The Evening Star MONDAY, JULY 15, 1872.

Evening Star, Issue 2934, 15 July 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, JULY 15, 1872.

If we are to believe in public opinion, the Session will not pass over without a change of Ministry. This is the settled belief of some people, well or ill-founded. Yet if the grounds of it be examined, they seem only to be vague. Ask any one of the members who went up to Wellington on Friday and Saturday, and lie either would not or could not give a definite reason. Just as dreamy are the notions held as to the nature of the change. In the opinion of one, it will not be thorough, and will only amount to a reconstruction—that is to say, the dismissal of one man and putting another in his place. Ask who is to play the part of Jonah, and to be thrown overboard by his shipmates, lie could not tell. Canvass the names of the Cabinet, and there was only one, that one gentleman could bear to part with—Mr Fox. It did not clearly appear what great sin he had committed —nothing beyond an effort to do good by delivering a teetotal lecture or two, and painting some of the splendid scenery of New Zealand. This bias in favor of temperance and art does not commend itself as comporting with the dignity of a Prime Minister to the mind of the member who has singled him out for political distraction. In the opinion of another, Mr Vogel is to be the scape goat. He has this year to meet Parliament with less of prestige in his favor than has hitherto been his lot, and “ the reputation of a man is like his shadow; it sometimes follows, and sometimes precedes him ; it is sometimes longer and sometimes shorter than his natural size.” It is not that Mr Vogel has not worked hard. Probably no man ever worked harder to establish and carry into execution beneficial plans than he has done since the laat session of Parliament. He made arrange* ments which were in themselves good, but has been foiled by circumstances over which he had no control. Natural agencies have interfered to bring the San Francisco Mail Contract into temporary disrepute, and political intrigues have rendered nugatory his efforts in Victoria and the United States. These adverse influences, instead of being attributed to their right causes, will be visited upon his head. Uochefoucault says, “ Philosophy holds an easy triumph over misfortunes which are past and those which are to come ; but those that are present triumph over her.” There is a greed of office in the minds of a certain class of politicians that blinds them to the true character of the circumstances on which they depend to climb into power. That such an one has not succeeded in the hundredth instance is sufficient to cast into the shade the ninety-nine in which his efforts have been triumphant. The benefits received are forgotten, or purposely hidden from view ; while the failure is magnified into a political sin that cannot be overlooked. Put a far more difficult problem is presented than merely turning a Ministry out of office, and that is—Who are to take their places 1 It would be a bad tiling for a country were it dependent for its prosperity upon the genius of one man or one Ministry. There are, no doubt, many able men in the country—probably in the House; but they have not yet risen to the top—they have not made their mark. Mr Stafford still stands in the estimation of men as the leader of the Opposition. Mr Gillies, perhaps, is really the abler man of the two, but he has been erratic in his attacks upon the Ministry, and has shown more of personal animus than political sagacity. Between these two there is a difficulty. Most probably if one were to undertake to form a Ministry, the other would go into opposition. But personal animosity is very unsafe "round on which to overthrow an Administration. There is no principle involved, and the country cannot sympathise in a mere transfer of power from one hand to another, by which there is much to lose and nothing to gain. Assume it proved that many things might have been done better than they have been, the question remains—Will they be done better in future under a new Administration than by the old 1 If it be asserted they will, Where is the guarantee ] and what are the measures 1 Those at present before the country, beyond the question of administration, arc matters on which it is hardly likely that a Government will risk its existence. The education question, it is understood, will be introduced by the Government, but will be left to the House to deal with. Then the Permissive Bill has pci much sympathy in the minds of

the people—perhaps not so mnclyas it deserves. Its advocates will have to work hard for years before the country is likely to adopt it— at any rate, in so crude a form as the demands placed before the public. Yet Mr Fox is earnestly desirous of some measure of the kind. There is a Bankruptcy Bill also in embryo, which is understood to be a corrected edition of that proposed last year ; but beyond these little is known of the intention of Ministers, whose policy for the session will, however, be disclosed to-morrow. One point must not be overlooked : the country is not so assured of immunity from a Maori war as to render a change of Ministry an event involving no risk. It is believed, therefore, by many far-sighted politicians, that a Ministerial defeat will be follow'd by a general election, because the Governor would require the national sanction to the dismissal of an executive whose removal might lead to so'grave a result. We apprehend, if the present Ministry are superseded, it will be on points of administration. They stand somewhat in the position of inventors. They have struck out a new line of thought and action, and have had all the machinery to invent to give effect to it. Bystanders have been criticising and examining the springs and combinations intended to give life to the scheme. One will detect a wrong move here and another there, and very probably ultimately the merit of successful working will be claimed by some whose sole talent lies in appropriating the result of other men’s labors to their own profit. Genius often sows the seed but is not permitted to reap the harvest.