The Southland Times. PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, JANUARY 4.

Southland Times, Issue 3289, 4 January 1879, Page 2

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, JANUARY 4.

V Itinerancy js^-it seems, • regarded to be as essential to the maintenance of the Imperial ru],e. in /the colonies as to th]e good adininistratrcpi pf tlie Wesley an ministry. '~ Tlie rule of Colonial' Grovcrnors is limited tofi%e years,. and the rule is perhaps re6oHimendatory^foi< Governors are but men after all, ancl a longer local association 1 -might probably, beget local prejudice"-, and likes and dislikes the reverse of compatible with , that impartiality, that absolute; indifference to. party feeling and resistance to party influence, lacking which a Governor' fails in his duty to the sovereign he represents, and degenerates into a local nuisance and a prolific breeder of mischief. This has been, in a measure, exemplified in a neighboring colony, and although we will, for charity sake, attribute the error to the score of weakness of character, yet that weakness was, in itself, a grave faii.lt notto betolerated in one Avhoissworn to constitutional administration. Nothing could be more contemptible in the character of an Imperial representative than to be open to back stairs influences, or to be himself to be swayed unduly by the dominant power, for the time being, in polities. That an error was committed in the direction we indicate has been admitted and punished by the Imperial authorities — and very properly ■ too. If . Imperial rule is to be preserved in the colonies it will be imperative, on the part of the Crown, to appoint only statesmen of special fitness to represent the Crown, and capable of preserving an even balance in the midst of contending factions. No more fitting term than that of " faction " could be applied to the Radical party which, setting aside all considerations of justice and even moderation, clamor for the points of the Charter, are wilfully blind j to the righteous claims of every other j section of the community, ancl are not only ; ready to entertain the. idea of I communism, but are prepared to give effect to it. It is such a party that dominates in Victoria, and would dominate in New Zealand, but for the fact of the good sense of the great majority of the people revolting against such a monstrous subversion of the elements of justice and good government. Sir George Grey may cloke it as he may, may deceive himself as he will, but there is no denying the communistic tendencies of his stump orations, and we thank himfor his downright outspokenness, inasmuch that he exhibited a dose too strong •foi* some TRadical "stomachs even, ancl hence its rejection like that of overdoses of other strong- poisons. "Whilst tendering our acknowledgments to the Premier, we must not forget His Excellency the Governor, and his admirable discharge of the duties of his position during his term in New Zealand. No one than ourselves more regrets the near termination of his mild and equitable rule. Both terms are fitting, for the one governs the other, whilst equity involves the attributes of firmness, discrimination, and all the higher phases of statescraft. To rule in accordance with the constitution has ever been the aim of the Marquis of Norma nby, and we take leave to'say that no Governor who proceeded him won higher, opinions from the great body of the people, or whose departure will be more sincerely regretted. His high qualities were especially put to the test and withstood it during the notable disputations between himself and the Premier on constitutional points, in which the latter displayed very little logic, a great deal of petulance, and again uncloked his animus to Downing street. Ancl on many other occasions the Marquis has taken up unassailable ground when attempts were made to encroach on his prerogative, and discovered ample acuteness to give check to the tricksey manoeuvres^ of some of his responsible advisers. He has been indeed the right man in the right place, and to his good principles and .firmness the country is in great degree indebted for the preservation of some, •moderation -in .. the tone of politics. * Had the Marquis "given way ever so little ; had he allowed himself to have been- hoodwinked but for a moment by the specious arguments and attempts at imposition on the part of those whom we can only term his opponents, the reign of political and social confusiou analogous to that which is now distracting Victoria might . have been inaugurated here. We say •'might" only, for the good sense and moderation- of. the great bpdy of the people of this "colony has been manifested on so many occasions that they will neyer drag politics down to the level of those of Victoria even if the Queen's Representative were as noted for complacency and weak-headedness as the Marquis is for qualities the most reverse to them. New Zealanders are not so volatile as Victorians arc, not so easily led astray by political ignes fatni, albeit they have been' sorely tried ancl tempted within the last twelve months, and it must be acknowledged have resisted the temptation with remarkable resolution, otherwise the present placidity and contentment of the great, body politic would scarcely be so pronounced. We can heartily congratulate the Victorian people upon the gubernatorial exchange about to be effected in their favor. The Mar-<-juis 'may "be able r -to supply, a panacea for' pome of the _aore extreme or the

Apolitical ills :b*f whic^ ; Of7l^is we 7 are' ; - assuted;itM^ 'mia^ipl^ceyimplioi. reliance' upon liis : ecpTuty^ and • exqtiisite of ■ : political differences, which is ;a long step itowavds7 tlieir reephcilehjent' : yictOria hi^ ? Ta__fc^iicl' 6ne7 ; of unsullied honoiv which places Mm far, far-abbye and out of the reach of the wiles 6 >^nd;;.*aaac_unjatioi)£^ " "In factTto "be cdllpifimil^ j say/-^at'-Jk<3;;~M^^i_-o^ N.orma^by-^/ i neii^iet-loTbe Tfi h€nibugged" nor Ji*:;bam-^ hoozledj'' and_we throw out the hint for r 4h^¥pßdiß^ hoping at the same time that they will not. in their, madness ; turn and v.rend ;iur_-V 7 7' • 7-, ( .7- 7 ; '■' '' '''"'. New Zealand has", nearly always been •.fortunate in her Qoyernors, because, we should ;: say;- ' their ; ' ; ad^ I visers, ' 7hav;e7 ; always 7 beeii. ;in ; accord" ;with ttiem^77ajttd:; amongst the" most iable was '• :'Sir ■•.- Grey ; rant i'adical; growth of his later days was then only germinating. Bowen, the complacent,; found no, stumbling block in his wayy.apcl.'Sir James lFergusoh. placed' his part with tact and mpderatipn— he had molierate: people to deal with. The; tug of war has fallen to the Marquis of Normajaby, and his ., successor will find that the vice-fegai chair will be anything but an easy bnei " It is well, there-' 7 fore, for the coloriy and the moderate party that so riolable a politician as Sir . Hercules EohirijßOh has been appointed, his successor. He is a sound 7 Conservative, in the best sense of the term ; his i instincts -all liberal for the , good of the people, as has been abundantly proved by his broad philanthropic action in New South "Wales. Not a public movement of any kind occurred but .Sir' Hercules was ready to take a part; in it. A fluent speaker, deeply versed in the ways of the world and , mankind, recognising the irrepressible desire for expansion on the part of his species, find ever ready to aid in the good cause of bettering the condition of the people, encouraging them to persevere in their attempts at emancipation from the thraldom of vice., ignorance, and error, Sir Hercules will, we take it, be a -right worthy successor to* the goocl Marquis. But it is to be borne in mind that he is as free from far-fetched extravagances as the most moderate of the moderate party could desire, and will govern constitutionally, even as the Marquis has done. He cannot but be popular, we imagine, for he is an ardent patron of outdoor sport, and an honorable supporter of the turf. How well and wisely he has spoken on Volunteering has been placed on record more than once. He takes a keen interest in the social as well as the political condition of tlie people he is thrown amongst, and this is now recognised as an indispensable qualification on the part of colonial Governors. As New Zealand lias been fortunate in her Governors in the past, so she promises to be in the immediate future. If the choice had been given to her, she could not have bestowed it more worthily. Even as we part with the Marquis of Normanby with regret, so we shall cordially welcome Sir Hercules Robinson, ancl tender our hearty good wishes for his success in preserving from tangle the skein of New Zealand politics.