The Ministerial Crisis.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 271, 9 June 1888, Page 4

The Ministerial Crisis.

WI.LUM!TO.\, JllllC 6. Tin m, was practically been no change in the political .situation The whip*. ha\e been busily employed in ascer' taming the tecling of members, and it is believed that the decision of the Govern, menc to.stanu by thetarif)' and primage is the lCMiltof thissoundmg. The position is very complicated, and it is difficult indeed to see a uay fch tough it. Free-traders who have seceded aie said co number 20, and eer- ! tainiy form u bolid party. Many member | consider then- attitude as simply one or '• bluii," and that while they aie anxious to frighten the Government into compliance to then- \ lews they would speedily iccede from the position they have taken up if the) saw Government in actual dangei ot deteat. It is haul to .say whether this would be so. The secessionists compn.se sonic ot the most stubborn of the party, and they are fighting for a principle which they claim should be above pat ty considerations. The) contend that in gi\ ing way on the Loan Bill they conceded an important point ol their policy, and the) r aie therefore detei mined to hold out on the other points of no futthar taxation, where the object can bo gained by re ducing the expenditme, and of protection for loading industries. ATTITUDE UF THE OrrOftlTlOlS*. There is great divei-sitA of opinion respecting the sinceiity of the larae number ! ot Oppositionists who ha\e promised the Government* then suppoit if they aio Him ■ m ad heiing to then taiill. Man)' of the ' Government paity aie undci the impics.sion that protectionist-! would simply see the taulV tlnoug-h and then lea\e the Go- \ eminent to then fate, and .some even go so far as to >aj that paity ambition would be pai amount w r it'i a section, ynd th.it while the) would vote h.i protection pure and simple, they would take the oppoi tunity ot going into the lobby with the free traders in division on imposts lor revenue raiding pui poses only. Tins ]^ not the case with all. One ptonunent Opposition member assured me that if the (Jo\ eminent stuck to the taiill he would give them his consistent suppoit while they were in power. THE GOVERNMENT FIRM. Tlieie is no doubt the Government are showing a disposition to show a bold fiont and sec the matter throimh. It is now | understood they ha\e abandoned theintenI tion they weic lecentl) credited with of j resigning iheir seats if the defections j amongst their supporters became so I numerous as to place them at the meicy of the Opposition and dependent on the Opp 'sition to carry their proposals. They will tight the matter out and not retire from their position until constitutionally iconired to do so b) an ad\eisc vote. The " Post ' say& : "In this department they are quite light, and agieat many members, little at* they may like some of the Government proposals, will hesitate to join in any vote which would ha\o the eflect of tiansfening Ministerial power to any combination which could possibly be formed trom the divided ranks 01 the present Opposition. At the same time Ministers inu&t take care noc to pie&h fcheii well-wishers too severely. WHAT THE FREE-TRADERS SAY. The ultra r ree-tiadcrs are very wroth at the Premier's attitude in respect to the tauff. Discugt-inpr the mutter to-day with a former suppoitei, he remaiUed that Sir Hurr> Atkinson's pioper course would be to represent to the Governor that he could nut carry on the allairo of the country without being dependent on the support ol the Opposition, w hi< h would be {.lacing him in an unconstitutional position. The clear duty of His Excellency would, under such cireunis,tance&, be to accept Ministers' resignations, and invite the Premier to reform hib Cabinet. This he would be able to do by taking m Mr Mitchelson, and say Me^rs L'liice. Walker, and Dr. Fitchett. The House would then b. prepared for a piofcccfche fcariil", such as that now before the country. Tuc natural inference from this remark is that the Premier means to stick to olticc at any cost. My hon. hiend went on to say that if the Premier took this course he would command the continued suppoit of his own immediate following, and would have undoubted claims on every protectionist in the House. One rumour in connection with the situation is that the free- t'"ade portion of the Cabinet will not retain their seats if Sir Harry insists on forcing the Statement on the House. This, however, is exceedingly improbable, particularly as 1 am informed on good authority that Ministers were quite unanimous in coming to a decision re the tarill proposals. I hear that Mr Scobie Mackenzie, who has been very quiet since thedelivery of thcFinancial Statement, wrote a letter to the Premier on Sunday, but thoactualcontentsof which I do not know. I gather, however, that the purport was to say lie felt bound to vote against their tarill' as laying heavy burdenson the people which were very oppressive and which, of couise, could not be removed

when the exigency has passed away. I believe, however, that he also expressed himself more reluctant to be hostile now than he was either at the close of last session or the beginning of this. The more favourable view is, I believe, due to the fact that the Financial Statement shows that the Government, if nob acting spontaneously in the matter, axe at least willing to be driven into a sound financial position in the matter ol public works, and were more clearly recognising the true position of the country. THE "POST" AS A COUNSELLOR. The "Post" thus advises freetraders in regard to their action on the tariff : — " The Government having explicitly declared that they do not wish the revision of the 'tariff to be treated as a party question, the way is open to freeGraders on each side of the House to do their utmo&t to bring the details of the tariff into accord and sympathy wi'h the sound principles upon which it is professedly ba&ed, but from which it departs in several in&tanceb, more particularly those we have specially mentioned. Striking out those items will involve no political crisis nor aUord the protectionist* party any opportunity of grasping the power which, if obtained, they would certainly endeavour to u&e to the great detriment of the colony and its inhabitants by a mischievous extension of prohibitory protection. It should always be borne in mind that such a policy, once initiated, can't afterwards be receded from without large claims arising for compensation to vested inLerents. The colony has had a bitter experience of this in the past in the matter of local distillation. Protection once imposed becomes practically irrevocable."