New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 1874.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4121, 5 June 1874, Page 2

New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 1874.

We should Have had considerable hesitation in bolieving the report that, has come from +he other side of tho water as to correspondence addressed by his Excellency the Governor of this Colony to the representatives .of her Majesty in New South Wales and Victoria, if the story had received circulation in'one journal or in one capital only. Both in Sydney and Melbourne, however, it has found its way into circulation, and that apparently on authority which, though neither official nor semi-official, is still unquestionable. Of course Sir Hercules Robinson and Sir George Bowen must have felt it their duty to treat the communication of Sir James Fergusson as of a nature to be submitted to the chiefs of their respective advisers, if not the Cabinets ; and thus in the ordinary course of newspaper business the Press became acquainted with the facts. Presuming that the correspondence is genuine, the circumstance of its communication to the most responsible members of their respective cabinets must be taken as a proof that Sir Hercules Robinson and Sir George Bowen—whose experience in the government of colonies or dependencies is not small- -view its subjectmatter in a light different from that in which it appears to Sir James Fergusson. His proposal is stated to be, that when the Governors of any of the various colonies belonging to her Majesty have occasion to correspond with each other on public affairs, their letters should pass direct from one to the other, and not, as at present, according to" Constitutional . requirements and usage, through their responsible advisers. It is not necessary to quote authorities to show that such a practice would bo utterly repugnant to the principles of responsible government ; and it hardly needs any argument to prove that it would be highly inconvenient, troublesome, and not conducive to the quietude of a Governor's life, and embarrassing to tho Government of any colony in which such a practice should be suffered to grow up. The representative of her Majesty, in a colony ruled under a written constitution, cannot possess greater powers or enjoy greater privileges than the Queen herself possesses. Her Majesty does not correspond on State affairs even with the rulers of tho smaller kingdoms and principalities with which the members of the Royal Family are matrimonially allied. At one period of her reign, on perhaps the only occasion, so far as the public are awave, on which she was not well advised by the late Prince Consort, her Majesty did propose—not that she should personally and directly communicate with foreign sovereigns, but that foreign despatches should be placed in her hands unopened, and for her early information, beforo they passed into the hands of her Foreign Minister. Lord Palmerston was then that Minister, and it cannot be forgotten how sharply he dealt with the difficulty, and how early and completely it was terminated. Her Majesty at once abandoned the untenable position she had been advised to take up, and the demand has never been renewed. A Colonial Governor is in a position of much less consideration to make such a proposition, and still less ono which goes a great way farther than the proposal of Prince Albert, for it means nothing less or more than the substitution of government by Governors for that by advisers responsible to the country. To all intents and purposes tho other colonies of the Crown are Foreign States in their relation to New Zealand. Wo make treaties with them for the regulation of trade and commerce. We lay embargoes on tho importation of their live stock, if need be. We enter into agreements with them for mutual advantage in postal, telegraphic, and other matters. It could, therefore, scarcely be acceptable to the people to discuss the propriety of delegating power to deal with all such matters to tho Governor for tho time being, and relegate responsible Ministers to the position of clerks. A much less ambitious effort mot with an instantaneous check in Victoria. Sir Henry Barkly was ono of tho best, and for long ono of tho most popular Governors who have ever represented Her Majesty in that colony. In his long term of office he had several Premiers, and amongst them was Mr. O'Shanassy, now tho Honorable Sir John. That gentleman was not distinguished for much courtesy of manner or delicacy of feeling, but ho was one of tho authors of tho Constitution of Victoria, and at all times careful that the privilege of self-government conferred upon the people by tho Constitution Act should not be infringed. Tho first of these qualities, perhaps too carelessly shown in his communications with tho Governor, led to an estrangement between Sir Henry Baikly and Mr. O'Shanassy. It proceeded so far that in the hoat of a passionate moment, having occasion to communicate with the Assembly, Sir Henry did not sond his message through his advisers in the usual way, but by his own messenger to tho bar of the House and tho Speaker direct. "VJfhat passed on the occasion and subsequently, is recorded in tho journals of tho day. Tho Ministry refused to recognise tho messago. Sir Henry saw tho rashness, if not the error, of tho step ho had taken, and it was not repeated. A country which possesses a Constitution conferring upon it tho right of selfgovernment, must have its business transacted by its Ministers, who aro responsible <o tho country for tho advice they may tender to tho Governor ; and in no other way. New Zealand possesses a franchise, which is only less liberal than that of Victoria, and gives as near an ai>proach to universal suffrage as, perhaps, is at present advisable. Tho General Assembly is a collection of representatives of tho Avholo people. Ministers aro but a selection again from those representatives, and are, therefore, the ombodimont of tho people. Her Majesty's representative is simply placed in his high

office as a check upon them, in the Imperial interest, with power to assent to or dissent from bills which Parliament has passed, and to exercise certain other powers that are more of an Imperial than of a Colonial character, and which are required of her Majesty, and are. therefore to be performed by her representative, in terms of- Imperial obligations to other States. But his Excellency originates no measures, and sends no messages recommending legislation, even those of a financial character, which his advisers do not suggest. They are responsible for the advice they tender, and for the good and wiso government which the people have called upon them to administer. It is out of the question, therefore, that Government should be conducted otherwise than it is ; and it is impossible that any Premier, or any Ministry,, in any of the Australasian Colonies, could assent to the proposal attributed to Sir James Fergusson, for no Parliament in these Colonies would permit them to do so.