The Waikato Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1877.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 836, 23 October 1877, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1877.

liqual and exact justice to all men, Ot whatever sc<ita or.peisuasiou, religious o political

Here shall the Press the People's rigl.t maintain, Qua wed by influence and unbribed by gain

According to promise, the Hon Mr Larnach, the Colonial Treasurer, was to deliver his financial statement in the House this evening, and upon this address it was. expected that the Government and Opposition would join issue. . The date of both events is, however, postponed. The Opposition speak confidently of a' majority, of even so man as ten, for the present Government has, it seems, signally failed' in conciliating- what is called the middle party. But, even with so large a majority on the division, it does not follow that a New Ministry will carry it with them through thy after business .'of the Session. the prospects of the opposition show that this is not always the case, nor, in the present constitution of the Asssembly, will it be likely to be so in the event of a change of Government. Many ot those who will vote with the' Opposition will do so less, perhaps, that they approve their policy than that they are chagrined at the action of their own party when it came into power, but these/m«n will make but lukewarm adherents afterwards to their new alii.es. In such cases what have the public to ook for as the outcome of the struggle said to be- impending. Nothing satisfactory that we can,see, supposing the Opposition are successful, but a dissolution. If the Government succeed in obtaining a majority, the case, would be different Their position in all .fairness would be secured to'them. Such a result would show the futility of Opposition, and a further trial of strength on the part of the Opposition might be justly stigmatised as. factious. But how, if the Government are beaten, would a combination Ministry of members of the late Government and leading men of the middle party be acceptable to the House or to the Country 1 We believe not. It is impossible to form *a strong Ministry in the present state of the' Assembly. As we have said efore, the present House has served the purpose for which it "was elected, and was really fundus officio when it had once settled the question of abolition. I On" that question alone were c<mdi-! dates chosen at the late general election. Scarce another subject was mooted on the hustings. The cries were simply Abolition on the one side, Provincialism on the other. All other matters were merged iu the great question of constitutional reform then agitating the colony. The remedy lor this present state of things is a dissolution, and if Sir George Grey is beaten in the coming struggle, it is hard to see on what grounds the Governor can refuse it. Our Wellington special correspondent yesteiday says that a dissolution is not at all pro bable until the representation is re adjusted, which canuot be done this session. Here are two postulates which we cannot grant. The representation was readjusted in the session of 1875, only two years ago, and there has been no such remarkable displacement of the balance of population as to render a general eleciion now a less fair representaj tiou of the Colony than it was a | year and a-half ago. Nor, again, I if readjustment be necessary, can, it,

be a work of such uvagnibude tlmt it cannot be undertaken even at the fag end of the session. It would nob be the first time that it had been the. .work of the last week. sut whs|bev the representation is first readjusted or .not, jbjhe only practical soldffbn to the present parliamentary deaMbck 'wlfitP'be found in an appeal to the th.ejspresen||Oovernrflent -would' receive the commendation 6f their constituents and be returned to the new House there is not the slightest doubt, and .the constituencies when appealed to would either condemn or or endorse' their policy, and show their,,,confidence or want of confidence in them by the choice of representatives. We should have a House elected on certain definite questions of magnitude which are agitating the: public mind at the. present moment, and which are not represented in the present Assembly, and whether'they were of Paul or whether of Apollos, we should have a strong and united, party in the House, pledged to the execution of practical w6rk, r of which the,last two sessions have been barren. What the Colony needs are the measures, let the men be who they may Since the above was iu type, we hove received the telegram of our special.. correspondent, giving an account of yesterday's' Opposition Caucus, from which we gather that their prospects are far from being so brilliant as previously predicted, and that if successful in ousting the Government, it will be a bare majority. The unwilli igness to take office by any one of the members of ♦he late Ministry mentioned, and the choice of Major. Atkinson as leader cannot bub damage the chauces Opposition. The real power lies with the mid lie party represented by the names of those mentioned as having fled to the 'Cave,, and these adullamites seem as little satisfied with the Opposition as with ihe Government party.