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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1964, 21 April 1875, Page 2

Sic Geobge Gbby andtha Hon. Dr. Pollen have lately been engaged in a telegraphic correspondence. Thirty-four messages have'been wired, some of them lengthy, and, as published in the, Gazette, Sisenpy over four pages. The facts are briefly these. Sir George Grey on his election was offered the delegation of the Governor's powers under the Goldfields and other Acts. The former he was reluctant to accept in consequence of a large expenditure being, in his opinion, absolutely necessary to carry out gold, fields JHe was referred by Dr Pollen 5 to certain votes of the Assembly to the Province of Auckland. One was a special grant of £40,000, to be paid to |hfe Province in quarterly instalments of. £6tKJQ. Another was a sum of £25,000 as a further special allowance; and a further sum was advanced-to the Province of £50,000 for "works in and about the Thames Goldfield." This was no less than the sum provided by special bill as loan to the United Pumping Association secured by mortgage over the Associated Companies' propeity. Now it appears that of the forty thousand and twentyfive thousand no sum i 3 available for immediate goldfields works, and Sir George Grey declined to take any portion of the fifty thousand voted for the Pumping

Association unless the Government would agree to make good such sums, and thus keep faith with the Association in terms of their agreement. In this we cordially support Sir George Grey. The loan was obtained for a specific purpose; it is being expended under the superyision of the Provincial Government; and the security accepted for repayment was considered ample. It would hare been a breach of faith, therefore, to have u»ed any portion of the sum (except under the conditions stipulated for by Sir George Grey), owing to the ambiguity of the language used, which named the rote as for "worts in an about the Thames Goldfield." If it bad not, been for this loan to the Province for the Pumping Association, in all probability-s£sc work j would have been at a standstill ion £ ago, and the Thames would Lave been in a much worse position than it is ; and any attempt to divert a portion of the- £'50,000 from its intended purpose would be unfair, and, we believe, illegal. In the stand Sir George Grey.has made, he has asserted his own independence, and shown that his promises to see justice done are not mere empty professions. Many men in his position would have accepted money from whatever source forthcoming, but Sir George has declined to accept, as a favor, the means to carry on the functions" of his office," or ; to allow public money voted for a distinct purpose to be used for any other purpose. He has said that he will be no party to spending any portion of the £50,000 -for the Pumping Association, unless the Government will guarantee to replace anysums so used. In this we consider lie is in the right. No definite conclusion appears to have been arrived at by this voluminous telegraphic correspondence, but no doubt"* supplementary edition will shortly "be pubiisisu, more satisfactory in its results.