MR. ORMOND.

Otago Witness, Issue 920, 17 July 1869, Page 1

MR. ORMOND.

If tho dismissal of Mr M'Lean implies that a Government agent at the soat of war must implicitly obey instructions, there is reason to fear that the appointment of Mr Ormond in that capacity will load to unpleasant complications. The opinions expressed by that gentleman on the subject of the war uro decidedly at variance with thono of tho Ministry, as expounded by Mr Fox. How then can Mr QRMQNn carry exit Mr Fox's polioy \ Mr Fox proposes to abandon all nggressivo operations, and to aot on tho defensive merely. Ho also hints at the abandonment of outlying settlements. To givo effect to these proposals, ho has tabled n resolution to the effect that the force under Arms should bo reduced, so as to bring it within the Appropriation Aot for tho current year— -£150,000. Mr Ormond can be no patty to snoh a policy as this, if his utterances in tho House hayo anything to do with hi* action an a government agent* In the courso of his speech on tho Want of Confidence motion, he

undertook to reply to Mr Rolleston's .argument on the necessity of abandoning: the out-settlements, 'He declared impossible that such views should be < arried out by the North Island, or by JNew Zealand, under any circumstances •whatever. He earnestly warned Mr. Rolleston and all who agreed with him, that 'to withdraw from our settlements is impossible ; that to withdraw at the present moment from any one of .our positions will be to show to the New Zealander, who is a man of quick perceptions, the greatest possible weakness of which we can be guilty. More than that, such a policy would be ruinous.. North and South alike will find, if we ever commit ourselves to a policy of abandonment, that abandonment is an impossibility ; that if we retreat the Natives will follow us, thus leading to aggressions! within out' settled districts. Then the South will find that while the North is ruined, the South will be involved in an expenditure the enormity of which cannot be foreseen. We shall in fact have to fight the whole thing 1 over again.' On another prominent point of the Fox policy, Mr Ormond appears to hold equally antagonistic views. Mr Rolleston advocated the abandonment of aggressive operations, especially in the shape of perilous marches into the recesses of the interior. 'The honourable member,' said Mr Ormond, 'had further said that he hoped we should not follow the insurgents into the recesses of the country ; but if we do not so follow them, we shall substantially have to do again all that we have done. The rebel natives on the "West Coast are now more at our mercy than ever they were before ; and it will be a grave fault if we do not follow up the advantage we have gained. We I ace, in short, bound to go on with the work and finish it. Such will be infinitely the cheapest plan, and it is really the only one open to us, unless ruin to the colony is to be accepted.' Mr Ormond, it would seem, cordially approves of the polioy pursued by the late Government in these matters. The operations in the TJriwera country, costly and dangerous as they were, appear to be in -strict accordance with his views. In the absence of such operations, he tells us, we should only lose the ground we have so painfully won. No retreat is possible for us. Not an inch of territory must bo abandoned; not a soldier withdrawn from the seat of war, wherever that seat may be. We must not only hold our ground, at whatever cost, but we must continue to advance; the enemy must be followed up through his own territory, for the only alternative is ruin. Such appears to be Mr Ormond's opinion as to the proper couducb of the wai\ And such was Mr Stafford's.

The appointment of Mr Ormond as Government agent on the East Coast, almost immediately after the expression of opinions diametrically opposed to the Ministerial policy, is a political onigtno. Presuming that Mr Fox honestly intends to carry out his nonajcgres>sivo policy, it i» clear that Mr Ormond cannot assist him in the task without a deliberate wicrifice of principle. It is on the East Const that tho Ministerial policy will require to bo put in forco most conspicuously. There, the operations conducted by Colonel Wn micros havo of late boon signally aggiwsivo in character. A largo fovco hivs been employed for months past^ in, toiling through mountainous dotilea, in the vain endeavour to inflict chastisement on a rebellious tribe. Ono of tho first Btep»whioh Mr Pox nu\y b» expected to take, will bo the withdrawal of the whole force from that part of the country, and its concentration in tho settled districts. Mr Ormond will of course bo entrusted with tho immediate control of fcheao operations, Tho ne*fc stop will be, the abandonment

I of' such, settlements as ' those of Mo-haka-^settlements "which cannot be securea from attack in thefa^enoe. of a regular garrison. Mr Ovfaojip will of course be required to superintend these measures also., If he «j3<&forms the duties he has thus iinderp^en to petform, he will expose himsplf to a charge which he would find it difficult either to answer or to expltin away. The simple acceptance of such, a position, under such circumstances, reflects no credit upon him. Whatever policy may be carried out, he has laid himself open to criticism, the justice of which, however unfavourable, he cannot impugn. It might be insinuated that his appointment is some evidence of Ministerial insincerity — that is, that the nonaggressive policy is a sham. It may be so ; the policy is unmistakeably a war policy, whatever may be said to the contrary. And possibly the knowledge of such a fact may have induced Mr Ormond to forget his recent utterances in Parliament, and to accept the appointment offered to him. But whatever interpretation may be put upon it, it will still remain an enigma.