THE NELSON EXAMINER. Thursday, September 6, 1866.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXV, Issue 110, 6 September 1866, Page 2

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Thursday, September 6, 1866.

Journals become more necessary as men become more equal and individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importance to Buppose that they serve only to aeoure liberty < they maintain civilization. Db Tocq.ubvii.kb, Of Democracy in America, vol. 5, 230. SUMMAEY gf EVENTS foe TRANSMISSION VIA PANAMA. The past month has witnessed the downfall of Mr. Stafford's late Ministry. Their exodus was looked upon as a matter of certainty which could not fail to take place on the meeting of the General Assembly. It was not, however, until after Mr. Jollie, the Colonial Treasurer, had made his Financial Statement that resolutions were passed which compelled the Grovernment to retire. This statement was made on the Bth ultimo, and was far from being a satisfactory one. The country had looked forward to a budget which would show a vast saving in "the expenditure of every departmental office ; and the various provinces, or rather those portions of them who had faith in Mr. Stafford's pledges, were in hopes that, now the native war was almost at an end, future taxation might be averted, and that the Provincial Governments would enjoy to the full the three eighths of the Customs-duties without leaving the General Government of the colony embarrassed for funds. Mr. Jollies speech dissipated in a sudden and unexpected manner these hopes. Not only was it discovered that the savings of the year had been in reality less than nothing, but that the Government contemplated a larger expenditure for the maintenance of a colonial force of 1,200 men ; that it was considered impossible in future to pay the usual three-eighths of the Customs revenue to the provinces, and that increased taxation was no longer to be postponed, but would fall upon us in the form of Stamp-duties. When the House at its next meeting resolved itself into committee of suppiy, Mr. FitzGrerald moved a series of resolutions, embodying an expression of a want of confidence in Mr. Stafford and the rest of his Ministry. An amendment on these resolutions was proposed by Mr. Moorhouse in the following words, " That the Ministry as at present constituted does not possess the confidence of the House." On the amendment being put it was carried, the House dividing with the following result : — Ayes, 47 ; noes, 14. The resignation of the Government at once followed. As Mr. Moorhouse was the mover of the amendment to which Mr. Stafford's Government directly owed their overthrow, that gentleman was sent for by his Excellency the Governor to form a Ministry, which Mr. Moorhouse declined doing, but recommended that Mr. Stafford should again be sent for, in the hoped that he might be sucoessful in inducing the members of the late Weld Ministry to accept office with him. Mr. Stafford acknowledged himself willing to undertake the formation of another Government, and at once set to work with this object. His only chance of accomplishing- this lay in his being able to induce the remnants of the Weld party to join with him, but this at first they strenuously refused to do. After Mr. Stafford's determined and causeless opposition to them whilst in office, it was not to be expected that it could be otherwise; nor were all hopes given up of the Weld Ministry again resuming the Government, led, in the absence of Mr. Weld himself, by Major Eichardson. The House, however, notwithstanding Mr. Stafford's shortcomings, appeared in favour of his still remaining Premier, and, after a lapse of several days, the announcement was made that the following gentlemen had consented to hold portfolios, and the Government would be constituted as follows .-—The Hon. Mr. Stafford, Premier and Colonial Secretary ; the Hon. Mr. Fitzherbert, Colonial Treasurer; the Hon. Mr. Hall, Postmaster-General ; the Hon. J. C. Eichmoud, Commissioner of Customs ; the Jlon. Colonel Jlaultain, Defence Minister. The Hon. Mr. Johnston and the Hon. Major JUiclmrdscm have been also nuraborod aH members of the Government, but without olllco ; the latter gentleman, it was stated, would reside in Otago, and act as the representative of the Government there. The two principal hostile parties iv the House have thus been amalgamated by this coalition, for, with tho exception of Mr. EitzGerald, every member of the late Weld Government, at the present time a member of the Hcuse, occupies a seat in the Cabinet. Mr. Stafford's supporters will be

