MR. FOX AT WANGANUI.

Otago Witness, Issue 847, 22 February 1868, Page 8

MR. FOX AT WANGANUI.

Mb Fex?s>speech v at'WanganuL;wJl^b9 read witbPgreat interests -Her'* intimated' as mncli!a^*that f -%'inibendecl if t'^be con^' Bidered":liiß ; 'firat lC "pTiblic il address ' ! »since Ms t^^^^^xS6^Jim^ :r laiA' twelve v^xnon^r^'^^^/^^P^y. looked''£bi;V.3^,* t in]pn^^^ poHticaJ^piteVhas.jjjeenimade out of it. Daringjhe^lastj-aession ,of the Assembly,, Mr Fox iwas.-i spoken Jof*- sometimes 4n the; House£"andfVeEy;'6ften/:out of ifc. • Qn'one, side it .was .alleged^ df 'we only had Mr Fox here, a«charigd* dfHMinistry>< -would' immediately -'j'Oon »the : other side/Mr Stafford!^t)l^ly J i(aiah;6y6uld ; beas ! plfejised' at MrSjdfx'f TOinwn' as/ anyone^ andj that he •would. gladly^relinquisK'jto 'him 'his seat at'Ne^soi^'jf^np.bther B^at"Tfefe % op f eri. % At the't«ne.it' v?as. 'not supposed that Mr Stafford, , } J m.ean& 0 anything . niore*> than,f a mere retaliation | on .a speaker .who^had. declared mvthafc.i. everything , would >..be righted <-:with Mr, Fox's: return.- But .since, there have/ riofc;been' wanting rumors that. Mr Stafford 'was more earnest than was supposed, and that the Government ""would gladly jW.eJcomgrMr^ Fqx as/ftjgplleague or supporter.* lj&$& b.een, confidently asserted that MniJEox:was;<<by,no<means prepared to go ihtox>pposition-r-that he -.rather' in-, clined towards' the ' Government, 'but that his privalte^afEEiirsfTnade^himi.'anxiou'sto keep al6of + it6m '.•polities': '•' ' Sonic utterances He"iaade r on Ms'firstrete'ption up the countr^^le&m'ed to" coiinrtn' these expectations. *'THe'(w^reported alluded^to, , ; '^peity "'• Prpyincialists^' and l to have. .commented. 1 * iigpri jthe." changes^ which his,absence^ in a n^niner, y wibich seemed .to infer; that aome QfrihiS;!. own. views were- modified:inconsequence.^ ?--i *>■> > •>■"•> •?•;."<- ,^u... The:spsech/-whichiwe nowreptirit, cannot bes^aid-tO; altogether set' at' rest 1 thedoubt^Y >sl t to I Mt"Foz'srfuttu*e^proceed- 1 ings &£& i policV: itl 'It"womd be'oirifair-tb' * accuse^;*' Fox f of : '"re^ceHce, l : < 'bs' f ;dis^ guise 'spotiefc* was called, .uponr ..to t speak, , but _ ,as „ it would h^Ye'^been.-pruaient., in rlamjptqjjdo^, Had lanuekp^essl anuekp^essi l on^ <?l what -we may politics, ,he! would- shave<'i.been /open to the accusation that he^Tvas^allowing party* views 1 td-guide since he could-' 1 note be; -'supposed, duringjiifl.^ absence,, , o?, . the sshortt t time wjhich ;b*s,/Passed, ,sinpe i his return,!i to be yeryiwetljMJsted; up. in .the particulars of th* situation: >In.- dealing wilh-gener rah'tiesjitherefofe^cMpf-Fox: has J done' as much.a% cbuld 1 be expected- of him,- whilst he hasV'at'ihe^sametime, "done ■ only- jus-, to^himself . - There 'are'several're- • marks'- in Ms speech eminently suggestive', 1 tut it';['ii";doiiJb'tful" whether' they- are j jexactly^yhat : h.e:. uttered."^ ,The- -report', thoug^a'j'good 'one,' is'not' ' verbatim, '^ arid, the significance*.of f the/particular^reinarks, ■we refer.^o depends much uppn'th'e exact' termSfjemployedi;..