The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1884.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4775, 29 April 1884, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1884.

The profession of the politician promises to shortly become more interesting to its followers than many of them anticipated when they sought their present exalted positions, the possession of which was doubtless suggested to them by an aIN consuming ambition*which took not into account the fact that something more than honor and glory was attached to their presence in what is, in many cases, looked upon as "a charmed circle." Those in our Parliamentary bodies who hare the ability to do so, will have to grasp a very important situation during the coming session, and no doubt they will fully realise the fact that they have not been so exalted for the purpose of self-glorifica-tion, as a reward only of personal merit for—in many cases—small local performances. The coming session threatens work, and that of no common kind: the political atmosphere is full of trouble. They will have to meet no ordinary deficiency in our revenue; they will be called upon to dispose of difficulties which require solid thought, clear judgment, and careful administration to face and overcome; will have to grapple with troubles caused by careless and ignorant, or selfishly unscrupulous ministers, who are unable to properly carry out the duties entrusted "to them, or are recklessly corrupt [in {administering their offices. Public faith in the present occupiers of the treasury benches seems to have dwindled down to alxaost a mere nothing throughout the colony; even in Canterbury, which was at one time the Ministerial stronghold, they apparently do not possess the people's con* fidence. From the time of the departure of Sir John Hall from the position of Premier the condition of the Cabinet has been but a sorry one as regards principle, and immediately after the strongest stay it had left, viz., Sir Erederick Whitaker, resigned his office, it was fairly shaken in its foundations. Since the departure of those, and the subsequent departure from their ranks of Mr Walter Johnston> the course of the Government appears to have been a downhill one. Whether this is a natural consequence in the way of retribution, on account of the "mess" they have got the colony into, may be a matter of doubt in the minds of some, but the fact remains that we are in a very uncomfortable position financially, and the situation to be faced at once will require all the tact, energy, and business qualities a legislature should possess—which we will not for a moment insinuate ours does not—and we will ask them to summon all they have to their aid in dealing with our 'circumstances. It may be said that there is nothing really alarming in our financial condition, especially when our productiveness is considered, . and our natural wealth taken into account; yet these facts must not be lost sight of: a party has been for years in power, has had an enormous expenditure to deal with and a very large revenue to meet it, yet that party presents a wonderful list of colonial debt, a deficient treasury, a failing revenue, will have to resort to further taxation; in fact, haa shown a miserably deficient account of its stewardship, an inability to deal with the colony's government economically, a grois carelessness, or, as we have said, a corrupt inefficiency to conduct the business entrusted to it. We have little doubt that a change will occur during the coming session, as

the number of indictments laid against the GrOTernmenfc will be numerous, and not altogether irrefutable.