MINISTERIAL POLICY.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1919, 30 June 1869, Page 3

MINISTERIAL POLICY.

(From the Daily Times Telegrams.)

Mr Fox made a Ministerial Statement to-day. He expressed a confident hope of being able to fill np the offices still vacant. The Government, he said, had been dismayed on discovering the extensive nature of the military operations on winch the colony embarked, and their enormous cost. The war policy of the Government would be to reduce the present force considerably, and abandon all aggressive operations. They would not turn their backs on the enemy, but act on the defensive. No territory would be prematurely abandoned, although some out-settlements might be for a time. The cardinal point of their policy would ho the obtaining of Imperial asiistance in men. They would retain the 18th Regiment by paying for them, and would ask for another specially enlisted and officered for service in the colony. They did not yet know how matters stood financially. If a War Loan proved to be necessary, it should be borne be the Colony as a whole, but if a loan were necessary merely to open up the North Island, by making roads through it, it should bo borne solely by the North Island. The colony, as a -whole, would have to pledge its credit, hut an Imperial Act would be sought to settle the liability between the Islands. The Government would discourage any organic constitutional change being being made without an appeal to the country. They would cordially assist the provinces to fulfil their functions, but if any of them were unable to stand alone, the Government would have to ask the House to assist them in devising means to rescue such provinces from their position. The rebel prisoners would he vigorously dealt with, and, if necessary, an Act would he introduced to constitute simple and vigorous tribunals to deal with such cases.