Poetry Bay herald AND EAST COAST NEWS LETTER PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25,1879

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 635, 25 February 1879, Page 2

Poetry Bay herald AND East Cost News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1879.

Sir George Grey and his policy, whatever that may mean with the Premier, is being severely criticised by the Press generally throughout the Colony. It is not at all likely that Ministers will retain office long after the coming session is opened. There is only one thing in its favor : — Sir George Grey has said than an adverse vote, or even a direct- vote of no confidence, be the majority ever so large, will not cause him to resign. He has the good |of the country at heart, and the countiy is not represented in the Assembly, always, of course, excepting himself and his party. On more than one occasion the " fancies " of Sir George Grey have been met by solid " facts " advanced by the Marquis of Normanby. And when the facts of the one and the fancies of the other have been carefully weighed, it has been found that the Governor has been much too heavy for the Premier. The first time His Excellency showed his great superiority was when he addressed the people of Auckland on the opening there of a Working Men's Club. The mind of the country has lately been filled with all sorts of theories on the art of government, and on the power of Parliaments to give complete happiness to the human race. The country has been told that the comfort of individuals was determined by the political privileges conferred on the nation by its rulers ; that domestic happiness, social wealth, and national prosperity, all depended on the theories of Sir George Grey being put into practice. It was not to the credit of the intelligence of the people that many of these whimsical fancies were believed in. At all events, if implicit faith had not been reposed in them, they served to distract the attention of the country from the contemplation of that which was of much more value. It was then that the Marquis of Normanby's address to the working men of Auckland came as an antidote, and was, though no doubt unintentionally

so, a complete answer to much that had been said during the Premier's political tour through the Colony. His Excellency told the people that the prosperity of a country was dependent upon the industry, the enterprise, and the thrift of its inhabitants ; and that there could be no domestic happiness unless a household was governed upon the principles of religion and virtue. Referring to New Zealand, he said that with her resources there need be no fear of employment becoming scarce ; there were no real class interests to hinder the progress of the working men. The few who had become rich had attained their possessions by the sweat of their brows, by patient industry, energy, or talent in the early stages of the colony." Commenting on the Governor's address, the Napier Telegraph says, " the speech of His Excellency was the manly, outspoken address of a tho-rough-going Englishman, and was in striking contrast to the maudlin sentimentality of Sir Gecrge Grey's utterances. Since then, the Colony has been treated by Ministers to a few more theories, amongst which is that in relation to the election of Govei*nors. Both the Premier and the Attorney-General have spoken in favour of this innovation, and they have endeavoured to show that while the actions of an elective Governor could not be influenced by the Impe- 1 rial Government, the Colony's ties to the old country would be tightened by the right of such an election being conferred upon the people. Sir George Grey has never made any secret of his quarrel with the English Colonial Depai'tment, and it may be, that in advancing this new fancy he is only pleasing himself. The Marquis of Normanby, however, points out the danger of treating important subjects in this way. In his final address before leaving Dunedin, His Excellency Said you have a constitution moulded on that of the old country, which is, I may say, the admiration of the world and the veneration of those who live under it. It may be susceptible of improvement, but in making any necessary changes I beg of you to do . so with a gentle and cautious hand. It is easy to demolish and destroy, but it is not always so easy to rebuild. • * 1 have heard of late the theory advocated that it would be to the advantage of New Zealand that instead of having a representative of Her Majesty over you, you should have an elective Governor. • • Laying aside the principle of the thing, whether such a proposition is good or bad, when it is put plainly, what does it mean 1 It means simply separation from England. That proposition if put straight forwardly to you would not be entertained for a moment, but coming under a cover it is possible that it might become a political cry, and we all know that when political cries are once started people are sometimes carried away by their party feelings, and mischief arises which at any other time would not happen. In speaking now as your Governor I do so from no authority but my own, and you take my words for what they are worth ; but of this I am perfectly convinced, that no Government nor Parliament, nor the people of England, would have any colony remaining attached to the Empire after refusing to receive Her Majesty's representative. I can only say there is no man in the colony or in England who attaches greater value than I do to the union of the mother country, andl may tell you that if the question came before the Parliament I -would from my place in the House of Lords vote against any colony remaining in the Empire that refused to receive Her Majesty's representative. I have perhaps spoken warmely on this subject, but it is because I feel ■warmly. 1 should grieve to see anything that should sever that which unites England with her colonies, and I feel that this matter of electing Governors would serve to break that tie for ever.