Evening Post. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1801. LORD ONSLOW'S DEPARTURE

Evening Post, Volume XLII, Issue 129, 27 November 1891, Page 2

Evening Post. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1801. LORD ONSLOW'S DEPARTURE

It showed a lartie»W v -ran, ol Uct on the Minor's -iifirf to briug forward a motion yejrrctttHfr tord OxsLOw'srcbignation nithout first a:-certaiiiing whether it was likely to prove aeceptablo to tho Council. The only value of an oxpression of opinion of tlic kind from a public body liea in its being spontaneous and unanimous. Lord Onslow is not likely to feel particularly grateful for a resolution of regrot at Ms departure arrived at uftor ouch a disciibsion as took place in tho City Council last night. Hja Worship < he Mayor tan scarcely Iw vp b'yen TiriaNvare Of -tho strong Ycolvnfcl on t)w bubjeet entertainetl'hy some <of tho Councillors and we "re-grot for mahy reasons that he should Kayo given oooasion for tlio exprobwnn vjf their objections. Wo have already stated that we do not think tho oolouy hab any reason to regret Lord QnsLow's retiremont from the position of Governor, and if tho real opinion of tho peoplo of New Zealand ocmld bo arrived at, we boliovp It wouM bo overwhelmingly on tho <*in» moV, V>nWn very different grounds firom.th'o wreVcileWy narrow local roftSota *JivhfteW W- 5* o U c of the City Counoilloi's Iftst nigfct. wUli taeso wo have no sy&flafKy, nor do wo think that ttitfy will fcomtnaftd the approv'aLof tliqVjtl»o^* b: VVoHrngton generally That jJWy Onslow nhdald haVe McWe ptojudiced against the building H(l >6lly in which bho rightly or Wrqn<rlj uelieves her son Lord Cjoanley the disease which so nearly cost him his life, is simply a pieco of feminine unreason, which it would be absurd to rosent seriously. It is by no means certain that tho disease was QoutT^^tud in Wellington, and it i« PoVfa'n that ne might just as flnsijy fra\& b'qci infected in any other rf "ujd-^Oitios, fpr u'nfprtunatoly mwa'd* XWSi enjoy imnjuriity from, tho fell Bobnrge of typhoid. With rWaWI to Lord On&l'oW'b f reqtibut (ITxmViVc Trom the seat of GbtfornmoM?, w> #6 iiot think the citizens 'SfOneraVly {are Very .much whether tho vivwrnor is here or not, so lon^c qr ho 'per--forms his official dntioy ea.tii*Tac{,or&y, 'Wo GoWrior, ho'lvn whotio';)'jy' ¥ TRiiy 'Sc moans so run aftqr'D? '(;">•''" V.rf-'h o£ in Wollington as i/i ptnuV rlioea, nud even heforo Parliaraent- 'v its wisdom reduced the salary attached to tho office, r.nd practically invited the appoiutinont of a Governor who would set the colony an example bi economy and how to livo within Our moans', wo do not think the trade and business! of WpLUiigloh has ovnr bo'nofited. vory f largely by Government ripnse,>xpend'tui.o. Certainly L6f? (i jp%pL<>«-'s 'presenco or ab&enco at.ffovc'r'f Kioiit House has not made jnnQh'ftiffe'roncO. Wellington is not by any tttauß SO jealous of the Governpr visiting Other places as thosoplaocsseem to imagine. We liavo alwa,y* maintained it to bo tho diit^ of Her Majesty's lteprosontativo to beWmfc ' ftequainted with all parta of t!« OfllOfly under his rule, and to mnWv lengthened visit 1 ! from j timo to time to all thecliicf fcenfrek Tn this ' we are convinced wo liavo'fw^hWLv WptewiWtlft ypp of 'tho"snl»WtaatB of Wel15^'gloin^ w7io naro Uo Selfish dosirc to claim 'a WAftoJiDly of his Excellency's presence when official duties do not doroand it. As the Governor always rocoivos more attention in places whoro he is only fin occasional visitor, tUnn whew* U« r6- ! sidos for tho greatar portion *l Ms tim^, and as. ~WoHiiigt 0 u \wonie gen'oraSh- a\' O rat item adapts in the fctf, 't*f. toiiftyin**', Wo |«>JV WSily imagtrin^y '^Vornor , finding drcasionalVißitlj to 'ct^r places refreshing' 'and OHjfayablej yery borry to! 'gifhd^o nny^oymont to be so derived. The; legitimate reasons which mitigate or remove ' the causes of rogrot for Lord ONSr,o\v"s {[«. parture are of a political andffeMeral charac ter. The " new degßrt;«* '* in tho class and charactor of Cc4omal Governors, which he has annouwe'S as tho policy of tho Sai.jreuby Ministry, and of which ho in himself, ha bays, one of the firbt oianiples, is not one which commends it.io!f to the" anproval of a colony such an this, cither in its principle pc in tho oxperionco ho has affordpd of It Wfe cannot forgot what we aohsld'e^ tlift \&.y impropor manuor in wllich Lor.l <3>£ei£>\v acted in rolorence to theftpflointHlents to the Logislativo Council atto? the kst g'oneral olection, action Vbichtndood his own ohiof, L6rd Knuts^oSD found iiothißg to e6i«mond in' Tho laannor in which tho Gi6vnjTo)- i-nceived the temonstrancpg of tho t^aiority of the! Houso 'of Eopro^enVntiVeJi was it will be' tememVered, bo that a direct voto'of^en'Sufo would most certainly have beVm 'passed upon him by tho House had tho forms of Parliament permitted it. His wholo action in the only constitutional difficulty which has arisen during his term of office was such as to afford cause for thankfulness that ho will not bo oallcd on to (teal with tho still moro «erioUßCOnstituti6flal difficulties which arc pretty tiartain to -arise in the near fnture. Then, again, ospeptlon lihk had to bp most property tafce'n to the manner in which His JlfcelVnp.^ Uu the famous Unwyn* ■"^r«l«i&n, addressed the natives, ttfei'ij- ignoring tho position of tho Colonial Government, and convoying to the native mind a miscliievons impression of tho possibility of Imperial interference through tho Governor between them and tho Parliament and Ministry of New Zealand. Tliero is another matter in conneption with Lord Onslow'B relations towards tho natives to whioh we think strong exception shoiild bo j taken, and that is hi* receipt '6f virtual^ | <?ifts from them of -mats, m'pref &*. thdian a'dminißtratdrs a¥o V^rtldddn to receive valua:bloTinto'v<» unless an equivalent ia giyrt i"H "return, and Her Majesty hersblfs, »ft a nilo, declines fo recoive gifts femrt hat snbjocts. The number and valuo of such gifts accumulated by Lord Onslow in his various tours in nativo districts and &t his lato visit to Otaki has been pointedly roforred to by a northoru contemporary, and tho photographs and oMer iriflos given in roturn can soarc^ly bo regarded as an equivalont. Thfl 'Aatives under excitement are vosy yohorous in giving, but amongst thomsSlVos always expect a quul pro quo. It is not dosirablo that indiscriminate {,'cnerosity towards any Europeans should bo encouraged. We have alroady said sufficient to show why Lord Onslqw'b approaching departure is not so gonorally and g'enrtiftoiy regretted as would otherwise be tV. vnw. It is not necossary to onlsri-e further on tho subjoct. Many of t*e and social good qualities x*f and Lady Onslow will probably fo* pleasantly remembered by tho p*cVlo tf this colony long after any mistakes r>r shortcomings connected with his public conduct have boon forgotton and their offects havo passod away.