The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXI, Issue 2501, 26 July 1865, Page 4

The Daily Southern Cross.

LUOEO, NON URO. " If I havo bttn extinguished, ytt thtrt rilt A thouiand bttcont from tht ipark I bort."

WEDNESDAY, JULY 26.

The rumour of a Ministerial resignation has been current in tho Empire City of late, as wo learn from our recent advices from Wellington, and the rumour Avas so prevalent that it required an all but official contradiction. It required nothing of tho sort here, however, as no one in tho North could conceive any circumstances that would compel Mr. Wold and his colleagues to resign their much-loved places. Tho rumour was that the Government had quarrelled with Sir George Grey about the removal of the troops, and this, while, strangely enough, it seems to have added weight to the impression thoro, would have been at once enough to destroy it utterly here. Tho idea of tho Weld Ministry making a stand upon a question of principle would appear so utterly Avild herethatany ono who ventured to propound such a notion, would inevitably bo laughed at. Thoro is no doubt at all that the Ministerial organs spoke tho simple truth when they said there was not tho slightest ground for tho rumour. Of course thoro was not. Why should Mr. Weld resign because the Governor did not wish to send homo the troops? It is true that he bound himself to resign directly there was any disagreement between himself and Sir George Grey on any matter of principle. This, however, is no barrier, as may readily be demonstrated. Did not Sir George's views and his own clash from tho very first, and has he not kept office still ? If tho question is asked, why is this ? the answer is simple : no question of principle was involved. How indeed could it bo ? The only possible infringement of a principle would bo in resigning, as tho only recognisable principle of tho Weld Government lies in clinging to office as long as possible. Like tho American statesmen, immortalised by the pen of Hosea Biglow, wo may safely say of tho Wold Government— A merciful Providence fashioned them holler, O' purpose that they might their principles swallov. If the Weld Government ever had any particular principles to boast of, we may pretty safely tako it for granted that they soon discovered Lho meaning of tho Providential arrangement referred to by the satirist quoted above. It is, of course, an opeu question how far the Weld Government wished for tho removal of the troops from the colony, and how far it was only an excuse for delay in coming to any agreement about tho force that must, in any case, remain in tho colony. For our own part, we are not at all inclined to accuse Mr. Weld of ever having had any impressions which might, on occasion, pass for principles. It seems probable that, next to his chief principle, which clearly was the getting office, ho had a niunber of floating ideas which wore conveniently subject to modification according to circumstances. The celebrated resolutions brought forward with so great a flourish of trumpets in tho House were a fair instance of tho sore of thing that wo mean. At first sight people really imagined they contained a principle, and some wero rejoiced whilo others wero alarmed at its tendency. Tho moment, however, opposition seemed to grow serious, it became evident that tho soul supposed to animato those resolutions was wanting. In point of fact they were swallowed whole, aud apparently without any effort. But it may be said that we wrong Mr. Weld, who is beyond all question "an honourable "man," in thus saying that he has no principles, when wo should rather confess that they | j are beyond our limited capacity to understand. And this may bo true. Wo cortainly do not comprehend Mr. Weld's ideas or principles, and we can conceive it just possiblo that something may exist — in a vory safe corner however — whioh would induce him to resign. Ifc is not, however, wo may bo sure, upon any such trifle as the removal of the troop's that this will happen. Far from ifc. While tho troops stay they benefit Wellington in a very marked manner, arid they also put off the evil day when the paper scheme made up for the amusempnt of the homo authorities has either to be put in practice or abandoned once for all. The people of Wellington are greatly in favour of the Weld Government, it is true, but tb,oy are also hot a little in favour of their own interests, and those would not bo forwarded— so we may bo sure Mr. Weld has a lurking suspicion—

4hemosfepsirfc,i^^ in.the, North': !We^j&6yernmTni/,,wngHt^ we,, feel ' s sure! Tferf asf ixo^ath.-^|n i t' i the statement jtUat tkey-tfave' resigned'; dW°is there' tHe smallest- 'probability <, foeir doing io/watil'they cannot^'help ii.'' IWHen1 WHen that .wttlbe is a very difficult' v}uestipn. /, f ~O'ai 'own. 1 , idea is that, unless by^somo strange accident, they .will tide over the present session,in which theyh' ave, by many would-be ounning dodges^ so strengthened their positional to render .it the direct interest of a considerable proportion of- the House that they Bliould retain office. True, the dodges have beon of a contemptible kind, but this does not prevent their proving temporarily successful, uontempt does not orush at once, although in the end it is certain to do so. The principles of Sir George Grey and of his Ministers, we are told, are in perfect agreement, and weshould have < felt quite inclined to believe it without any strong assertions on' their part, or on that of their admirers. Mr. Weld has shown us as yet no principle in his aotion 5 what he may have in store vre cannot say, but wo may expect soon to hear. Mr. Weld means, we are informed, to stand or fall by tho principles enumerated in last session of tho Assembly. What were these ? it may bo aslced. ' The only answer we can think of is that they were all embodied in the desire to seize and retain office at any price and on any torms. No doubt he will still maintain these. If tho Government has other principles, we, in common with the colony in general, shall be glad to see something of them: as yotthey are but " cloistered virtues," or it may bo the Government goes the whole length of Hosea Biglow's creed, "and believes that— Nothing is so sure' Ez that principle kind of gets spiled by exposure.