The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 892, 16 October 1877, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Equal \ indjijtact j||fiee to all men, Of wh ktev|l statJlp persuasion, religious o Here sESlPfne Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribetl by gain

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: rJ^j^ks^verY much as if the new MinistiywoulTßOTll-BSf^Tftrlate^ wpnt out on Monday lasf^nd another Monday has gome and gone '' ffl'yet J^LrLarnaoh has .failed to; I MIvJWa *^ e vacant portfolios^ ntid only in two cases jwit^ men known to office,; Mr Macandrew add Mr Sheeh^n. Both'*|m.ve graduated in the J Provincial (wvelnmfenb of the ' 'respective provinces of Auckland and Otago, but: neither has held office in the Colonial } Goverhoient. Sir : George $rey* joins the Ministry simply as Premier -without office, lf andjlrLarnach is, politically, a new r man altogether. Nor is it a hopeful {. fact lor the new Ministry that Mr ■ Larniach' having secured three men ' y 6*f standing is obliged to ueat up ' recraits from the men of least note in I- ihe^HLpuse. Members even of second i ra^fjstaiidinjj ] fight shy of the * doubtfu} honor, and when portfolios 8 go begging to and are reiused by men so; little known in the world of L \ politics j as Messrs Brown, and Eyan9, '' what can the calibre of the new 'Miuistry be expected tobe!i •-■•• A gr^at deal, says our correspondent, depends on the Ministerial Statement to-night, and till we receive this it would be immature, and {perhaps not altogether fair to impugn the intentions of the incoming Cabinet. We have no desire to do so. We will give them credit for the very best intentions. The measures they may # propose may be good in themselves, suited to the exigences of the Colony, and, abstractly, such as will command " the admiration of the House. Bat the House of .Representatives is not r won to a vote by the actual merits of a question or by the eloquence and earnestness of those who advance it. ' Issues will be discussed and divisions framed upon quite different bases. Otago will look upon them through glass of one color, and , Canterbury through glass of another color, aud Auckland perhaps will not entertain them at all, and then comes division in the camp — and failure. It needs » strong and influential directing and governing power in the Cabinet itself to keep party together, great tact and great personal influence are essential, and the Ministry which has not these ■ qualities in its aiembers, let the pian of its campaign be never so good, i cannot move or control its forces so as to ensure success. But, as we J have have already said, the Cabinet itself cannot possibly stand the brunt of division on more than one of the burning questions of the day. It is a house divided againist itself on more than one such question. Can Mr Macandrew and Sir George Grey walk into the same lobby should the qaestioa of the colonisation of the Land Fund come to a division 1 Can a vote consistent with the avowed principles ot aither be other than diverse upon that issue? An Auckland ooutemporary of Saturday alluding to the construction of the Cabinet so far as it has gone says, "In analysing its constitution the objection cannot be raised that the Premier hopes to retain office by accommodating everyone's views in an olla podidra Cabinet" and goes on to state that each one of them has beeu a consistent Provincialiso \ but as it further saya the New Cabinet will let Provincilism rest in its grave, what tie will there be in the mere reminiscence of past partisanship when on living questions of present moment, affecting the vital interest of the Colony, they hold such diverse views t Jt is the very attempt to hold office by accommodating every «aes views in an olla prodidrp Cabinet, that the real weakness of the party lies. It needs bat one such crucial test as we have named, and the seeming tie falls to pieces like the rope of sand it is. Late telegrams from Wellington last night show that the new Government is even in a worse position than we have depicted. Mr Bal. lance positively refuses to join them, Colonel Whitmore has actually seceded from the ranks, and a direct want ot confidence motion by Mr Stafford is already talked of.