content in seeing him still at the ljead of affairs, whilst those who trusted more to the conspicuous talents of the Weld Ministry will be consoled with the thought that the members of the present Government can hardly be put to the same use by Mr. Stafford as those who have just resigned, and who merely carried out the instructions of their chief. The present Ministers will have a voice in the Government of the country which Mr. Stafford must attend to, and probably in some cases will have to bow to ; for it is evident that the name of Premier is one that is agreeable to his feelings, and he will not hastily risk his position by quarreling with the only men who can keep him in office. Should any disagreement talie place in the Cabinet, Mr. Stafford must resign, and the Weld Government, or the remants of it, will again hold sway. We believe, however, that the Government now in office will pull well together, for a time at least, as on all the principal questions of policy they agree. Mr. Stafford may have altered his views a little to chime in with those he saw were held by the majority of the House, but as long as he adheres to them, which he probably will for the same reason, there is at all events no immediate prospect of Governmental rupture. With regard to the future prospects of the colony it cannot be said that they are of the brightest possible character. The native war appears still smouldering in several different parts of the Northern Island, and may call for greater exertions on the part of the Government. The proposal which was made by the late Colonial Treasurer, Mr. Jollie, to raise and keep up a colonial army of 1,200 men will, however, not be acted upon at present. The concession of the Imperial Government that one British regiment shall be left in the colony under any circumstances, to be used for the suppression of rebellion, has enabled Mr. Stafford " to modify his views on this point," and although a colonial force is now, and must for the future be always in existence, its numbers will be considerably below 1,200. A portion of this force is now actively employed under the command of Major M'Donnell in bringing the natives on the western coast of the northern island to subjection, and a few brisk engagements have taken place with success attending our side. .From a telegraphic despatch received some days back, we learn that two tribes to the northward of Wanganui had surrendered to Captain Dawson, of the 18th Eoyal Irish ; but the same telegram announces a rumour of a probable outbreak amongst the Hawke's Bay natives, two hundred rebels being in arms ready to attack the friendly natives in the neighbourhood of Napier. These emeutes are, it is to be hoped, merely flashes in the pan which will not give rise to any more general or serious disturbance. Indeed the general opinion is, that the natives are so weakened in numbers, and reduced to such straits, that organized attacks, such as those we know to our cost they were once capable of making, are no longer possible. Mr. Stafford appears to be of this mind, for he has abolished the office of Native Minister, "there being," as he says, "no further speciality in dealing with the natives." The duties of this Minister are in future to be attached to those of some other Minister. This step does not appear to be one of a very sagacious character. One would think at the close of the war (if it has been brought to a close), a Minister whose attention to the government of the natives could be given in an undivided manner would be deemed more than ever necessary. Whilst at war with them the main object was to thrash, them into subjection, and good soldiers more than good native diplomatists were required in order to attain this end. To keep them in a state of peace without the sword being constantly drawn and the rifle leveled, seems to require the utmost attention — more, probably, than can be given by any Minister with the duties of another important office devolving upon him. Our Summary for last month contained an account of the accident which occurred in laying down the Cook Strait cable. The damage done was repaired with all speed ; the end of the cable being grappled for and spliced, the junction of the two islands was effected on Sunday, the 26th ultimo, and congratulatory messages passed between his Excellency the Governor and their Honours the Superintendents of the various provinces. This important work has been called an expensive toy by many in the colony, but we believe that before long the telegraph throughout New Zealand will be found to pay a large interest on the capital invested in it. The charges at present are high — if lowered the use of the wires would become more common. Local matters of interest have been unusually scarce during the past month. The excitement caused by the protracted examination of the four prisoners Burgess, Kelly, Levy, and Sullivan, for the Maungatapu murders subsided with their committal for trial at the Supreme Court, which is to take place on or about the 12th instant. The leader of the gang, Burgess, has lately employed his time in gaol in writing a history of his past life. He seems to be a horrible mixture of vanity and ferocity. The late fire in this city, which burnt eighteen houses to the ground, has aroused the inhabitants to the want of proper appliances in a case of this description again occurring, and a Fire-brigade has been partially formed, and, before long, will be ready for action. The expenses of the brigade will be paid by voluntary subscriptions, though it appears by far the best method to impose a fire-tax on the inhabitants according to the assessed value of their buildings. The diggings on the West Coast of the Nelson province are rapidly on the increase, and are gradually advancing in a northerly direction. The Karamea and Mokihinui rivers north of the Buller, are both pronounced highly auriferous, and roads only are wanted to insure the production of a large supply of gold from their neighbourhoods.

A short article appeared a few days back in these columns which was devoted to a few remarks on the probable shape which the New Zealand Cabinet would assume after the late Ministerial crisis ; and we gave the names of those gentlemen who it was thought probable would take office under Mr. Stafford. The Daily Southern Gross reprinted this article, and, in doing so, added a few remarks regarding its authorship, which it attributed to Mr. J. C. Eichmond. It says :—": — " When we remember that the foregoing is supposed to be written by the Native Minister — the Colonial Secretary under Mr. Weld, and traducer-general of Auckland — it is a most significant article." Some few months back we had occasion to remind our northern contemporary that Mr. J. C. Eichmond was no longer the editor of the Examiner; we beg to repeat what we then said, and we may be allowed to remark at the same time, that even had that gentleman penned the article in question, which we distinctly deny, the usual rules of newspaper etiquette would have been in-" 1 fringed by attempting to nail to any individual, compositions which are universally allowed to remain anonymous.