The Daily Telegraph WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3097, 1 June 1881, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 1881.

The vacant portfolio of Minister of Public Works cannot easily be disposed of, but should Mr J. C. Richmond be elected for Nelson there can be no doubt that it could not be placed in better hands. Mr Richmond, says the Dunedin Star, was well known in politics some few years ago, anil held a seat more than once in the Cabinet. From June, 1865, to October 16th of the same year, he was Colonial Secretary in the Weld Ministry. In May, 1867, he joiued Mr Stafford as Native Minister, aud administered that responsible office throughout tbe troublesome times when Native war was raging on both coasts under the able conduct of Te Kooti and Tito Kowaru respectively. In June, 1869, the Stafford Ministry were defeated by Mr Fox. Mr Richmond of course vacated office, but remained in the House until the dissolution of the Parliament in 1871, soon after which he proceeded to Europe, and has only very recently returned. As a gentleman of very conspicuous ability, capable of any amount of hard work, and conscientious we might alooost say to a fault, Mr Richmond would be a gain to any Ministry ; f-nd it would indeed be a striking example of the r'rony of fate if he should be called on as Minister of Public Works to aid in setting right the remn&ijt of those evils which, in 1870,

he predicted would result from the Immigration and Public Works scheme unless the then Ministry had sufficient backbone to insist on the original provisions against log-rolling being given effect to by legislation. It is now a matter of history how point after point had to be abandoned, until year after year the Railway Act of the session was the embodiment rather of successful tactics than of deliberate sagacious appropriation of the borrowed millions There if, however, in connection with Mr Richmond, another side to the question. As Native Minister he was exceptionally unfortunate, and consequently very unpopular throughout the country, especially in this North Island. This was certainly many years ago, but it is astonishing how political prejudices survive ; and there are even now among influential supporters of the Government men who in bygone days stigmatised the Native Minister of the Stafford Administration in such terms that, if sincere in their utterances, theycau hardly consider that time has condoned such errors of commission and omission.