- ,To understand ; this r it is nocessary'/to refer. to>the,i position ,of affairs.vr.jThe;rpresent , Government r are . held tcrbe'-^entirely: hostile- to Provincial Institutions^ v and they have 'given 1 good evidence that' this "is their! cherished policy:"';' "But^ * 'excepting ■ one I' or two membjera,. /' it v ;' IJ is- "iioti '.their "avowed policy^' "on/^the-; contraryj they have prof essed- to' be determined to protect the Provinces, '.ahd.it is. doubtful .whether, Mr Stafford,,-. wha,tey.er. „his. colleai»ues , may be, is jat, heart a Centralist. . . -Jt is,- to .be^ remembeijedv , ihat'w the t Ministry .-.itself represents -two parties.as bitterly- opposed, as ever- 'two -parties^ were in. New Zear land. -<-N6 •' amount of ■ official connection will eyer^'bridge' over the gulf which' separates Mj Mr c v Stafford 'from ■ Major , Richardjon';;Mf Hall, and Mr Fitzherbert." The better "hostility 'of ' 1865 'can 'never be effaced, But in 1865 occurred those pas-sages-"at-'arnds r bet'B»e'en Mr Fitzherbert amd " Mx Eussell^'which Mr Fox has the right most d'eeply'to resent.; ' Tlie-last part 'of his sp.eech 'shows, he 'is^^not' uiimin'dfur of the wrong, he'^h'en suffered ;■ but he comes'fjtoj, reflect, upon it in { " reference to, the prjesent,.,(3pyernment, .he (I ; is ,met 1 mthr J ,the.. r :difaculty' -.that / Mr.. Stafford was •at .-that" /time <^ the life.. -of .< the Opp6sition;>^i>ltnisi.f impossiblei,',, for ■ a. man '-as .rMr.^/Fox-.haai" .after a long" absence; ; to .'get -'over 1 , tlierperplexitjp v> of (ii '"the ,; double y element- inthe He -cannot* • .kriow which'^lement 'most ''prevails:'" "He" can onlyf'de.al declaTe^L", , sonie, _ in '-.a ,very^u.niiai6tal£e-|, . able^V^Tpj^r.^.^lt; is' ' vejry i,' certain. Mr. into, ; Opposition ;,'-. if the /Government fT4 -.espouse -the.. : Anii- - Provittcial : ;ipolicy; they n are supposed .to ■favor,"-whUstiemay side with them if they bacb'ffonvthat^Jfingerouscourse^ He does: not declare 'that he will set himself against any reform "which circumstances may haye 1 ren^orfd", necessary; but he avows -his belielfj-thiat^the 1 ,, main features of the Coris&tutiQiT; ini'ay yet' be ; adhered !"to, and^Prpyinaaiism restored. '".He" is reported ;i;o jhiivej.said-^-'/ .It is. the policy of • " the General Government- to diyide the " Provincialists, and then ride rough-shod

" over them'V' but 1 it' does hot appear .whether he meant that this' wasthe policy ,9,f .'.General Governments generally, oroi- ! the particular one in office: : His reference to '. the n people "of 1 Auckland is more 'significant.." He' complained 1^ of i their watit- of strength ' in 1 being' prepared'- -to abandon; 1 / tH^ir f political j rights^ '- ' and especially of Ctheir ' listening to nicn 1 'who * f have "ever 1 'ttpposed] 'representative '• \xi- " stitutiyns ll in r anyyshape," ; and^ who wouid "hand s ' over- the • Colony, bound".hand and' foot to the 'Colonial Office. " Clearly he 1 meant to refer to Mr Carletoh." ,His : referencej;td' J Mr Fitzherbert as 1 " my .'^once'friend 1,-'1 ,-' thoUgh I suppose I must '"no,w call' him 'my- politictil 'erienay,^. is.yet more "significant '; atld most significant of 1 ail; is 'his declaration, • " The I 'General "'Government are doingall they can 1 to "draw" attention to faults 'hi "Provincial V 'Governments ; but I -am -confident 1 if ." you have ,one" Central Government, you " will have' a worse' master." • •' r »'• . • • • "-'" . ■ ■■ r' -.