The New Zealand Herald AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, NOV. 26, 1864.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 325, 26 November 1864, Page 4

The New Zealand Herald

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, NOV. 26, 1864.

SPECTEMint AGEXDO. " Olvo every man thine ear, liut fow thy voico: Tako each man's een*uro, but resorve thy judgment. This above all, —To thine ownaolf bo truo; And it mutt follow, hh tho night tlio day, Thou canst not theu bo {'also to any man."

Wn must confess to something more than a feeling of disappointment when we reperuse the •' conditions" to which Air. "Weld obtained the signature of the Governor previously to his undertaking the formation of a Ministry. Is this the policy of the " coming man." of whom Southern men and Southern journals predicted so much? Whose jealous care and broad states-man-like views were to restore to INTew Zealand her violated Constitution, heal the differences existing between rival Provinces, grapple with the greater questions which have arisen between the mother country and the Colony, and bring to an honourable and speed}' termination the war which it has been so unblushingly said was being needlessly prolonged for the sole advantage of Auckland ? "We look in vain for the master-mind in the drawing up of these terms—they arc not only foolishly weak, but they are radically vicious. They look far more as if they had been drawn up by Sir George Grey than by the present Premier. The question of '* double" Government was one on which wo had lully expected that any southern Ministry would liavo taken a firm and manly stand. There can be no settlement of the difiieulties under which ]New Zealand groans, so long as there is a divided responsibility between the Imperial and the Colonial Governments. It was this system of double Govrrnmatl which Mr. I'oxin ISOI endeavoured to overturn, which the. Assembly rejected in 1802, which in the following year the Duke of .Newcastle compelled the colony, and that, too, in no very ruild '

terms, to accept—and against which, as will he seen throughout the memorandums now published on ra'ive affairs, the Whi taker Ministry have flnjht their ground inch by inch. It, is this double Government which enables tho Governor- so to hamper the action of a Government as to render it at any moment: powerless to carry out its policy, and makes tho Governor " master of the situation." Such a system would be dangerous to a Ministry at any time, even with a Governor who honestly endeavoured to fulfil the duties of his office, hut fatal to any M inistry when Sir George was that Governor.- Yet fatal and disastrous as that system has been, ai d must ever be to New yiealand, it is just that-which Mr. Weld, the champion of the Constitution, and tho leader of Southern politicians, though he now in words condemns it, is most effectually fastening upon the Colony. Tn the second paragraph of his conditions Mr. Weld condemn the systems of double Government. He is "of opinion thai the system of the double " fforcriimottt In/ Governor and Ministers lam " reunited in evil to ho/h races of Jfer jl/ajesti/'s " subjects in. New Zealand,:—h.e recognises the " right of the Home Government to insist upon " tho maintenance of this system so long as the " Colon}- is receiving the aid of J3riti li ti-ocp; " for the suppression of internal disturl aaecs : " he is prepared to accept, the alternative, and '• will recommend the Assembly to request (lie " Home Government to withdraw the whole of " its land force from the Colony, and to issue " such instructions to the Governor as may " enable him to be guided entirly by the recom"mendation of his constitutional advisers, e.v- ■' cepting only upon such matters as may directly •'concern Imperial interests and the prerogative u of the Crown."

Whilst the troops remain, Mr. Wolil unhesitatingly admits the necessity and propriety of double-government. Ho proposes what lie calls an alternative, lnit his alternative is the same thing as double-government under another phase. We " drop the bone and grasp at tho shadow"—we allow the troops to be withdrawn, take 011 ourselves the burden of lighting out. the Imperial quarrel. and. according to Mr. Weld, his .Excellency remains charged with the protect ion of " Imperial jfntotcrests." These cabalistic words are sufficient in the hands of Sir George Grey to upset: the policy of any Ministry, and plunge the Colony into renewed dillieulties. What. are Imperial Interests ! J "Why did not Mr. Weld insert an interpreting clause? Til the hands of such a man as Sir George Grey they can and would be made to mean anything thai suited his purpose. Is it not this very question—what are Imperial interests 'i—that has been incorporated by Sir George Grey into every question in which he has been called upon by his late Ministry to co-operate with them ? It lias been by the "introduction of this apple of discord that he has managed to thwart (lie carrying out the policy of the Assembly. Is it not the ground on which he justifies his present, position, and late conduct ? While then Mr. "Weld recognises the Governor's right to meddle in what he styles " Imperial Interests," we do not doubt but that Sir George Grey will, if it suits him, find some Imperial interest at stake in every Native iiucstion that is ever mooted by Mr. Weld and his colleagues.

