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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 684, 25 April 1879, Page 2

Only three of the leading newspapers | of the colony — two m the North, and one m the South Island — are now supporters of Sir George Grey. The most intelligently written journals -denounce our Premier as a man who has broken every political promise he has made ; and as one m whom no confidence whatever can be placed. The opinions expressed so freely from North to South are that whatever good may have been m Sir George Grey m the past, there is none m him now, and that he ought not any longer to be allowed to hold the reins of Government. Those who remember Sir George Grey as Governor of New Zealand, cannot help bearing m mind the difficulty of placing reliance upon any official promises which he was m the custom of so freely making. Between the years 1848 aud '53, Sir George Grey contrived to earn for himself a name for utter unreliability. Public opinion will occasionally run into exti*eme, and it may now be admitted that the hatred which our Premier drew down upon himself, when m the warmth of his anger, he said he would make the grass grow m the streets of Auckland, was as unreasoning as the slavish adulation and undiscerning praise when, m the early period of his last political career, he became stump orator. Buteven those who hold Sir George Grey's official ability m high estimation, were never able wholly to rely upon his truthfulness, and it is this defect of character, combined with the most singular egotism, that has marred a public career which opened with the brightest promise, and might otherwise have terminated with the greatest honour, and obtained the highest official rewards. Years have not apparently cured or modified these defects of character m Sir George Grey, for they have been as conspicuous of late m the humbler position of Premier, a servant of the people, as m the old days when he was Governor of a Crown Colony, of a severe type, and acknowledged no master but the Secretary of State for the Colonies. A more unfortunate field for the exhi 7 bition of these defects could not have been found than m the management of native affairs within this colony, and every day's experience now proves that from first to last the picture of the native difficulty which Sir George Grey's Government has presented to the Parliament and the people has been deceptive and unreal. At the opening of last session of the General Assembly, m "Wellington, the Governor was advised to congratulate the members on the fact that peaceful relations had "at last " been established with the Waikatos and Ngatimaniapotos, and to invite the House to make provision for extending the North Island Trunk Railway from Auckland to Taranaki. The editor of the Otago Daily Times was previously instructed to announce that Rewi had not only given the land for the railway line, but had given also, out of his immense estates, as many acres as when sold would pay the whole cost of constructing the railway itself. The Parliament has made the necessary money-provision, but Rewi has not only not yet given the land, but declares that he never was asked about the line and never made a promise of any kind. Upon the very eve of the great March meeting when, as we were told the terms upon which the submission of King Tawhiao and the reception of his people into the fold of the law were to be settled, we find the agent of the Native Minister at Alexandra vainly pleading to Te Ngakau for an invitation for his chief, and we find the Premier of the Colony absenting himself from his duty m "Wellington on the occasion of the expected arrival of a new Governor, and waiting at Kawau m the probably vain hope that Tawhiao will be graciously pleased to invite or to allow him to go to the meeting at Hikurangi. The survey of the Waimate Plains was boastfully put forward as evidence of the successful native policy and great native policy and great personal influence of Sir George Grey. The telegrams which give a mild and. greatly diluted account of recent occurrences at Parihaka, show what Te Whiti's opinion of that policy is, and disclose a serious danger to the public peace besides. Of course it will now be necessary for ministers to defend themselves by putting the blame of their exposure and defeat upon the shoulders of other people ; but the facts can neither be concealed nor talked away ; it was necessary for political party purposes to say the tiling that was not ; it was said ; time has refuted the whole story, and it would be well if we could now say there was an end. Unhappily, although the doom of the Ministry may be said to be sealed, the end, as regards the public interest, is not yet clear. The last situation is worse than the first.