The Lyttelton Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1871.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3148, 14 February 1871, Page 2

The Lyttelton Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1871.

Me Dillon Hell’s return for Matnura, by a large majority, completes the list of the members of the Ministry, who have all, now safely mu the gauntlet of election. As far as we can at present judge, not only will the ministerial Pencil be much stronger than it was 1a,,, .-issiou—when the whole business, s native matters, fell upon Messrs t’.-x and Yogel—but the Goyernmeut i- likely tu have a good

working majority in the House. In Auckland, the seats are divided tolerably equally between the Ministerialists and the Opposition. In Wellington, • Napier, and Taranaki Ministers will to all appearance have a good majority, in the north and west of this island the ’ seats are about equally divided, in , Canterbury, there will be a majority ■ for Ministers, Mr Eolleaton standing a good chance of having the Cave all to himself—unless he shares it with Mr [ Wakefield —while in Otago, the Opposition will probably be the stronger . party, although as the southern elec--1 tions have turned upon a local cry, ' which will hardly be sustained in full force in the presence of the assembled House, it is possible that the opposition from that quarter may turn out to be less vigorous than it promises. From the returns already received, it is not premature to assume that the Government has passed the ordeal safely, and may depend on being able to carry out its policy with ease and security. A large _ majority of the public will concur iu considering this result a fit cause for congratulation. The battle that has been fought out over these elections has been the battle of progress versus obstruction, and progress has won the day. We may now live in a reasonable hope that New Zealand will ere long be lifted from the slough of despond into which she has been plunged by the force of circumstances and the incapacity of her former rulers. The sound, good sense of the public has recognised the wisdom and ability displayed by Ministers in the management of public affairs during the last two years, and rewarded them by refusing to listen to the evil suspicions and slanders that have been so liberally showered upon them and their policy. The public have steadily refused to look upon Ministers as a set of schemers, gambling with the public credit for their own particular advantage. On the contrary, they have manifested, in the most unmistakeable manner, the fullest confidence in their integrity and ability. They have endorsed the progressive policy of last session by returning each member of the Ministry, either without any opposition at all, or by a large majority, and afterwards by giving them a good working majority iu the Assembly. The result will be hailed with general satisfaction, because it will everywhere be felt that the colony has escaped the chance of suffering another prolonged period of “ death in life.” Once let Ministers feel that their views have received renewed public sanction, and we cannot doubt but that they will set to work to carry them out with fresh vigour. The task recently undertaken by Mr Vogel is understood to apply more especially to the final settlement of the terms of the San Francisco steam service with the contractors and with the United States Government. But we may be sure that 2Ar Vogel will lose no opportunity of forwarding the interests of the colony either in Washington or Loudon. It has been a fond idea of the Opposition to spread the report that Mr Vogel has gone home with a large fixed salary, never to return to the gaze of his deluded admirers—in a word, that he has realised the character so charmingly pourtrayed by Mr Cracroft Wilson under the soubriquet of Mr Smith. We are sorry to dispel so pleasing an illusion by the statement that Mr Vogel will undoubtedly be found in his place in the Assembly at the commencement of next'session, prepared to give a full and, we have no doubt, most satisfactory account of his stewardship. After all the gloomy predictions uttered by men like Mr Richmond, and the meaner and more wretched doubts and suspicions hinted at by others of the school of Eolleston, it is satisfactory to turn to the public expressions uttered a few days since by Mr Dillon Bell, the last ministerial arrival from the old world. Mr Bell reiterates the statement made by Dr Featherstou —that the credit of the colony is in a perfectly sound and healthy state, that there will be no difficulty in obtaining money to pay for immigration and public works, and that he has received numerous offers to construct railways aud other works, which will be placed in due time before the Assembly. The truth is now becoming manifest, that Mr Vogel’s anticipations were perfectly correct when he ventured the opinion that plenty of railway contractors would be found quite ready to construct our public works under the guarantee system. It cannot now be very long before the colony will reap the fruit of the labours of last session inthe renewal of a. healthy feeling of enterprise, and a revival of the spirit of hope which had well nigh died out of the colony*