" Let the troops go," were the words of the Canterbury men while tliev were yet. at home. " nor will we pay the cost even of a guard of " honor for his Excellency. It is a luxury we " cannot, afford." Why then, we ask. should Mr. Wehl now propose and admit that he i< prepared, in the interim of obtaining the opinion of her M njesty's Government on the proposed change, " to recommend to the Colonial Par- " liament that the Colony should undertake a •' reasonable liability for the services of troops " actively engaged in the field, at the especial " recommendation of his Excellency's M blisters. " and for such troops only ; and that a small " standing Colonial force be kept 011 foot. ' armed and trained with special reference to " the nature of the service required P" If the troops are here, as Mr. Cardwell has said, for " great Imperial purposes," why should thissmall and over-taxed communityundertaketo assist the wealthy and powerful mother country in getting out of a dilliculty which never would have occurred but for the love of Imperial intermeddling. We must be just before we are generous. We have pledged ourselves, foolishly enough we think, to pay five pound?; per head towards the cost of the Imperial troops, and this must be the limit to our generosity. Are we not sufficient- losers, socially amllinaiicially, by the Imperial blunders which have plunged the Northern Islands into war without becoming financial Don Quixotes, and volunteering to assist the wealthiest nation in Europe. Mr. "Weld might with as much reason propose at once that the colony should establish a sinking fund for the purpose of paying off the National Debt ! The Colony, in the matter of this war. has gone far enough in the engagements which she has hitherto freely incurred; further, indeed, financially we cannot go. As to the proposal to establish a standing army in New Zealand, Mv. Fitzherbert must first show us the Mays and means, and there can then be no objection to this part of the scheme. If lie cannot, we advise him at once to close with the of the scholars of the High School at Dunedin.

Tlio military tactics of the new Ministry amuse us. OtH' military post. for tlio occupation of the coast lino of tlio Ngat-iruanui country, which is some eighty miles in extent. Surely some extra assistance is intended to be afforded in (lie shape of bills drawn by Mr. Sewell ! "We fear that General Cameron will look for more substantial support to hold this territory than one military post and the draltim; of any number of bills lor the purpose of acquiring land, already justly forfeited, for purposes of road making. As far however as Mr. Weld goes in this direction—the settlement' of Taranaki —he will deserve the hearty support of the Mouse. The occupation of the iV yat iruamii country formed a prominent feature of the policy of the late Government. as may he seen by reference to the recently published papers. To carry oul this policy is essentially necessary and we trust that Mr. AA eld wiil have more latitude allowed him by JI is Excellency than had his predecessors to carry out. their plans. The late Government proposed that several posts should be established on tlio seaboard of the Njjatirunnui country, from which points the settlement of the country mitrJi ! gradually be eli'ected. "Why. wc ask." do the new M inistry content- themselves with half measures ? Why should the proposed road from "Wansanui end at the Northern boundary of the Province of Taranaki'? Why nor- carry it on further?

"NVitli regard to the (itli paragraph, we can, of course lake no exception. We cannot, however, say as much for tin- seventh—tlio proposed immediate removal ot' the seat ot Government to "Wellington. We regret that so much stress should be laidby the new Ministry on this point, i! is not. Ilm proof ot'the possession of extended views, and it is, moreover, a sign of \veakness. At. a tiiv like the present, when the Colony is beset wilii diilicultics, will the removal at once of the seat of Government to Wellington assist Air. "Weld and his colleagues in the solution of the great question vet unsettled in the Auckland Province:' Could he and they not grapple with such questions tar more effectively vn t'tv rj/oi ' One word upon the addendum of the Governor. It is characteristic of the man. There is nothing open or straightforward about it. It is jesuitically framed so as to possess a second rciidinir.it' Sir George Grey should at anv time eonsider such necessary. '.1 hat he will do so .sooner or later we have little doubt. ]Y1 misters themselves must feel this when they peruse the published eorrespondenee which has been i r oing on since the last session ol the Assembly between his lute 'Ministry aud Sir George Grey.