THE PREMIER AND THE COLONIAL TREASURER.

Evening Star, Issue 5040, 30 April 1879, Page 1

THE PREMIER AND THE COLONIAL TREASURER.

Mrßallance indulges in the luxury of an organ all to himself —not Colonel Whitmore's charitable grinder, the 'New £ealander, but a special Ballance organ, the liivemng Chronicle'—and this chaste print was set to work to annihilate the Premier After several preliminary flourishes, the grand attack was made, during Sir George Greys absence at Kawau, in an article on the situation of Native affairs. In this sparkling brochure the Premier was denounced in so many words as a coward and a traitor, was accused of purposely hiding away m his island at a critical juncture in order to throw the onus of the position on his colleagues, and received a very broad hint that if he stayed at the Kawau altogether his colleauges would not break their hearts or find any difficulty in filling up his place. " Some good-natured friend " sent this article to Sir George Grey, and he was a little annoyed at it. He came, strange to say, at once to the conclusion that Mr Ballance had written it, and he set out for Wellington m anything but a ChristianJike frame of mind. When he arrived there he found the delinquent had fled, and-was making a show of "inquiring into the requirementa of a district where it is understood be intends to seek election when the time comes. The Premier soon had aim back, though, and then he gave him mauvaU quart dheure and no mistake. We are assured:that the gallant old knight warmed to his work most healthily, and; said every nasty, stinging, cutting, galling thing he could think of, concluding with a plain announcement of his determination not to retain Mr Ballance in the Cabinet a minute longer than was necessary. Our readers are aware that, though the Ministry hate one another like poison and abuse one another like pickpockets, yet no amount of disagreement will induce a single one of them to sever his connection with tna rest; and the idea of resigning probably never entered Mr Ballance's head. When he left the Premier's presence, like Artemas Ward in the "canawl bote," he was "sikand sorry he'd kum ;" but he never thought of resigning. The Premier, however, had made up his mind to get rid of him, and we believe that the pleasant creatures have never spoken to one another since. They have spoken about one another a good deal though, and the most splendid Btories are told of the Premier's sarcastic dissection of that low fellow, Ballance." The scheming for the expulsion of the Treasurer from the Cabinet was going on briskly up to the time of the Premier's departure for the North, but we have not heard whether any final decision was come to before he left. The intention, we are informed, is to advise the Governor to dismiss Mr Ballance, and this wa? cautiously ventilated in an article in the 'Lyttelton Times' a few days ago* when the right of the Premier to insist on

any member of the Cabinet whom he objects to being removed was solemnly discussed in general terms. The chief difficulty was the choice of a successor capable of managing the tangled business of the Treasury and calculated to strengthen the Ministry. A Canterbury man was...considered highly desirable, and it was seriously intended to invite a somewhat pronounced member of the Opposition to with Sir George Gi;ey. This idea was speedily abandoned, though, q'n, its -being ascertained that the member referred to had recently become more pronounced than ever, if possible, in his opposition to the Ministry. It was then suganother Canterbury man, who has taken no part in politics for some time p'ast, and who, though at one time opposed to the party now in power, is understood to be very pl;icably£«kJ3poseil: just now, should be offered Mr Balance's placa; in'the contingency of his getting a seat in the House. This plan, which was not thought .much.of, even by those who conceived it, has 'been received with, laughter 'and' amazement by etfery'Body else • and we'shaUrprqbably hear of some new move when the Premier returns to Wellington. ..In the meantime poor Mr Ballanoe's feelings must be about as enviable as those of poor Mr Luckie. They make, in faJfc, a very pretty pair. For our part, we confess that we have no more pity for one than, for the other. It would,, indeed, be only a _ charming instance of poetical justice" if Mr Ballance, who got- into office ,by his treachery to Major Atkinson, were to be turned out again through his treachery -to • Sir George Grey. We do not pretend, of course, to judge the quarrel between the Premier and .the Treasurer. Each, we chink, 1 has done : a li'ttle'injustice to tlie other. The article in, the \ Chronicle ' whs wrong, in so far as it called Sir George Grsy a r co\yard well as a traitor, shuffler,liar, etc..' He is ' not' a coward.: Sir George' Grey, on the other hand, was wrong in assuming that Mar Ballance wrote the article, or did, more than give somebody else the cue. We are certain he did not write it. We have seen plenty of his "writing, and we are convinced he' could not 1 write so well to save his soul. As,-there-fore, there has clearly been some little misunderstanding on both sides, we should like to use pur good offices, if possible, to bring about a reconciliation between these two eminent men.—' Timaru Herald.'