Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1879.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume 6, Issue 599, 14 January 1879, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1879.

In what manner Sir George Grey is paving the way for his becoming Governor of New Zealand, is shown m a very strong official " memorandum," addressed some short time back to -the Marquis of Nornianby. Sir George, of course, commences with his " respectful compliments " to the Noble Marquis. He (Sir George) had received five despatches addressed by the Governor to the Secretary of State. Four of these despatches contained questions transmitted to the Secretary of State for his opinion. Sir George tells his Excellency that he had no right to ask for such opinions. " If," says our Premier "it had been the desire of Parliament that an appeal should have been made to the Secretary of State for his decision or opinion, upon points connected with the questions which the Governor has raised m his despatches, undoubtedly, by an agreement entered into with the Governor, such questions might have been referred to the Secretary of State. However, m that case, each party would certainly have claimed the right of putting their own view of the questions at issue simultaneously before the Secretary of State. In this instance, the Governor, without any communication with his responsible advisers, put his views of the questions he submitted to the

Secretary of State before that great officer of the Crown ; and Sir George Grey cannot admit the precision — m some cases he would almost use the term the justice — with which the points raised by the Governor have been placed before the arbiter selected by His Excellency." Sir George Grey believes the people of New Zealand are prepared to build up institutions under which their descendants may have assured to them liberty, equal laws, and equal rights and advantages. He further believes that the people of New Zealand are not only disinclined to permit the interference of any exterior authority m the great duty which Parliament has thus assigned to them, but that they would resent any such interference. Few colonists Sir George Grey, goes on to state, have been educated m a knowledge of constftutional law, they are therefore ill-qualified, until trained to estimate the real value of a constitution, or to weigh and foresee the effect which modifications m their constitution may produce upon the future of their country. Under such circumstances, they are not very watchful of trifling political or social changes which may from time to time be introduced under the authority of the Colonial Department : yet the accumulated eifect of changes may gradually produce an entire alteration m their form of government, and, after the lapse of a lew years, they may find themselves landed m political or social institutions to which they never would have submitted had they known it had been intended to impose them upon their country. Sir George Grey after expressing great respect for the Secretary of State, insinuates that the people can do very well without him, and are quite capable of governing themselves under a Governor of their own selection. Only Sir George dares not say so straightforward and plain. He writes diplomatically.