Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1869. THE INWARD MAILS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 654, 8 February 1869, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1869. THE INWARD MAILS.

The news brought by the mails from England this month is of much more than ordinary interest. The general election pending at the time of the last month's mails had been accomplished, and the result was a success to the Liberal party, represented by Mr Gladstone, far beyond their most sanguine expectations, in the return of a majority which rendered Go\ eminent by a Conservative Ministry almost out out of the question. Accordingly, as soon as the state of parties in the new House of Commons was known, Mr Disraeli resigned, and Mr Gladstone was sent for. He accepted office, and constructed a cabinet. The new parliament will meet for active business about the middle of the present month. The next session of the British parliament will doubtless be one of the most important that has ever been held. It will give full scope to the energies of a large class of new legislators, and there can be no question of the direction that will be pursued. The parliament is in fact elected to effect changes of which the disestablishment of the Irish church is but the type. That question itself was made the touchstone of party, and Mr Gladstone's majority of over a hundred voices have been specially sent to carry it out. It was on that special question that Mr Disraeli appealed to the new constituencies, and it is the decision of the country against him which has caused

him to give up the seals of office, and remove with his party to the opposition benches; and whatever else mayor not become law during the session it may be allowed that the protestant church of Ireland will cease to be a state establishment. Other measures are plainly enough foreshadowed, such as the ballot, and an extension of the principle of (to use a familiar term) local self government; but it is on the Irish church question that the great battle of parties will be fought. That gained, we believe that the day of conservative ascendancy has come to an end.

There can be no doubt that the battle will be hard and sharp. Mr Disraeli, in changing his position, has doubtless gained an advantage. The new Ministry must construct a policy, and though it was easy enough to join in the cry for Disestablishment, it will be quite another thing to agree about the details of a measure that shall be just what will satisfy all sections of the Liberal party. During the debates that must arise on the manner in which the question must be settled, Mr Disraeli will meet with many an opportunity for the exercise of his skill —and it may be that he is in hopes of being able to defeat the new Government on the measure it shall bring forward, re-occupy his old position, and then settle the matter in his own way. We do not think that this is likely to happen, but it is quite possible that he does.

THE TIMES ON NEW ZEALAND AFFAIRS. We give in another place a long article on New Zealand affairs from the Times. It is important that the people of this Colony should know what they are thought of in England, and the Times is pretty well known to reflect public opinion. The writer, following in the wake of most of the Colonial newspapers, is severe on the Government in the matter of the escaped prisoners, and in its neglect in not providing a sufficient force to keep the Maoris in check. It is also very hard on the subject of the first defeat of our men on the "West Coast, It places one particular point in its true light, and that is the duty of the Europeans who have made ISTew Zealand then* home to govern the country—a duty that has been but indifferently performed, as the fact of the existence of such an institution as a Maori " King " sufficient!}' shows. It also acknowledges their obligation to " sternly and speedily " repress the resistance of the Maori to constituted authority, and indicates the necessity of a very different policy to that hitherto pursued towards the race.

Napier Militia.—The following appear among a list ot promotions and appointments in the New Zealand Gazette; —Edward L. Green to be Major, date of commission Ist October, 1868; Ensign Alexander St. Clair Inglis to be Lieutenant, date of commission 6th January, 1869 ; Ensign Charles Cotton Lambert to be Lieutenant, date of commission 7th January, 1869.

The West Coast. —Late on the evening of Thursday last we received a telegram containing news of Col. Whitmore's success on the "West Coast, so far as that he had driven Titokowaru out of his position and was in pursuit of the fugitives. Our contemporary of Saturday supplemented this with the further news that the Colonial Forces had been attacked by the enemy while in the act of destioying a pa, and suffered a loss of 3 Europeans and 1 native killed, and 9 wounded —five Hauhaus being ha turn killed by our fire. We have, strangely enough, received no intelligence of this affair from our Wellington correspondent.