GENERAL CAMERON AND THE MINISTRY.

Press, Volume VII, Issue 830, 28 June 1865, Page 3

GENERAL CAMERON AND THE MINISTRY.

• We take the following from the Nelson Colonist of the 20th inst.:—

An unpretending little paragraph which i : appeared in our Australian news on Friday announced the arrival at Melbourne of the transport steamer Alexandra from New Zealand with special despatches from General Cameron to the Imperial Government, to be transmitted by the mail steamer Madras. Carey was a passenger by the Alexandra, but whether or not he is commissioned to be the bearer of the des- . patches to England we have no means of Knowing. The resolution of the General, as we learn from private sources, to send off special despatches after the departure of the mail arose '„ lathis wise : General Cameron, it appears, had censured the Government for the man- , ncr in which the war intheWanganui district was carried on, alleging that certain tribes who were neutral had been quarrelled and fought with (again on the " land question,") : because of the manner in which the road between "Wanganui and Taranaki was being carried through certain districts. "We i believe General Cameron is of opinion that the course pursued was not necessary; that * it was again raising the question of forcible land seizure, and thereby making enemies of p feribee or portions of tribes hitherto peaceable; that much of the fighting which has taken place in this region was unnecessary; ■* : iitat more land, to be got at the point of the ' sword, was again the basis of the Ministerial policy; and iihat in urging on that policy •'Ministers had been guilty of "a culpable disregard for the lives of British officers and men? This we believe is a mild narrative of the , opinion expressed several weeks ago by General Cameron. It called forth Mr. Weld's r celebrated memorandum, published early last j$ Jnonth in a Government and in i which Ministers declare it to be " impossible 4 JUmger to accept the assistance " of General *"" Cameron, now " so unwillingly rendered," and farther allege that they could not hope ""''that the Zealand energy which alone can secure success* or lead to any useful result in operations in the field wiil be displayed " *l>y General Cameron. Despatches still more strongly censuring :~"ihe-General were, we are given to understand, transmitted by the May mail to It is whispered that their con* tpite were unknown to General Cameron ? until after the mail had left Wellington; but -4» soon as he became acquainted with these he immediately penned a special despatch to theßritish War Minister, giving his version of — the-dispute, and sent off the steamer Alexandra, to overtake theEnglis mail at Mclwhich she succeeded in doing. It * is further said that General Cameron refused to'aHow either Sir George Grey or Mr. Weld tfreend a line by the Alexandra; so that his vindication, as written by himself and in his reply to the despatches of Ministers, will reach England .simultaneously with those despatches. ... ,/jKidently Mr. Weld*is somewhat alarmed at the possible issue df* this unseemly controTersy, which we fear will still further tend to lower the doings of Hew Zealand poKticiane. in the eyes of* the public of England. In order to be enabled to make personal explanations, we are informed that it is Mr. Weld's intention to leave for England by next mail* and as aprelude to his so doing fee has appointed Mr. James Crowe Bich- . sumd as Under-Secretary for the Colony. Tbe He&to* J3xami*ar, in its issue of the 22nd, contradicts the statements made in, the last paragraph of the above in the following terms :— A rumor has been circulated that Mr. J. C-Bichmond has received'the appointment of TTnder-Secretary for the Colony, but tins ie wholly » mistake. The office,of Undersecretary is a non-political one, and is at present filled by Mr. Gisborne, who has no intention, so far as we have heard, of resigning it Mr. Bichmond, as we stated on Taesday, goes to Wellington to join the Weld Ministry, and although we cannot name the office he will fill, it certainly will . not be the one above assigned to him. Another story to which has been given, is that Mr. Weld is about to proceed to England by the next mail —a tale as abeurd ac the other. To

suppose that Mr. Weld, even if he proposed going to England, would leave the colony before the commencement of the Session, or even before it was considerably advanced and his policy had received the full approval of Parliament, is simply ridiculous. Although nothing is likely to have been decided on the subject, we should not be surprised to hear, at the end of the Session, should Mr. Weld continue in office, that he is about to proceed to England to bring the real state of the colony before the Home Government, and we know of no person in New Zealand so well fitted for the task We shall be glad to hear, at the proper season, that Mr. Weld has consented to act as the representative of the colony, and we hope we may see joined with him some other able and influential man. Such men are needed for the task, to repair the mischief caused by Mr. Header Wood, and restore the prestige of other public men, which that gentleman must have completely destroyed.