Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1878.] MONDAY, JULY 30, 1894. A STAG AT BAY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4786, 30 July 1894, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1878.] MONDAY, JULY 30, 1894. A STAG AT BAY.

Ix tho dobate on thpLamls forSettjoment Bill, the Hon.' John McKenzie it reported to have delivered the following manifesto:— ' j He had not been addressing Captain litisscll, but those members who professed to support him (the Minister). The life of a Minister was not enviable. [Cries of "Hear, hear," interrupted.] He had to be there Into at night, and got up to be waited on by deputations and members, and'to do his work. If lie desired, ns a Minister, to jnish ou a measure like this, iu order to savol it from its enemies, his friends must support him. He wished to be quite clear. He would not care if it was next day f hathc should leave those benches, liaising his voice, he added, "I wish Ito God I could leave them with honour to myself. It would be to my advantage in every shape." Members were indicating, he added, a lead to the Upper House to throw tlie measure out. !' I

The Hon. Mr McKenzie is a very honest man, but ho is a-man who ought never to lme underlnlien Ministerial duties. To him, the words of an eighteenth century ditty are strictly applicable:— Pray, goody, please to moderate the rancour of your tongue;. Why flash those sparks of fury from your eyes? • , llemcmbcr, when the judgment's weak, tho prejudice is strong. j i

Rancorous tongue, weak judgment anil strong prejudice have ahvoys oliaraetei'ised the MinisterforLands. Not much harm was done to the Liberal party as loii# as the raiicoi-. ous tongue was oxorflispclsololy on the Opposition,bnt now that it has begun to lash Government supporters the Cabinet ifi in a difficulty. That Mr McKcnzio will ever forgive 1 tjie members of his own party who have thwarted him is out of the question, andtlint theso members' will .seek forgiveness at his hands is unlikely. In tho first place they would not get it, and in the second tliey happen ito, bo in the right, and lie,nfter his ordinary custom, is in tlie wwng; His administration has Rcnafarce from beginning to end,forthodpj)ai.'jimei|t« uiider his control have alway.s bejm in a muddle and :a source of;op|m discontent and ill-concealed dissatls* faction to oven the Governmentparty; Still, Mr McKenzie is houest. and this'lbiigii'igflf his'forfreedoin* is a proof that beiß alive to , the fact that oithei* th'p-Goverhment harness does not.. jjt" hint. \pf ti . Jijiat he does ■■.'not Jjjt tlrejinji'neßS.,' )faph\ , hispleaof iiyieaj.ihi' but-wo cannot exonsjß.oitiiei' corbuß tongue or his weak judgment. It';h(is : been jjßn<>l : fox* 1 ' politicjit; | opponents* to class' ; t6*ethpr'as' ; autiv •■ cratsl'tKe'Premief'aild'tlie Minister , of Lands but the absolutism of tie i

paiv vanes somowliat Tho Premior is stiongoi m judgment than bis colleague and can restrain on occasions the rancour of Mb tongue, but with nil his weakness the Minister of Lands is the move, veracious politiThe; outcome of the scene on Fridays last should'mean the early rotii'Gmenfc'of the -Minister of Lands.' Ho himself would gladly be relieved of bis official position, and it may be to the advantage even of his own party that he should withdraw.

- After nil, his threat was merely a, natural expression of indignation at"- the. appearance.-of ! : n' new party ip'Parliament, a party already numbered and labelled and dignified with tho titleof Independent-Minis-terialists. Mi' iloKenkie iij.tlJßmost candid man'in the cabinet,'and'in his wi'atli'be has given, this party a foi'r mal recognition. What other Ministers think, he hassaid,andafter this, it is impossible for Ministers to keep up the pleasing fiction, that the Liberal party" is a happy family. The Minister of Lands declares that a growing-section of it, composed of these Independent Ministerialists, is a belligerent ppwer,., The'j Ministry cannot disavow this position without sacrificing their indiscreet colleague.