The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 1866.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 148, 25 August 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 1866.

Although the accounts given by rival politicians of the progress made iu the formation, of a new Ministry are very contradictory, there seems no doubt that Mr. Stafford will ."igain be placed at the head of affairs. He will lake office this time with a sufficient number of mew of all parties to assure him a working majority in the House. On reading lhe Wellington papers one is forced to conclude that the opposition was raised more against Mr. Stafford's incompetent associates than against himself. If this were not the case therewould uot be the same disposition oviiiced by Mr. Stafford's political opponents to rally round him aud assist him in carrying on the affairs of the country. The crisis is a . serious one ; public business is suspended, and the country is made a laughing stock of, while rival politicians, between whom there is no more difference than between tweedledum and tweedle-dee, indulge in mutual recriminations, and exhibitions of hati ed and disgust. Having filled up the vacancies in the Ministry .with ■ men of standing and ability, let us hope that Mr. Stafford may succeed in ruling the present refractory house, aud in completing the business of the session which has beeu brought to a stand-still by party feuds. If a coalition Ministry is objectionable from its weakness, it is that which is alone practicable at the; present time. If dislike to Mr. Stafford's colleagues rather than to himself was the real cause of the outburst of disapproval wliich has just- been shown, the compliance of the defeated Minister with the exactions of the- triumphant party, should be a passportto their favor and ensure him their support. We see that the.N. Z. Advertiser, a paper which professes to give Mr. Stafford a discriminating support; labors, hard to convince its „ reiaders that after all Mr; Stafford has been more sinned against, than sinning in the matter" of "the saving of "£240,000 on the Weld estimates: ,It saysthat an explanation was not given of this before, because Mr. Stafford wished no mention to .be made by.. t „ the Colonial Treasurer of 'the finaiiicial "state- \ ments of past, Governments. : . -The advo- ' cate then gives a comparative statement of the budgets ,of 1865 aud 1866,Vto.^hoWthe foundation on which ■ the : promise of saving £240, OOO^was made, and that it has been re r \ deemed. - The^-'Weld estimates L were, as ' follow: — Civil list, permanent' charges'/ and

. .general seryides|\£sss,vl|o . Provincial ser^; ; vacek,^£lßo,29s; j Unauthorised?; Provincial .■expjeriditure, fpr .three ;. ; years, not .! charged: against loan, £41,720) '"chargeB against loan, including General Government share of unauthorised' expenditure for - three -fears, £636^907. Total £1.414,102.- The Stafford estimates are as follow :— Civil list, permanent charges, and general services, £418,657; Provincial services, £160,480 ; charges against loan, £411,391; unauthorised expenditure prior to June 30th, 1865, £167,655. Total £1,158,183, showing a saving in Mr. Stafford's estimates of £255,919. A sum of £46,000 not having been spent in Provincial services is retained under section five of the Appropriation Act, 1865, and available for the current year. The writer admits that the colony is not £250,000, or £300,000 better off than when Mr. Stafford took office in October last, but is simply in so much better a financial position than if the budget of 1865 had been carried out in its entirety. We give the above statement for what it is worth. It is given with an air of authority that renders it difficult to imagine it could have come from anyoue but Mr. Stafford. It is the first explanation he has condescended to make of the statement by which he hazarded his reputation as a statesman, and which has caused him to be stigmatised as a charlatan by one party, and denounced as a trickster by another. As nothing is so fallacious as figures, we doubt not that it will be easy for Mr. Stafford to explain away all that is objectionable iu his memorable statement. Having thrown a sop to Cerberus by associating with himself in the toils and sweets of office, some of the more talented j men of the opposition, who looked with contempt on some of his former homely and unadorned subordinates, he will find it no difficult task to wield the fierce democracy, whose hopes have been recently excited by the prospect of a general scramble for.the emoluments of office. It is said that in the main, the policy of Mr. Weld and Mr. Stafford are identical, and hence the facility with which he ought to form a party. There is one point, however, in which the policy of Mr. Stafford must differ materially from that of Mr. Weld, if his ministry is to be a strong and abiding one. Mr. Weld split on the rock of the Provincial Customs and Mr. Stafford's Treasurer, intimat edthat his chief was nothing loth to make the same egregious blunder. The time has not come for the provinces to submit to be despoiled of fheir fair share of Customs revenue at the bidding of any minister who may be smitten with a centralising mania, and choses to make ducks and drakes of the people's money to carry out his capricious schemes. Let Mr. Stafford satisfy the provinces that he meditates no spoliation of their revenues, and he may remain long master of the situation ; but let him try the opposite policy and his days are numbered.