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Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1016, 7 June 1878, Page 5

Thb Ministers of course are a happy family, and yet if words mean anything their ''opinions on the policy they have now definitely put forward are -very diverse indeed. It is no wonder then that we find journals professedly opposed to Sir Geohge Gbey's policy pointing out how utterly irreconcilable to every' principle Colonel Whitmobe has hitherto professed are the vital points of the Premier's policy. And yet Colonel Whitmobe is Colonial Secretary in Sir Geobge's Cabinet. The Canterbury "Press* therefore asks Colonel WmTMoaE to explain why "he remains in a Government with which it is impossible 1 that he can have , any thing in common. To show the inconsistency of the gallant "our contemporary says:— "On the Counties' Bill, ' Colonel Whitmobe said:—* The fact is that we are not to be allowed to vote by our qualifications as electors in regard to the matter which touches us most nearly — namely, the raising of money by loin. In the election of- the County Council a plurality of votes is allowed in proportion to the amount of property which electors hold. I should have thought that if there was one single occasion on which a, person should vote in respect to his property, and use a plural vote, it would be in just that particular case of the raising of loans. Yet in that case and in the election of County Chairman there, is to be no plurality of votes i at all . . Ido trust that the Council will go a little further and insert in the bill some clause allowing the owners of property a plurality of votes in proportion to the property they hold.' In the debate on the second reading of the Waste Lands Bill Colonel Whitmore show-d^himself, [if possible, even more directly antagonistic to the principles now announced as those upon which the' Ministry of which he is a member are determined to stand or fall. He said : — * There appears to be great impropriety, in the exercise of tbe franchise by persona who- are purchasers - on deferred payments. . . . . Ivthirik it would only be jndicious if we were to propose neat session— for this year perhaps we have , not time to go into the question— to di*

fran chise all persons who hold land under deferred payment. I believe, if we do not wish to be ultimately ruled by the Civil Service, and by the persons who hold land on deferred payment, and possihly hy minxes,* we ought to disfranoise the whole of these classes.' Next session found this would-be aristocrat, thus avowed oligarch and bitter enemy of popnlar rights, a member of the Ministry which parades itself as New Zealand's most liberal Government ! Here we have a fair specimen of the ~ real bane . of colonial politics.,; There is too often an absolute lack of sincerity of conviction in our public men. Colonel W_n_>_-o_ts is either the most cowardly and deceitful, or the most changeable and untrustworthy of politicians. His colleagues, by suffering a man, who so lately declared himself 'thus hostile to liberalism is a mere political varnish, laid on to catch the popular applause, to serve the purpose of a day, but of which they may be expected to -purge ? themselves whensoever it shall seem convenient,, or (Calculated to secure their retention of power. 11