POLITICAL NEWS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1893, 23 August 1884, Page 2

POLITICAL NEWS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL COHRESrOKI)r,NT.J Mr Thomson's Failure. Wellington, Friday Night. Thk political faice is still being played, and nobody knows when the curtain will descend that is to end eveiything in the orthodov manner. It was generally antiuijjitcd that Mr Thomson's etfoits to iom, an administration would result in duuistious failuie, and, notwithstanding his> assiuanco tome last night that lie had every hmwiii to hope he would in a position to meet the House on Tuesday with a new innu->-Lry, this prediction has been exactly fulfilled. Mr Thompson has been uncommonly busy all day with the \iew <>f getting a woikablo team togethei. }le •sounded Mr Ormond on the subject, but the member for Napier very wisely lefu^cd at once to give him any assistance. Hr then •sought the advice both of Major Atkinson and Sir George Grey, and met with no suppoit from either. It appears Mr Wakefield and Mr Gillies were quite w.lhng to act with Mr Thomson, but tho difficulty was to obtain other suitable colleagues w ho would woik with such a shifty politician an Mr W.ikefield. Poor Mr Thornton was eventually compelled to abandon the t.ihk in despair and to inform his Excellency that he must seek other advice.

The Next Move. It has not transpired who is to be the next " Cabinet-maker." Sir Geo, Gioy will probably be asked to wait on the U<>vernor, but it is very doubtful if Sir ( Jeoige will even attempt to form a Government m the pre-sent state of pai ties, and especially after the desertion of three of his "Id colleagues to Sir Julius Vogel, At the suno time, if he does not make the attempt he will perforce have to abdicate the position of Liberal leader in the House, which lie i^> not likely to do without a stiuggle..

Sir George Grey's Prospects. Should Sir George ever succeed in geltmp a Ministry together it will probably not exist longer than the last one, as a -vote of no-confidence at the earliest possible moment would be a matter of ceitamty. The only outcome of the piesent cu-is i-> undoubtedly an amalgamation of paitios under Major Atkinson, who btill has the laigest following in the House, and with new colleagues he would at once lccene a good n'oilung majority.

Mr Ormond. Mr Orniond's position at present is a ])roud but somewhat embanasing one. ]lv is continually being preyed totalce office- by the most prominent men in the House, and is asMiied of large support if he convents t<i form a party, being geneially leg.uded as one of the safest and most able statesmen in the country. At the same time it is evident that the majority of the piesont Hou.-e. ,ue m favour of the propeity-ta\, it is well knowu that Mi Ouiioud is, ji strong advocate of a land and income t,v\. Such a, t.vx, in fact, was, one of the chief featiueh of his programme at the List election, and also when he formeily had a beat in the Houmb. It is, thciefoie, haidlv to be expected that a gentlem.ui of Mi Ormoud's standing in the House and the country could suboidmate Ins opuuou on such an impmtant question of i)oluy fi>i the pin pose of leading a party who held altogether different views on the taxation question.

The Post on the Situation. The Post to-night points out a so, now li.it remaikable f.ict, n.unelv, th.it until Mr Stout assumed office Otago had nuxoi fmnUhcrl the colony with a Pienuei. Ktill moie lemarkable is it that the hist Otago Pi enuei should be the mn&t sluut-livcd of the iace, and that he shuuld h.nc owed his defeat to the votes ot Otago uuMubei-. Eleven of these voted against the Mniisti y on the no-conhdencc amcndiaent. Tlu'se eleven, however, not only voted .in.mist an Otago Pienner, but they actually aNo \oted against a Ministry of which Mi Macandvcw was a member. A few ve.u-> ago such a vote could have meant oaily political extinction to those who \cntun i d to gi\e it. E\idently the name of Mi Mac.indiew has now, even in Otago. ciM^eil to be one to conjure by as it used to ho, and the Otago mtMiibeis sue now actuaU d I>\ some otliei, let us hope a Inglici nioh\i> that nieie local and provincial icilurjr. \ few ye.u.s ago sucli a Ministiy as tliat in I tinned out would ha\o been eutiioly to tinmind of Otago, and would hau 1 iccLi\od an almost unanimous buppoit 111 that n.u t of the colony.