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Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 462, 27 September 1879, Page 2

About fifteen members of the House were not present at the opening of Parliament, No doubt some of them will soon pnt in an appearance; in the meantime it is important which side the majority of the absentees belong to. The Government will no donbt strain every nerve to bring up their forces, and, being the party in power, will be able to muster their men to some advantage. The first item of the Ministerial programme will be to cajole the doubtful members. Some will be won by promises, or bints about' personal “ claims for consideration being favourably entertained.” Those who are not to be caught in this way will discover that the Government intend making a railway in their district, and presently will have pressure brought to bear upon them by their constituents which they can scarcely resist. The party in power always has a tremendous advantage if it is made the best ot, which in the present instance it will be. The position in which an honourable young aspirant to Parliamentary fame may be placed by a scheming, promising Government in a crisis like the present, is very painful. He has been elected as an independent member, and wishes to be guided by his judgment and sense of honour, but the Ministry, through the innumerable agencies at their command, give his constituents vagne hints about a line, or a branch, that is to make their village the pivot of the universe. This is the policy that the constituents believe in, and they demand that their member shall support it. If he does so, he forfeits his selfrespect ; if he does not, he will never be re-elected; for if the Government are defeated, the line is not made; and if they are not defeated, the lino is not made; and in either case the unfortunate member is blamed. As, therefore, humanity is frail, it is natural that a majority of the doubtful members will be won, by one way and another, to the Government side.

There will be no lack of subjects for another *No Confidence ’ debate. Even the short time that has elapsed since the last onef*was concluded, has been fruitful of counts for an indictment of the present administration. The Ohinemuri outrage and the helplessness desplayi-d by the authorities, the referring of the affair to the judgment of a Maori tribunal, and the lies circulated about the matter, ought, in themselves, to be enough to hurl any Ministry from power.