NEW ZEALAND GOVERNORS—PAST AND PRESENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 47, 7 February 1879, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND GOVERNORS— PAST AND PRESENT.

» (Prom the Melbourne Imperial Review.) Lord Normanby approaches the Governorship of Victoria at the moat critical time in Australian history. The democratic party has been irritated by rumours that Sir Hercules . Koblnson, Governor of New South Wales, -would be transferred to Victoria, and it was believed that lie had expressed himself in favor of crushing out Berryism with an iron heel. There would almost have been a ruction on his mere appearance. Another gentleman confidently spoken of was the DuVe of Buckingham and ChandoH, Governor of Madras, and from report he would have been too hard and fast. Lord Normanby is the best man that could be picked. Sir George Bowen is safe to obtain a peerage ultimately. He -would be a valuable accession to the Houso of Lords, and we claim a barony for him, on the precedent of Sir John Young, Lord Lisgar. Pir George Grey is a man we cannot account for, except on the hypothesis that he is utterly without scruple. Certainly he was a sensible aristocrat as a Governor, winning his victories by an imperial and regal line of conduct His success lay mainly in thnt he was rot afraid to act, and hit right out from the shoulder, on conviction and principle. He cored neither for Downing-street nor for the local clamors against him, which were mainly raised by the classes to which he now koo-toos. As a Governor, Sir George was a favorite with all people who grounded their ideas on abstract truth and justice, apart from any class interest. "We cannot give adequate reasons for the deadly animosity to the English Government which now burns within the frame of Sir George Grey. We believe it extends even to the English nation. He is as complete a rebel, to the backbone and spinal marrow, as there is in the colonies. Some of these days he will throw away his title, as Spurgeon did the tieverend. Taking Sir George as we find him, we would like to know whether or not he is engnged at this moment in the hopelesß task of undoing Voxel's work of the confederaiion of New Zealand, in the practical abolition of the provinces. As a provincial superintendent Sir George was Vogel's bitterest enemy. Grey, Stout, and Macandrow, the lights of the old conservative party, rule the roast in Kew Zealand to-day. The last named j has certainly been intriguing for the Separatist cause. Stout, we suppose, would not intrigue about anything. JTe and Sir George Grey ought to declare their frank acceptance of Vbgel's labors and triumph, so far as it wen*, although Yogel spoilt his car-er by taking the Agent-Generalship. There are rumors of his return to New Zealand, and we think it is the right place for him. He is only acting a part in those feeble efforts in *he way of magazine articles on the empire. Let the Ulachfords and the Lowes do the twaddle, while the Beacons* fields and the Vogol? act. But the fact is Sir Julius Yogel is too fond of luxury. London is his Capua. Wellington was While Graham Berry kept the little grocery shop in Prahran, Yogel was the out-at-elhowa reporter at Inglewood. He missed his ambition of getting a seat in the Victorian Assembly, and went in a huff to New Zealand, or ho might have guided the destiny of thet Australian continent.