The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1872.

Timaru Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 815, 21 October 1872, Page 3

The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1872.

MONTHLY SUMMARY FOR THE ENGLISH MAIL. » Like the last, this present month (of October) has been distinguished by a Ministerial crisis, Mr Stafford's ministry having- to give way to another, under the leadership of Mr Wnterhouse. At the date of our last summary — September 25 — the late ministry had just assumed office, and looked likely to weather the. session. On September 2? f h, the Colonial Treasurer (Mr Gillies) made his Financial Statement, and on October 2nd, the Minister of Public Works (Mr Reid) made his Public Works Statement (see supplementary sheet) both, of which, were very straightforward and business-like speeches. Nevertheless, the Government had too small a working majority to carry out their programme, which, apparently, did not please some of their previous supporters, for on Mr Yogel moving a direct Want of Confidence 0:1 October 4th, the Government were defeated by two votes. The motion was taken without a debate, Mr Stafford electing to adopt this. course. Prior to resigning, Mr Stafford, m view of the evenly balanced state of parties m the House, requested the Governor to dissolve Parliament, stating that neither party had a working majority. The Governor asked if he was sure the House would grant the necessary supplies. Mr Stafford replied that Ministers had no reason to doubt it. The Governor then, m a long and able memorandum, discussed the whole aspect of the crisis, and said, there was no expression of public opinion throughout the country m favor of either side, the country -regarding the differences as between the leading public men, rather as a personal affair than political, and on matters of detail rather than ot principle. There was no great political question to refer to the constituencies, and he was not at all sure that the House would grant the necessary supplies, and moreover, he was not aware either that a new administration could not be formed on such a wide basis as to command the confidence of the House and country. Under such circumstances it would be premature to grant a dissolution, but if assured of supplies being granted, he might reconsider the matter. Mr Stafford then asked for positive dissolution if the supplies were voted. The Governor refused to give this promise, and Ministers accordingly expressing dissent from the Governor's views, resigned. On October 9th, the Telegraph informed us that Mr Yogel had been seni for, and that he had undertaken to form a ministry. Subsequently Mr Yogel was joined by Mr Waierhouse, who assumed the leadership of the new Executive, which is composed as follows: — Premier, Mr Waterhouse; Treasurer, Mr Yogel ; Colonial Secretary, Mr Hall.; Native Minister, Mr McLean; Minister of Public Works, Mr Ormond ; Commissioner of Customs, Mr Bathgate. Without portfolios, Messrs Richardson, (Canterbury) and Mr O'Rorke. Mr Richardson, it is understood; will take the Ministry of Public Works at the end of the session, as Mr Ormond objects to resign the -snperintendency of the province of Hawke's Bay, an appointment he has long held. Matters being thus settled, parliamentary business wasagain resumed, and as usual towards the end of the. session a large number of Bills were rushed through the House or discharged, among the

latter being 1 several on which a large amount of time has been, as it has turned out, uselessly spent m debate. A rather interesting:, though brief discussion occurred m regard to the new Premier, on n motion made by Mi Stafford m the House on Thursday last, to the following effect: — ''Thai the Colonial Treasurer having stated that the Ministry was formed by him and Dot by the Prime Minister, thf riousd desires to be informed as tc whether, m the event of the death oi resignation of the Prime Minister, the Ministry would according' to constitutional usage be ipse facto dissolved.' He said that as Mr Yogel had already answered the question he did not desire to press it. He quoted precedents to show the usual practice, and said hf would have preferred to see Mr Yogel Premier m name as well as m fact. Ht was perlectly entitled to the position, and from the position he had achieved m politics, it would have been a proper and fitting position for him to occupy. It would have been both more seemly and more satisfactory to have had at the head of affairs a gentleman holding an acknowledged political position, than one whose extraordinary vacillation m having taken office a few days after his positive declaration that he would never do so, had weakened his position m public estimation. He said Mr Waterhouse had never done anj'thing to entitle him to the position of Premier nor ever submitted himself to the test of public approval m this colony. He had been anxious to secure Mr Waterhouse as a colleague, hut would have thought it an insult to the people of the colony to offer him the Premiership. He bore high testimony to the character and position of Mr Fox and contrasted Mr Waterhouse unfavorably with him. — Mr Yogel briefly replied, repeating that Mr Waterhouse was to the lull extent Premier, and that the existence of the Ministry constitutionally depended on him. He maintained that the appointment was quite m accordance with precedent. — Mr Fox. defended Mr "Waterhouse's appointment, and referred m eulogistic terms to his South Australian career. The motion was not pressed to. a division, but the opinions expressed by Mr Stafford are very generally entertained, both inside and outside of the House, it being 1 rather difficult to see what Mr Waterhouse has done to entitle him to the position of Premier, and after all, Mr Yogel will, perhaps, not find him the " tower of strength" he expected him to be. The Financial Statement of ths new Government — the third Financial Statement of the present session — was very vague and unsatisfactory. 'The most noticeable point about it was that the surplus of £25,000 mentioned m Mr Vogel's former Budget, had dwindled down to what Mr Gillies termed the equally visionary one of £1,061. One of the first acts of the new Ministry was the addition of two Maori members to the Upper House, the natives being thus represented m both branches ot the Legislature. The Government have promised to increase the jurisdiction of the Timaru District Court, and they have obtained a gram ot £1500 as six month*' subsidy to a steam service to Fiji, m order to firmly establish the growing trade between New Zealand and the South Sea Islands. The following 1 are among the principal measures which have passed jhe Assembly: — Municipal Corporations Waterworks Bill, Public Revenues Bill, Canterbury Public Domain Bill, Canterbury Rate Roll [Revision Bill, Lyttelton Harbor Works Bill, and Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Bill. Mr Fox's Permissive Bill, or Licensing Bill as it was designated, was discharged. It is expected that the session, if nothing extraordinary occurs, will close m about a week from the present time. In another column will be found the Public Works Statement delivered to the House on Friday night last by Mr Ormond. It is not for us now to comment on the document, but we cannot forbear saying that it compares m every respect most unfavorably with that made by the late Minister Mr Reid. In the latter the country knew to a sixpence what it was about to be committed to; while Mr Ormond's is thoroughly unsatisfactory m so far that whilst dealing- largely with figures — expenditure on certain 7 lines — it is characterised by a vagueness of detail which cannot fail to displease every, body. This district, it will be seen, is peculiarly neglected. Beyond Parliamentary news nothing very striking has occurred during the month. The natives are still peacably disposed, with the exception of a little squabble about the boundaries of land, which occured between two sections of them at Napier recently, m which one man got shot. The Government have initiated an exhibition of colonial produce, to be held m Christchurch m December next. The exhibition is m view of the International Exhibition, to be held m Vienna, m the 3'ear 1873, for which it is intended to select the most prominent exhibits from the Colonial Exhibition. In purely local news, we have little specially to note. Our annual Agricultural Show takes place on Wednesday next-, and promises to be a great success. r lhe Borough Council have; taken up the question of harbor .works for the port, and intend to bring the matter before Parliament at its- next session. A report, embodying details of the proposed scheme, and statistics m support of it, will, with accounts oi rnanv other matters of general anil Ipcaf interest, be found m our supplementary sheet.