The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1881.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 955, 21 December 1881, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1881.

" Wanted a respectable man to lead the Liberal party" is the silent prayer of members of the Opposition. During tie election contests they managed without a leader, not having one on hand that was at all presentable, so they simply intimated'that the hour would bring forth the man, and that the man that would be brought forth would be a giant. In view, however, of the assembling of Parliament a man has to be got, and the task is no easy one. The foremost men in the ranks have, more or less, a touch, of the Picaro in them. As far as'character goes, they are not very well ballasted, Thoy are men of ability; in fact, one andallareclever men,but they:sadly;

want one or two men amongst 'them whom they can trust. Mr Ballanoe for example, one great light of the party, calls its greater light—Sir' George Hrey—a " wily old gentleman?' It is evident that Mr Ballanoe does not trust Sir George, and wo need hardly say Sir George has no confidence in Mr Ballanoe,'yet both these, luminaries are chock full of liberal principles, and exude Liberalism at every pore, How are we to trust tho members of the Liberal party when they are not true to each other. We fear that, when the House meets, tho question of who is to lead the Opposition will not be decided. Its big men, if they are not true to their party, are true to themselves. Whatever hap-j pens, Sir George Grey will retain the. command of an Auckland team, arid Mr Maoandrew will lead an Otago detachment. These are their two best men, and New Zealand is not prepared to accept either. They may combine temporarily to harass the Government, but no permanent union between them is practicable. Mr Sheehan, who did so much to help Sir George Grey into power, and to keep him there, has fallen out with the old Knight, and will, probably never more be officer of his. Mr Ballanoe, another ex-Mini-ster, has lost his seat, Colonel Whitmore, the most respectable and trustworthy man in the late Cabinet, is out of the colony, and Mr Gisborne has retired from political life, If the, Opposition were called upon to fqrni a Ministry, they would have to piit a very queer lot of men together, The only man they have who would, be accepted by the country as a decent person would be Mr Montgomery, and it would be well for both sides of the House if the party put him at its head. An organized Opposition would materially assist the progress of business in the House, Indeed, it would pay the Ministry, if the Opposition have not a man fit to lead them, to lend them one of their own.supporters. Possibly some of the new blood which has been infused into the party during the late elections may assist to bring it into form. It is difficult to imagine that the changes which have taken place in its component parts have been for the worse, Its numbers have been somewhat reduced by tho ballot-box, but they are still sufficient to constitute a party if only trustworthy officers could be found to lead it.