It is thought probable that the Presbyterian Minister, Rev George Baddy, will stand against him. In the debate of Press versus Pulpit we have always supported the Pi ■ess. If our readers will pardon a paradox we will say that the most original address yet published is that of blunt Mr Swanson. He lias reprinted bis last address. He says he is the same, and the same address will do !