The Globe. MONDAY, APRIL 21, 1879.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1612, 21 April 1879, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, APRIL 21, 1879.

Mr. Waterhouse has flattered the “ Lyttelton Times.” Amazed at its capacity for manufacturing falsehoods, ho has stated that its action makes him fear for the future of New Zealand. Our contemporary smiles and says it is something to have the destinies of the colony in one’s hands. The new sensation of having made anybody tremble, however momentarily, is delightful, even although the process involves the telling of a sea of untruths. What a magnificent future lies before the “ Lyttelton Times ! ’ It has, at last, found its mission. Now that it has thrown decency to the winds, it may explore sources of power that are completely closed to a more upright publication. It is not difficult to become an object of anxiety on such terms. An evildisposed child with a box of lucifer matches may inspire more fear and disquiet than many a grown up man. Let us examine for a minute the situation. The “ Lyttelton Times,” in a leading article of the 4th inst., published what it called “a delicious story,” which it stated had “ travelled leisurely” down from Wellington. It is not usual for delicious stories to travel leisurely by telegraph: but lot that pass. The “ delicious story,” as retailed by our contemporary, was a tissue of most extraordinary untruths. Mr. Waterhouse addressed to a Wellington journal a letter explaining plainly the real facts of the case. The “ Lyttelton Times,” on Friday last, publisod a second article, more barefaced than the last, inasmuch as it was xnoro

deliberate in its intention of misleading tlio public. Onr morning contemporary does not impugn tlie accuracy of Mr. Waterhouse's statement; it admits that the facts mentioned in its first article wore entirely false, but it shelters itself behind the assertion that it is not the business of a journal to see whether the stories it narrates are true or untrue, and, instead of apologising in a manly spirit for having made a mistake, it endeavours to shuttle out of a false position by sticking to the assertion that Mr. Waterhouse has boon plotting against the Government. Having made one series of absolutely false statements, it blunders deeper into the mud now that the real facts of the affair are well known to the world. The public have already passed their verdict on Colonel Whitmore’s action in using a telegram marked “ confidential, ” and which ho know was not intended for him. But the Colonels proceedings are not to be compared with those of the ‘‘ Lyttelton Times.” Ho moved in the matter on the spur of the moment, and has probably long since regretted that his instincts wore not sufficiently gentlemanly to prevent him from acting as ho did. But the “ Lyttelton Times” is not now acting on the spur of the moment. It is deliberately backing up what it knows to bo utterly false. It even still clings to that absurd word “ conspiracy,” when everybody now is aware that the intrigue alluded to by Mr. Waterhouse was one emanating from Sir George Grey himself. In any case why use the word “ conspiracy p” Are the present Government so sacred that a special name of discredit should bo used when alluding to those who wish to got rid of them ? Have they any divine right in their mismanagement of public affairs ? In the affair under review Mr. Hall gives Colonel Whitmore Ins ideas on a possible reconstruction of the latter’s Ministry, and ho is immediately dubbed “ a conspirator.” According to the “ Lyttelton Times” it must be a matter of the oxtremest difficulty not to be a conspirator. Anybody passing the merest opinion on any given subject is a conspirator: our contemporary itself, whenever it Hoods the markets with facts that exist only in its own fervid imagination is, according to its own definition, a doubly dyed eonpirator. No paper that was not on the verge of dotage would use fsueh an expression. On one point, however, we quite agree with the “ Lyttelton Times.” It is quite time that all this absurd nonsense should be put a stop to by the publication of Mr. Waterhouse’s telegram. Wo venture to predict that our contemporary will not find that the process improves matters from its point of view. What perhaps strikes the looker-on more than anything in this affair is the extraordinary panic into which Government circles appear to have been thrown. The very fact of Mr. Hall telegraphing about a possible Ministerial re-construction has thrown Government organs into a wonderful state of agitation. Perhaps its chronic state of internal discord renders the Cabinet peculiarly touchy, but, whatever the reason may bo, this little episode of the telegram has extravagantly frightened the members of the Government. The “ Lyttelton Times” continues twittering and bespattering itself with mud, and behaving in a manner both ridiculous and undignified. It appears completely thrown ‘.'of its balance by the simple fact of Mr. Hall telegraphing to one of the Ministry. What absurd nonsense all this is. Why do not the Ministry, instead of being so touchy about their ridiculous solves, see to governing the country properly ? The country does not want them to spend their time in fabricating false telegrams. They have been placed in their present places for far different objects. And yet they lose their heads over a little matter like a misdirected telegram. If this sort of thing goes on, they will really have to be put under restraint, A vote will have to be taken next session for an increase of asylum accommodation, with a view of providing fit quarters for Sir G. Grey’s Ministry, not forgetting a special sum for a padded cell for putting under proper restraint the presiding genius of the “ Lyttelton Times.”