The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1883. Mr Gladstone and New Zealand.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1080, 22 October 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1883. Mr Gladstone and New Zealand.

Few English Ministers have attained such popularity as Mr Gladstone at present enjoys. In the case of Lord Palmerston, genial manners and a frank bearing were not a little instrumental in gaining for him the support and attachment of the people. But the feeling with which Mr Gladstone is regarded, differs from this: it is based more upon admiration' of the statesman than affection for the individual. To the mass of his countrymen, his utterances have come to ,be held as all but oracular. That the colonies should share in these sentiments of profound respect for the veteran statesman is natural enough; but New Zealand, it would seem, has taken a bold mode of expressing them. A few days ago, an Invercargill paper announced in tones of subdued exultation that a movement had been set on foot by a Southland gentleman, »Mr Peter Dalrymple to send an invitation to Mr Gladstone to visit New Zealand. A letter we notice has been written to the right honorable gentleman conveying the hospitable overtures, and some forty-eight members of our legislature have signed it, That Mr Peter Dalrymple is sanguine as to the success of his project we do not doubt. Probably he has conjured up a pleasing vision of Mr Gladstone addressing the people of Invercargill from the window of his hotel, and making frequent reference during his remarks to “ my friend on my right ” —which, of course, would be Mr Dalrymple. Then the illustrious visitor will be taken for delicious drives in and around Invercargill in all of which Mr Dalrymple may fairly claim to participate. And altogether it will be a delightful time for Mr Dalrymple. Yet this enterprising Southland gentleman should be cautioned against permitting Mr Gladstone’s instructive conversation to seduce him into forgetfulness of those greaf matters which for some time,past have agitated the mind of his province. Mr Dalrymple is not the man we take him for if he misses this opportunity of Mr Gladstone’s visit of setting at rest for ever by appeal to one of the highest intellectual authorities the vexed questions Should the Bluff have a tug? Is it lawful and right for the Invercargill tramways to run on the Sabbath day ? But we grieve to be compelled to throw cold water upon these fond hopes and aspirations. We confess it at once: we think a visit to these islands by the Prime Minister about as improbable an event as a visit from Her Majesty the Queen. ' But if the fortyeight gentlemen will be content with an autograph letter from the right honorable it is not likely they will be disappointed. With that grave courtesy habitual to him he will reply that though he ardently longs to see New Zealand, a country of which he has heard so much, the necessity of attending at least an occasional Cabinet Council, together with the other troublesome duties of his offices are obstacles he fears not to be surmounted. What Mr Gladstone might do were the Premiership off his hands and the leadership of the Liberal party transferred to another it is useless to conjecture. The latter event, we believe, will not occur for some time unless health should peremptorily demand it. We are patriotic enough not to wish to see Mr Gladstone under such circumstances.