POLITICAL NEWS. [BY TELEGRAPH.-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2037, 28 July 1885, Page 2

POLITICAL NEWS. [BY TELEGRAPH.-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

The Middle Party. Whi.r tN'«ro.\, Saturday. XoriMNC further has transpued as to the font.ntion i>{ the ''Middle I'.uty," but "•cveial meeting of tho promote) s have taken place. Some of the leading iiieinherH i)f the Opposition .\No meet p\eiy inorntnc to dweuss the position and to airango for the ni.innei in which the Go\eniiiient jncaHtirei arc to be treated.

How Long? There appears to be f.mt gaming ground an impression that Mnustei s \\ ill not be able to weather the htorin till the end of the misoiuii, as the utmost they can count on it about 37 votes, a laige uuinlur of «li<mi arc extremely dnnbtful. It is still uitnouied tli.it if the East .mil West Coast Railway piopo-als are foiced on tlic House without e\ce.shi\c inodihc.ition, a dnect no-conh-dence vote will be tabled by a Government supporter, and it would have eveiy chance of being carried. Should such an event happen, it is stated in well informed circle* that the Government would refuse a dissolution e\en if the Ministry applied for it, which is \cry improbable. A rumour is afloat that the Government are willing to make some concessions in the guarantee to be given by the colony, but nothing definite has leaked out as yet. The promoters of the new paity allege that they can lely on a much largei number than 15 votes from tho Government side, a- Ministeis' influence in tho House is daily becoming of a more Hlender nature. The latest report w that Mr Hislop, the member who &econded the Addross-m-Reply, has intimated to the Premier that owing to their financial and other proposals hr is compelled to withdraw his support fiom Ministers.

The 'Frisco Mail Service. Tho debato on the San Francisco aorvieo last night was on the whole of a \ery interesting nature, and the continuance of the nervice found more favour w ith the House than was altogetluM expected. There is no doubt that Mr Montgomery's amendment limiting the time to thiee ye.us had a good deal to do with the carrying of the icsolution. Ono of the chief argument* used for the San Francisco Ser\ ice, was. that if it weie abandoned the direct (•errice would secure too much of a monopoly, and another stiong point urged by several meiubets was that if war bioko out between England and Kus-i.i the San Fiaucisco .sei vice would piove of immense advantage. The resolution h.is of couise to come befoie the House again in its amended form, and luinour has it that more than one meinbci who voted for it last night will lefuse, to support the £30,000 subsidy when it comes on again. Lobby gossip says that Sn Julius Yogel's ieason for delaying the final passing of the lesoltition till Friday next is. m older to .seouie the votes of the Auckland members for the railway pioposals which -ire also set down for that day, the idea being that if they vote against the lailway scheme thu Treasiuei will drop tho 'Fiisco mail benieo subsidy even at its final ->tige.

The Mines' Statement. Mr LarnachV statement last night on tlie mines of the colony was a most amusing pioduction. The "statement occupied about an hour and a quaitei in deliveiy, and was foi the most pait simply .i diaiy of the Miuistci of Mines' torn thiough the West Coast. The lloiisp looked on silently, wondeiing wheie the "Mmisteiial Statement ' c<inie in, and it w.is only when Mr Larnach refened to the mtei views he bad held with the vaiious goldhelds member-, " who had lecened him most kindly and courteou-l\,"'etc., that menibeii showed any mteiest in the whole b<wnes-. There weie chceis .mil laughtei on ovuiy occision when the Mmistei lefened to the menibeii by name, and even his colleagues mi tho Treasiuy benches could not lefiain from simhiig at some of the exciting topics, as to the wealliei, <xc, that weie dealt with m the statement.

Gaming and LotteriesTho Legislative Council hive madn Heveial amendments in tho Gaining and Lotteries Act Amendment Bill. The bill will prevent any .-weeps, lottencs or consultations being ailvuitiscd in the colony, and renders liable to heavy penalties eveiy person who is in any way concerned in transactioiis of the kind. It legalises sweeps to an amount not exceeding tT>. The bill i-> to become law on the Ist of .Tanuaiy next. Wki.mvctov, Monday.

