STAFFORD THE DICTATOR.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3057, 14 May 1867, Page 5

STAFFORD THE DICTATOR.

One would almost imagine lie was living in Paraguay when reading the following notice in the New Zealand Gazette: — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, May 7, 1867. Notici. — All persons in the service of the Government of New Zealand are hereby expressly warned not to give information relating to official matters to 1 anyone out of the strict course of official duty, directly or indirectly, without the express sanction of a responsible Minister; and no officer shall make any communication, directly or indirectly, to the Press, upon any matter affecting the department in which he serves, or the business or the officers thereof, or relating to the public service, or to his own official position or acts, or upon any political subject connected with New Zealand, without the express permission or authority of snch Minister. Every violation of this regulation will be visited by dismissal from the public service, or such other penalty as |the circumstances of the case may demand. E. W. Stafford. If Mr. E. W. Stafford would issue another notice in the Oazette, and let the colony know what the fuss is all about, perhaps the Press and the public might conclude that he has not made a superlative fool of himself. But until he does so, they will be inclined to set this notice down to the apparent cause, namely, a disposition to exercise a little brief authority in a petty and tyrannical spirit. There can be no mistaking the author of the notice. It is Mr. Stafford's own composition. It bears internal evidence of its authorship, and indeed there is no «übordinate clerk in the Government service who would " compose anything so execrably bad in taste and style. Of course the " civil servants " must submit to be gagged ; but we can tell Mr. E. W. Stafford, and his not over-scrupulous colleagues, that they will not be allowed to gag the Press. No doubt it would suit their book exactly to keep everything connected with public affairs out of the newspapers. There woulJl be pleasant days for Wellington and Centralisation if that could be done. Jobbery and Corruption would embrace each other ; but the spirit of the colony is against it. Mr. Stafford ought to remember who and what he is. Let him reflect for a moment on the consequences that would follow were Ministers made responsible in fact, and not in name, for their official acts. A little wholesome reflection of this kind might do him good, and save him from making himself a laughingstock to the colony hereafter, for we can assure him that, so far as we are concerned, we are not in the slightest degree alarmed by his absurdly impossible and offensive " notice" to the " noble army" lie has at present the distinguished honour to command. Mr. Stafford has driven Otago to the verge of rebellion. If he does not take care, Otago will not be alone in her resistance to the offensive exercise of authority by the Government.