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Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 285, 9 October 1879, Page 2

The new Ministry is now constituted, and includes the names of Hall, Whitaker, Atkinson, Uolleston, Bryce, and Olliver, We question whether a better selection could have been made, and feel certain that with a fair trial the new Cabinet will give satisfaction to the Colony The Liberal party, under a new leader, Mr Macandrew, are about to makea desperate effort to regain the Ministerial benches which we trust will prove unsuccessful, Mr Macandrew would undoubtedly make a better Premier than Sir George Grey, but his reputation for log-rolling and political jobbery ought to disqualify him for so high a position-. Should the Hall Ministry be beateu by a small majority we do not consider that it would be bound to resign; it has the same constitutional right to a dissolution that Sir George Grey recently claimed, and .we hope that it will not yield to factious opposition, While we hope that the Hall Ministry possesses the confidence of the majority of the House of Representatives, we feel assured that it has the support of the country, and that were another election to take place, from which the undue influences exercised by the late Ministry would be eliminated, the Hall Ministry would return to the House with a good working majority. The division on Mr Macandrew's motion,,as far as we can learn, will result in a tie.

The ordinary'monthly meeting of Wairarapa County West takes place to-day, The R.M, Court sits at Masterton thiß day. Yesterday morning, about 3 a.m,, a smart shock of earthquake was felt at Masterton, Mr E. (i. Jones announces that he is "to the fore again" with a new assortment of fruit, fish, &c., at his new premises next Club The Masterton Volunteers drill to-mor-row evening outside the Town Hall. Wo hear that they are receiving from Wellington about 10.000 rounds of ammunition, "' Yesterday, at Carterton, a man named Clifton was ordered to pay £7 on a maintenancß order granted in 1878, with the alternative of three months' imprisonment, We omitted to mention in our report in yesterday's issue of the meeting of members of the Union Club that the supper was given to members by the Custodian, Mr 6, Colcer, At the meeting of the Education Board held at Wellington on Tuesday last, the question of payment of the balance due to the Eketahuna' School was deferred until such time as Mr Beetham could be present, The Government have accepted the services of the Masterton Cadets. We should like to see all the lads in the Borough of the required age join the corps and make it a credit to the Wairarapa. A meeting will shortly be called to constitute the corps. The Greytown Rifle Volunteers held their usual monthly inspection on Tuesday Inst. 1 htfre wits a very large muster. After parade the annual meeting was held, but after considerable discussion it was postponed till next parade night through some informalities in the balance-sheet. Great inconvenience is felt by tlio Lower Valley settlers having to go all the way to Carterton to pay the land tax. They have to pass through Greytown, at which place orFeatherston they mii'ht without great inconvenience pay in but for the arrangements that some wise person in power has made. At the R.M. Court sitting held at Carterton yesterday, a case was heard—William Harrison v. Hirini Piripi—for wilful damage to property in ploughing oomplainant's property at Hurunuiorangi. Mr Beard appeared for the complainant, There was no defence, and the defendant was committed for trial. He has subsequently been released on bail. We are glad to see at last a step taken to abate the illegal practices which have recently prevailed amongst the Hurunuiorangi Maoris,

It is undei stood (says the Times) in well-informed circles that the new Ministry has been'already formed. It is impossible to say as yet what may be ultimately decided upon, but last night political groups belonging to both parties provided the following list Hall, Premier and Colonial Secretary; Whitaker, sen., Attorney-General, with seat in Council; Atkinson, Treasurer and Customs; Rolleston, Public. Works, Immigration, and Education ; Oliver, Lands and Mines; Bryco, Native Minister; Tomoana, native colleague, It will be seen from the above that at least one portfolio is still undecided. Mr Rolleston would also seerii to lie somewhat overweighted according to the above list.

Our London correspondent writes;— Turkey still staggers along like an old hack on its way to the knacker's yard. Some idea of the deplorable condition of that Empire may be gathered from the fact that the Tory papers are quite jubilant over tho appointment of ex-Colonel Valentine Baker to an important civil and military post in Kurdistan. This they regard as a grand omen of coming improvements. The unfortunate subjects of the Porte are so harried by the Turks that even such a ruffian as Baker is to them an angel of light. The Porte, in sending the hero of the outrage on Miss Dickenson to repress outrages in Kurdistan, acts on the principle of setting a thief to catch a tliief; but that a man ignominioualy expelled from the British service should represent the hopes of the apologists for the Turkish Empire tells more powerfully than words of the abyss of infamy that Empire has sunk into.