Position of the Government. Political matteis aie daily getting in a nioie complicated position, and as a conspquence of .such hopeless demoiahs.ition, the wildest linnouis aie m cuciilatiou. Fnstofall it was stated last night that Ministers would at length lejilv^e tin- f.vct that their influence ovei the House had vanished, and as they weie poweile-s to carry their measures, they wure doteimined to place their lesignation in the hands of his Excellency. The lumour was again put about this morning, but ou beiuy -iftod it was found to be a clevei little m-e, simply to haiden up the Government sup poitei-, who weie w.iveung in then allegiance. It was fuither iumouied this morning that, .is Mr Oimond bad at last consented to lead .in attack again-t Minister-, then d iy» weie nuuibeied, but thi^ was also pietuatuie, as Ms Ormond, although becoming more alive to the gravity of the situ ition, and the necessity of something being done to put the atfan ■> of tho colony on a better footing, has as jet made no sign.

An Unlikely Combination. I am in a position to state that efforts are being made to effect a coalition between Mr Ormoud, Mr .Stout, and Maj<n Atkiu- | son, but so far without success, as, the ditleience between the thiee leaders on questions of taxation and othei subjects are supposed to ht.iiid in the way of coalition. Such a combination would no doubt meet with stiong Mippoit, and command a good majority in the House. 1 heat on the other hand that omtures have been made to Capt. KushcH with a >i<;vv of .i-cei tuning whether, in cane of tho defeat of the Ministry, he would be willing to take office with Mr Montgomeiy and -omo of the pieHcnt Opposition, but without Majoi AtkinHon. A further repoit is tint Capt. Uussell was to be asked to move a vote of no confidence io^olution, the feeling being that the niouiber for Hawke's Kay would be .i most likely man to ciuy a motion of this kind. In the meantime Mr Daigaville, who is undeistood to have an eye to tho Colonial Tieasureiship of the next Ministry, is *,ud to be anxiou-ly striving to consolidate the Middle Paity, so as to be in a |h)sitn>n to take some combined action against Ministers. The East and West Coast Railway and the Government-

Wliate\er happen*, it is now umisidcicd almost impossible foi the (lovoinmeut t<i retain then seats, owing to the position in winch they aio placed o\ei the Kvit and We.st Coa,st Railway. It i~* fieely lepoited tli.it three of the Ministeis— Me- 'is Hal l.mcc, Tole and Lamach— will lesion if Sn JulniH Vogel insists im tieating it as «i patty question. This mattei, I understand, was fully discussed in Cabinet Uili uftel110011, but the lesult h.is not transpired. On tho other hand, if Ministeis icg.ud it as .in ordinary question, lr,u ing then supporteis fti-c t<» \oto ,i-> they eli'io^o, they will t<> a ceit.iinty cstiangc their Canteilniry supporters, who may be logardud a> the main piop of tlio Ministry. It is of course argued th.it as, .iftei all, it is simply a tciutorial matter only affoctintf one poitiou <>f the colony, it would he ahsmd to tii'at it as a Ministerial question. One thing is ceitain, that tho scheme meets with moie determined opposition the moic it is conHidrred. Lvtkk. Tho action of the (io\einniont ovei the Kast and Wost Coast Hallway is alienating so many uf their suppoitris that it is genoially behe\cd they will irsigii. Mr Oi iiiond has now foim.illy withdrawn his suppoit fioin Ministers. He wiote to the I'lemier to tho elfect that, although dissatisfied with several of their proposals, ho had been unwilling to sever his connection with the (t<>\ ci nment. Owing to the nature of the East and West Coast Railway scheme, however, he lnfoimed tho Pioimei that he could not possibly continue to suppoit tho (-ioveiiiinciit any longer, and wished to hold himself fiee to take .my action ho thought deaiwible. Mi Stout replied, regretting the decision Mi Ormond had come to, but hoped it would make no difference in their peiinnal feelings towaids each other. It is now absolutely correct that theie is a majority again«t the (Jovei nment on tho Kast and West C«a«t Railway question. Ministers to-day niade a concossiou which may influence some \otpsat the division. The concession is that instead of asking for the £!)7,000 guai antee, thoy will only stipulate foi £.'M),000 for tho twonty yearn. The principlfi, however, is the Hiuno, and it it quite on the cauls that the House may refimo thii amount as roadily as tho larger

one. The luinoiu th.it Mr Ormond has beon requested to takr the lenderhlnp of the Middle Party is not Mtuctly coriect. Some members of th« patty :i->ked him whether he would bo prepared to act with them in the event of a no-confidence motion being pioposed, hut nothing definite has as yet resulted from it.