THE PLAGIARISM OF A POLICY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1755, 19 August 1862, Page 2

THE PLAGIARISM OF A POLICY.

Every body has heard the anecdote of the old gentleman, who, being deeply read in theological literature, went one fine Sunday into a strange church, and taking a seat in the front rank of the congreg ation, proceeded devoutly to listen to the discourse. By and bye, the attentive auditor began to look critical, and at the close of a splendid flight of oratory on the part of the preacher, nodded emphatically, and remarked quite distinctly enough to be heard, " That's Tillotsou. " The sermon went ou for a little longer, but a few sentences of close and vigor, ous reasoning from the pulpit called forth he second matter of fact comment," That's Jeremy Taylor. " The same unmerciful criticism was continued, and the picker of other meu's brains so ruthlessly exposed, that at length losing -ill patience, and frowniug fearfully at tbe audacious commentator he cried, "■ If you do not hold your tongue, Sir, I'll have you turned out " whereupon the imperturbable individual addressed, took up his hat, rose, and facing the congregation quietly said, " That's his own," and left the discomfited plagiarist to the comfort of his own reflections.

It is a truism to say that there is Plagiarism, in many other things besides sermons, and a very fair illustration of this, might be found were a comparison drawn between the- Native responsibility policy of the late Ministry, and thaj' faintly shadowed forth by Mr. Domett, in his recent Ministerial statements. What is the Native responsibility policy of the present Cabinet. Is it that of Sir George Grey and of Mr.Fox, or is it there own ?

It would puzzle many wise heads, to give a satisfactory reply to those queries; but judging frum the very scanty information, as yet given forth , we can trace a close analogy between the conduct of the Minister of the Church, and that of the Minister of the Crown ; the former having filched the beauties of his discourse from •' Tillolson '' and " Jeremy Taylor," while the latter, is indebted for the bone and marrow of his policy to Fox and Sir George Grey.

A cursory perusal of the speech delivered by Mr* Domett on Friday week, would impress the general reader with tbe idea that he had seen something very like this before, and a more careful mental retrospect would confirm that impression, and fix on Mr. Fox's late statement of Ministerial. Policy on Native affairs, as what had originated it. In fact as we shall presently show, the two speeches placed side, by side are iike the " two Diomios " so close in their resem. blance in point of principle and fact that it would puzale any one but the authors of their being to say which is the real Simon Pure. A main point in Mr. Domett's scheme is " that th c decision of Native Policy should be left to the Governor, but that on all occasions, they wih consider themselves bound to afford him thei r

" best counsel aud advice in Native as well as in I other matters, whenever such counsel is desired." They, the (Ministry) " will also be prepared to undertake the administration of Native affairs' when requested by His Excellency to do so, I reserving, however their decision to the Governor," and by this latter reservation, the present cabinet expect to escape any further pecuniary liability past or future, beyond the amount authorised or to,be authorised by the House of Representatives. Such then is one feature of "their policy, which only differs from that of Mr. Fox in the point, that they hope to do all that their predecessors did — in the way of governing, educating, and civilising the Native Race, without takiug the same measure of responsibility on their shoulders. They accept the fruits of the labours of Sir George Grey, aod his late advisers, "they are not bound to bring in any new scheme or policy at all," of course not, when there is already one perfected to their hands, and so they propose to graft a few new features, on the original plan, and then no doubt, we shall have the bantling christened as the Native Policy of the Domett administration.

There are however a few little difficulties yet to be overcome which demand consideration and the first of these is the Duke of Newcastle's Despatch, which in most unmistakeable terms tells the Colony's representatives that tbey must accept responsibility on Native affairs. Mr. Domett thinks he has found a loophole of escape from tbis, in resolving tbat himself and colleagues, shall merely be the advisers, or rather theirresponsible instruments of the Governor, and that in the capacity of an executive body of Clerks they will pul his plans into execution but it is very doubtful, indeed looking to the language of tbat despatch whether that plea will avail them. If it will uot save ibe Colony from the pecuniary liability, sought to be imposed by the Imperial Government, it would be infinitely better to adopt Mr. Fox's principle, and take the management of the matter into our own hands, as it would oertaiuly be very hard that the Colony should be ultimately saddled with tbe costs of a course of action in which it virtually bad neither act nor part. This, however, as yet, is an opeu question, and requires time for its solution, but iv view of present circumstances the, honest i principle of responsibility, seems the best for | adoption* The idea that a higher class of institutions ! should be offered to the Maories is of little moment, when coupled with the previously stated iulention of supporting the other plans, but the proposition of establishing oat-settle-ments, and raising the loan of a million for that purpose, is to a certain extent original. The Debate on the fitiancial resolutions, having been postponed till to-day, it would be premature to enter into a consideration of that portion of the scheme, but meantime, it is tolerably clear that whatever future credit may attach to the Domett Ministiy, for their Native legislation, will require in justice to be more than shared by Mr. Fox and his «u?porters, who initiated the plans on which they now propose to act. *