THE MINISTRY AND THE STATE OF PARTIES.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2758, 19 December 1871, Page 2

THE MINISTRY AND THE STATE OF PARTIES.

Mr W. J. Steward, M H. R. for Waitaki, addressed his constituent* at Oamaru last week, and received a unanimous vote of confidence. His speech was a very long one, and we make the following extract from it, as showing his ideas of parties in the House, and the position of the Government. He said:—“ For the first five weeks of the session there could scarcely be •said to be any recognised line of party demarcations, although, from the fiist, efforts were made for the formation of an organised Opposition. .Never in the whole history of New Zealand was there so favorable an opportunity for any man possessing the power of loader.-diip, the capacity of a statesman, to foni) and lead a powerful party in opposition to the Government of the day, Of 7S members 40 were new members—new not only to that Parliament, but, unless I mistake, nearly all of them new to any. As one of tho.se members, I cm say with certainty, that the majority of those similarly circumstanced with myself, went into the House entirely unbiassed in so far as party leaders *

were concerned, and were ready to follow the lead of that man or that party, be it Government or Opposition, which was prepared to show a programme the most favourable to the interests of the country at large. But what had we to choose between ? Between an entity, and a nonentity —between a decided policy, and no policy at all,—between something and nothing,—between a strong Government, which at least knew its own mind, and a weak, unmanageable, ill-tempered, soured Opposition which did not; an Opposition without a definite policy, with, so far as I could sec, no pronounced ideas, consisting of a heterogeneous assortment of some nineteen men, remarkable only for their loquacity, their bitterness, and, so far as some of them were concerned, their utter inanity. Their leader, Mr Stafford, a gentleman, a statesman, and an orator, had little to boast of in bis following, and, towards the end of the session, assumed the role of “the disappointed man,” unable to effect anything, with no new ideas to bring forward, and merely holding as it appeared a copy of the celebrated brief, “No case; abuse plaintiff’s attorney.” What wonder then, that the young members joined the Government side ; and what wonder that the Government, notwithstanding personal and political hostilities on the part of seme, perhaps many, are firmer in their seats than ever ! Mr Stafford’s star has set; indeed I question much whether he will ever again—except under some fortuitous combination of circumstances —hold the reins of power in Now Zealand. And now for the Ministry itselfl speak of the Ministry as it was during the session. Of the additions thereto since the prorogation I will speak presently. The Premier, Mr Fox, although accused by some persons of old-wotnanishncss, twitted as to his teetotal opinions, and his Palestine proclivities, is nevertheless still an able man, and in the debates of the House, particularly towards the close of the session, showed an acumen and an eloquence, which certainly very few old women possess. I believe him to be conscientious and diligent in the dis* charge of his duties as the first public servant of the Colony, and I utterly disagree with those who won d have it appear that he counts for little in the Cabinet. Mr Vogel, who has risen so rapidly to his present position is, I believe, the shrewdest, if not the cleverest man iu the Colony; and although some persons entertain towards him a personal dislike, I do not think that any of them can deny that he has achieved as, —well, let me say, as the ambassador of tbc Colony, more than perhaps any member of any Ministry in the Colonies of these seas could have done for his Colony. Some people try to make a great deal of the L 3,500 or L3,I00(I am not sure which) which represents the cost to the Colony of his mission to America and Ingland; but let me say that I believe the money was well expended, that I know regular vouchers for every item of expenditure were produced, and that for what iqay be termed private expenditure incurred by Ifim Mr Vogel handed over his cheque ou is arrival. The Native Minister; Mr M‘Lean, is unquestionably, if not the chief, one of the chief pillars of the • iuistry. His policy with regard to the Natives has been eminently successful; and I believe jf Native affairs remain under his ad, ministration four or five years more, all pro. bability, nay, all possibility, of Native diskurbauces will be at an end. And here I have publicly to avow my recantation, or rather my change of opinion. 1 was one of those who derided what is termed the “blanket and sugar policy,” but I am now convinced that peace with blankets and sugar is cheaper to the Colony than war without either. And here again was an additional reason on n ( y part fop sqppqrjing the present Government, because, had they oeeii turned out, 1 was aware that Mr M'Leau would not work with Mr Stafford, and in effect was convinced that a change of administration would involve another Native war, and that, even though the present Government be somewhat extravagant, to turn them out would only be in effect to impose additional burdens on the Colony. Of Mr Gisborne I have only to say that 1 believe him to be—indeed, know him to be—a hardworking public servant, and do not hesitate tq adff that his honesty of pqrpgse stuff (though some persons may be surprised' to hear this) bis eloquence and readiness in de. bate, his good-tempered pleasantry, and his indefatigable perseverance, render him an immense acquisition to any Ministry. As you are aware, since the session two ether members have been added to the Cabinet namely, Mr Hooves, of Christchurch, as Resident Minister in the Middle Island, and Mr Ormond as Minister for Public Works in the North. Island. The first I consider to be an excellent choice ; but as regards Mr Ormond, although I have nothin' to say against him personally, I think it would have been better and fairer to (he Midi]jo Island to call to the Cabinet another Middle Island member, to find whom the Ministry need not ha ve gone farther South than the Province of Nelson.”