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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2981, 14 January 1881, Page 2

In a previous article we referred to Mr Bryce's resignation as the result of His Excellency's interference with the native policy of the Ministry. That policy, though conciliatory, was firm, and could be in no way consistent with the action of Ministers in advising the Governor to invite Te Whiti to a personal interview. The inconsistency apparent in Ministers' memorandum to His Excellency is, however, capable of being explained, and we think we can show that there was nothing in the course adopted opposed to the policy of the Government as a whole. In the first place it is necessary to our argument to suppose that the proposal for the settlement ot the West Coast troubles by personal agreement between the Governor and Te Whiti emanated from His Excellency. If such were the case, it would follow that, if Ministers refused their sanction to the proposal of the Governor, their only course would have been to have resigned in a body. To obviate this they gave their consent, and made it appear by their memorandum that the proposal came from them. Had they acted differently their resignation would have necessarily followed, and the door would have been left open for the Governor to have sent for his old friend Sir George Grey to have formed a Ministry. Sir George Grey would undoubtedly have gladly availed himself of such a golden opportunity to form an Administration untrammelled by pledges to either Parliament or people, and perfectly free to conduct public affairs as he best pleased. It would then rest with him as to the time when Parliament should be called together, and as tbe Governor's responsibility would cease as soon as he had responsible advisers, Sir George would have been perfectly happy to wait for the verdict of the country, content with the power he could exercise before tbe verdict could be given. Prom what be did when he was last in office we should infer that he would not hesitate to incur the heaviest responsibility with the lightest of hearts. No doubt his first action would have been to overthrow everything the present Government have done. This misfortune, as we have shown, has been obviated by the course taken by Ministers, but it required the resignation of Mr Bryce as a protest to His Excellency's action. The Native Minister was the proper member of the Cabinet to resign, because it was with his department that interference had been made. If His Excellency bad any desire or intention to call Sir George Grey into office his wishes have been frustrated. The personal friendship existing between the Governor and Sir George may yet, however, lead to complications of the nature of which we dare not even surmise.