WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Issue 3018, 22 October 1872, Page 4

WELLINGTON.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

October 16. If I were a Disraeli or a Bulwer, 1 should write a book on the present state of affairs, it would i:cither be cofijic nop tragic, but serio-political, and the title J should give it would be “What do you think of it j” a title of a very suggestive kind in the present state of political affairs in New Zealand. It is a thousand pities that this session of Parliament has not been held in Otago, for sure I am the people of Dunedin would have given a fair and impartial verdict against the acts and doings of a party whose sole rule of conduct seems to have been formed through a desire to obtain office at any price, to vent personal spleen, and to delay the business of the country if in the hands of any party but themselves. The fair and impartial memoranda of his Excellency the Governor on the question of a d'ssolution has evidently made Mr Stafford and his more immediate followers wild. Home truths do not seem at all pleasant to them, and the result has been a concoction of two or three notices of motion, of which one in the name of Sir D. Monro came off last night. It gave the member for the Taieri, Mr Reid, an opportunity to make a speech in reply to Mr Vogel on his “ Want of Confidence Motion,” Mr Gillies having done so on a previous motion, and Mr Stafford will no doubt do so when his motion for Thursday comes up. It is a melancholy attitude these gentlemen place themselves in. They did not deign to reply to Mr Vo,cel at the proper time—Mr Stafford declaring “there was nothing to answer,” but after days of pondering, they take advantage of the rules of the House and speak on subjects, to some extent, irrelevant to the motion before the House. Mr Reid’s speech was of this kind, and he had evidently well conned over his task. I have not time to condense it, so forward yon the report as it appears in the huh pendent ; I must say, however, that the tone and style of delivery were anything but creditable to that gentleman. His extraordinary spite and rancour were displayed largely. It is a failing Mr Reid has got that he shews himself at all timus to be a first-clas;. hater, he cannot hide it, his snarling style and tone proclaim it. “True, ’tis a pity—pity ’tis too true,” that be can never become an eminent statesman, for he can never have a devoted following. The principal portions of M r Reid’s speech were these: — The honorable member, in making reference to the members of the late Ministry, informed the House that his capabilities had been very well gauged by his being placed in the position of Minister of Customs, where no talents of a very high order were rerequired, and where the duties were in reality performed by the officers of tne department. If the remarks had any application in his case they could not ho considered very flattering to the gentleman whom he had appointed to the position. Then again the pre ent Government had appointed a Minister of Public Works who required to he dry nursed, He (Mr Reid) might he incompetent, he might be anything the honorable gentleman might think fit to call him, i ut he was happy to say that when he undertook (the duties of

that office he did not require to be taken in hand by a dry-nurse, and what was more, though he was in office a very short time, he made very considerable improvements during that period; in fact, he would be sorry indeed to have left the affairs of the office in such a neglected and confused condition as ho found them. He had been told also that he knew little or nothing of the country, and that he was wholly unfit to follow a gentleman of such ability as the honorable member for Clive. What great ability did the honorable gentleman possess ? He certainly had some knowledge of a particular locality in the North 1 sland, and might have travelled a good deal, which seemed to be a great recommendation ; but if travelling experience was all that was required, why not employ one of those travelling agents who travelled to all parts of the Colony ? But what he complained of most was the insinuation made by the honorable member when he stated “that it was a mistake to suppose that his Government had acted with any favor towards the Messrs Brogdcn, because a recent occurrence would prove, better than he could, that Messrs Brogden did not desire a change from the present (Mr Stafford’s) Government.” That was a foul insinuation, and he utterly repudiat dit, because if there ever was a Government in the Colony against which such a charge was unjustifiable, it was the Government of which he was lately a member. He therefore repelled it with the utmost indignation. Following Mr Reid was Mr Vogel, who said he could not help expressing bis very great regret that the hou. member should have made such an attack upon his Excel* lency, because in doing so he had once more shown the truth of the adage, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thng.” By the help of May and Todd he had given the House his peculiar views of constitutional practice, but be bad entirely left out of view the facts of the case. It was undoubted that had the hou. member for Timarn obtained a dissolution, the party who put him out would have refused to grant him supplies, and had the Governor granted a dissolution it would have resulted in incurring great loss to the country. The hon. member must be under great misapprehension in supposing that the Governor had surrendered his prerogative. The fact was the very reverse. His Excel, lency stood by bis prerogative; he stood by the House, and he stood by the country. When the Governor refused to grant an unconstitutional dissolution, aud summed up the case in those few terse words which were to be found In his memoranda, be took tbp view which was in accordance with the views of the House and the country. Had the bon. member intimated his intention, in the event of his not being aide to hold office, to apply for a dissolution, he could not have obtained the majority he did, because it was not the desire of bon, members that a dissolution should take place. After wasting the whole of yesterday in discussing the motion of Sir David Monro, the member for Waikouaiti, was evidently ashamed of it, and without replying desired t,o withdraw i|i. To this the House would nob assent, but called for a division, and the result you know. This not pleasing the Stafford party, they, headed by Mr Stafford, made off like sneaks out of the House, being met with ironical cheers as they decamped, and cries of “ shew them out, ’ leaving only such of their following who would not vote for the motion, notably Mr Reader Wood, who made a capital speech condemnatory of it.