The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1883. Our New Governor.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 844, 17 January 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1883. Our New Governor.

Before the present week is over the new Governor of New Zealand, Sir William Jervois, will have landed in Wellington, and that.he will be heartily welcomed by the inhabitants of the Empire City goes without saying. During the time he has held the position of Governor in South Australia he rendered himself popular with every class, and his departure was the occasion of great regret in that colony. It seems, from the recent papers received from England, that the appointment of Sir William Jervois to what is considered to be the most coveted of colonial Governorships, was a surprise. Such posts as these are but too often given to men whose only claim is that they are not rich enough to take the place their rank entitles them to at Home, needy aristocrats whose appointment is due to some family job. Sir Arthur Gordon, over whose departure we had recently cause to rejoice, was one of the latter class, and certainly the colony does not wish to be made the victim of another similar experiment. The Duke of Buckingham and Lord Gifford were each mentioned in the English papers a$ the probable successor to the late Governor, Tire former was Secretary of State for the Colonies for a short time during the late Earl Derby’s Ministry in 1867, and in 1875 he was appointed Governor of Madras a position he held for some years, though he did not show much brilliancy. Of Lord Gifford, we know little, except that he distinguished himself by his personal bravery during the Ashantee War and that he has since entered the diplomatic service. But the Home Government have shown ■wisdom in choosing a man like Sir William Jervois, who has had experience of the colonies and who has had the opportunity of studying the colpnial temper. We are told by the wiseacres in England, that the position of Go-

vernor of New Zealand is a difficult one. It may be difficult to a man of Sir Arthur Gordon’s stamp. : We will not tolerate supercilious snobbishness or a vindictiveness that prompts a man in a responsible position to send Home a garbled account of events for the purpose of bolstering up bis own mistaken and dangerous policy. Whatever difficulties have arisen in the Government of this colony have not been due either to the Ministry or the people. The past record of our present Governor is a sufficient guarantee that he does not possess those qualities that rendered his predecessor so objectionable. Straightforwardness and honesty are characteristics of the and we may safely predict that Sir W. Jervois will never do anything unworthy of the position he holds.