THE PRESS AND THE SESSION. ("HAWKE,s BAY TIMES," APRIL 25.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3960, 2 May 1870, Page 5

THE PRESS AND THE SESSION. ("HAWKE,s BAY TIMES," APRIL 25.)

There is every hope that the Opposition will not try to make radical changes this session. If the f4oveviiment, as their organs state, lias not exceeded votes, and comes out decently from the trial of publicity which must at length be given to many of its proceedings hitherto concealed, there is a prospect that no attempt will be made to displace them. It is well known they are in a minority, and not by any means united among themselves. Indeed, it is said seveial are trying to make terms on their separate accounts with, their opponents. But all this will not caiifoe the Opposition to change its plans, and no coalition is possible. A dissolution is required, for leading men are too embitteied, and we want new blood. Out of the ordeal of an election, it is hoped by those who still care for the welfare of the colony, "we may attain a poweiful party which can depend upon holding office long enough to inataie and cairy out its plans. This seems to be the only reasonable chance of ovei coming the chionic character of the native difficulty.

("JIYWKE's V,X\ lIEEALP," APRIL 2G. ) To return to tlie Otayo Daily Time*, we are glad to notice that, in the issue of the 16th instant, that journal apologises for the incorrect statements it had pubhshed. Of course it would not do at once to admit the whole extent to which, it had been misled ; but it does as much as could leasonably be expected, and furnishes a " corrected estimate " of the forces foimerly stated to have been employed. When we say that the corrected estimate (though still most incorrect) names 2.400 men, in place of the 3,700 men of the oiigmal statement, we shall sufficiently indicate that the Daily Times is heartily ashamed of its correspondent, and that, after a lap.ye of a decent interval, it will probably avail itself of still further collections, and adopt a truthful statement m place of the inaccurate one it was led into publishing. The Otago article we now have under notice is amusing in the exhibition of entire ignorance it shows of the subject it is treating upon. For mstancc, liopata and the Ngatiporou are stated to have been on pay for the last eight or nine months, whereas everybody in the Noith Island knows that Itopata only enteied upon his woik &ome eight weeks ago. But we need not go further : the Otago Tnnc^ is evidently ashamed of tlie position it has been led into, and only seeks a decent excuse for withdrawing fiom an untenable position. A study of the tone of the Southern Pi ess shows that, in spile of continued attempts at misrepresentation, the present Government is exceedingly populai j this is convincingly shown wherever elections are taking place to Jill vacancies in the House of llepresentativeb. As an illustration, we have before us the speech of Mr. Cutten, a candidate for the represpntatioi) of the distiiet of Caversham, Otago ; judging from whose lemarks it w oulcl appear that he was labouring under the disadvantage of being a supposed suppoiter of Mr. Stafford's. This was evidently i unions to his chances of success, and he emphatically repudiates the connection. When its own reputed fiiends disclaim connection with a cause, that cause is homeless indeed. (\\ KLLTXCrON " ATJVKR'I ISKE, " APETL 23. ) There is a rumour that, in case of Fox's brcak-doM n, Stafford is to form a Ministry, but not to be a member of it. He is to marshall the forces, but not to charge at their head. A mask is to be worn over the alleged personal unpopularity of his countenance. It is said that Mr. Fitzherbert is to be Premier ; and that Colonel Wlntmore, the Hon. John Hall, and Mr. Stevens, of the "Cave," aie to hold office. This is, of course, only "political gossip" at present. ("NELSON COIONIST," APRIL 29.) A telegram gives an ample resume of the speech of the speech of the Hon. Mr. Fox, at Dunedin. It explains the progress and the present position of the Ministry. Mr. Stafford, the leader of the Opposition, lias also made a speech to his constituents at Timaru ; from which, and from the desponding tones of tlie Opposition journals, the conclusion is evident that the Fox Ministry will not be overturned during the coming session of the Assembly. ("NELSON EXAMINEE," APBIL 27.) One practical question which might have been raised, perhaps, at one time between England and this colony in relation to ouv present colonial troubles — that of a guai'antee of a loan, which it is said would cost England nothing — that question has probably been prejudiced already by our noisy wrong-headedness. If Ministers in England are capable of those large views of affairs which we set up for their gaze, may they not ask, even supposing their guarantee will cost them nothing, whether it may not cost us a very great deal in the end ? And may they not, having in view the best and permanent interests of the whole empire, ask whether they ought to be concerned, even to the extent of a costless guarantee, in obtaining a loan for us for "native" purposes? Such an opinion is entertained by sagacious colonists, and must at least obtain respect if it is held by statesmen at home. Our best argument with them, in short, as it is our only safeguard and hope in the long future, is to acquire and secure practical and economical government throughout the length and breadth of New Zealand ; not government which slavishly adopts phrases, and "demilitarises" us in the actual presence of a deadly foe \ipon whom we have but just learned how to make our spring, and which does this at the very time that it implores a far-distant peaceful community to be and continue "militarised" for our Bakes — probably no British rulers will detect any good economy in that — but government which, in a spirit of manly self-reliance, uses always the measures moat suitable to our circumstances and to our ends, without forgetting to pave a way for using better means and obtaining better ends hereafter. Such a Government as this we may expect, and we ahall have ere long, whenever we have fully made up our minds to rely on ourselves. And do not let anyone continue to imagine that the removal of another British anomaly from our path as a free community can be attended by any but beneficial results for us.