The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1884. THE NEW MINISTRY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1235, 4 September 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1884. THE NEW MINISTRY.

Mr Stout has succeeded in forming another Ministry, consisting of himself as Premier-and . Attorneys-Gfeneral, Sir Juliqs, o Yogel ~as Colonial 1 Treasurer, Postmaster-General and Commissioner of Customs, Mr Ballance as Native and 'Defence Minister,Mr Tole as Ministered Justice, Mr Richardson as Minister of Public Works, and the Hon. W,' Reynolds without a portfolio. It is impossible to say what their fate :will,he. Wellington correspondents think their;, extinction will be as sudden and complete as their predecessors’, but probably

they arc getting so well used to see Ministry after Ministry fall now. that they have lost all faith in the possibility of any being able to weather through the storms by which they are beset. For our part, we sincerely trust they will be able to hold out this session, at any rate, because if they are defeated there is nothing for it but a dissolution, and that is not a thing to be desired. It means enormous expense, while the prospects of improving matters are not bright. Our opinion is that if another election took place now, parties would go back in just as unmanageable a state as they are at present, and that nothing whatsoever would be gained. On economic grounds, as well as on the ground that a dissolution would do no good, we trust there is an end to the crisis. We are inclined to think that this Ministry will last, because of the inclusion in it of Sir George Grey’s henchman—Mr Tole. if Mr Tole can secure the Grey vote, there is hope for them. Another thing is that the mem hers are all probably tired of ousting Ministries now, and will let them live on to the end of the session, especially as it is said that Mr Stout has in his pocket the written promise of the Governor to grant him a dissolution in the event of a defeat. The fear of a dissolution may possibly frighten some of the “ rats,” who know that their constituents would not again return them. But then, on the other hand, there are sixty members pledged to the . property tax, and when the present Government bring down their land tax proposals what will be the result ? In the ordinary course of things these sixty members ought to vote against the Gevernment, and that would turn them out at once. It is useless to speculate just now on what will happen to the new Ministry, because no one but a prophet could tell, but let us for the good of the colony hope that they will live this session out. THE DESIRE FOR OFFICE. It is impossible to contemplate the chaotic condition of political parties at present without feeling disgusted at the extraordinary selfishness of a large number of our legislators. The desire for office and the emoluments appertaining to it, appears to rule their thoughts and actions. There is a complete absence of anything like patriotism, and the.iv whole aim seam to !■' to secure their own selfish ends. It is useless to speak of the tergiversation of Mr Wakefield. His extraordinary conduct has brought upon him the ridicule of the whole colony to such an extent that we feel disposed to pity him. There is one excuse for him. When he joined Major Atkinson he went with the party to whom he naturally belongs, and whom he ought never to have left. His defection from that party in the first instance was caused by his having been denied a seat on the Treasury Benches ; the same cause made him leave the Stout-Vogel party ; and it was the “ billet” that made him go back to his first love. It is useless to discuss him further ; he is, we are afraid, politically dead, and we are sorry tor him, because we feel that it is a pity that abilities like his should be. ruined by the sefiahness and want of tact of their possessor. As for Sir George Grey, no words in our vocabulary can express our' disgust at his conduct. He is the greatest nuisance that it is • possible to imagine, and we are afraid he will remain so while ha lives. 'The' StontYogel combination was said to he “ the Grey Ministry without Grey,” their policy embodied Sir George Grey’s pet scheme, “ the abolition of the property tax,” and yet he killed that Ministry because he was not Premier. Mr Thomson was a fierce advocate of a land tax, but he went over to the property tax party because he did not get the Chairmanship of Committees. But it is useless to dwell on such contemptible selfishness, we can only hope they will soon be weeded out of our legislature and their places filled by better men. There ia a pleasure in turning from the contemplation of such sordid selfishness to the patriotism, and devotion to bis party shown by our own representative—the Hon W. Rolleston. If there was one man of the late ministry who had a.claim to being considered more than another by Major Atkinson when recently forming a new Cabinet, that one was Mr Rolleston. Through the grain tariff ; through the West Coast railway ; and through everything else that tended to render him unpopular, the Hon. W. Rolleston stuck to Major Atkinson faithfully, though he must have known that by doing so, not only his Avon constituents, but the whole of Canterbury, including his personal friends, disapproved of his conduct. 1 The very men who are wrangling for office now, accused him then of having retained his seat in the Ministry “ for the sake of the billet.” They could not see any. higher motives than “ filthy lucre ” in his consistency and devotedness to his party. But how has Mr Rolleston answered this accusation ? I In this way ; When Mr Wakefield would not follow Sir Julius Vogel because he was not in the Ministry, when Sir G. Grey “ ratted ” because ho was not Premier, and Mr Thomson because he was not Chairman of Committees, Mr W, Rolleston told Major Atkinson that he would release him from all obligations to himself, and that he was willing to take a back seat if that would settle the difficulty. There was the man that stuck to his party “ for the I sake of the billet ” willing to forfeit all 'claims—and without doubt bis claim was the first—for the sake of the country. This is patriotic unselfishness

which must inspire confidence and command respect, and it gives us pleasure to bear testimony to it. There were two men in the late Ministry in whom we have always had confidence—viz., Messrs Rolleston and Bryce, The one was the best Minister of Lands, and the other the best Native Minister we have ever had in this colony, and when Major Atkinson left them out of his recent combination he made a great mistake, The political enemies of these two Ministers had to aknowledge that their departments had been administered excellently, and their presence in any Ministry would hare inspired confidence. If Major Atkinson succeeds in getting into office again, his reign will be brief if he does not include them, for none could be found in the party who could administer both portfolios with greater ability or more conscientious regard to the public good.