The Evening Star TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4220, 5 September 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1876.

Major Atkinson’s sketch of the policy proposed by the new Ministry will take -no onp by surprise: it is virtually a continuation of that of the past few years. Whatever expectations the “out-and-out Opposition ” members may have hhd, : they must now bo-abandoned by them as hopeless.” The now Ministry may be fairly pronounced a coalition on®, as it includes in Mr Whitaker by far the ablest of the Audiland members. His acceptance of the position of Attorney-General -is a virtual approval of the progressive policy of the past few years, and he will have the support of those of his party not wedded to worn-out and practically obstruct tive Constitutional forms. Mr Whitaker was quite safe in hia reservations concerning his future coarse, should so improbable a change take place in the ideas of the House as to lead them to reverse their decisions on the Land Fund and Flnamnal Separation. In fact the Opposition may bo fairly said to have been “hoist with tlieir own petard.” They raised issues that I iiave been decided against them, and thns & moothed the way for the changes announce! I in the personnel of the Ministry. Had Financial or Insular Separation or the Land Revenue question been still in abeyance, Mr Whitaker could not have joined a Ministry w ho opposed him on those points—the main features of difference between them. The House has removed those impedimenta by expressing decided opinions upon them, and therefore there can no longer be the slightest difficulty in supporting any measures tending to forward settlement and the development of onr industrial system. At present we offer no opinion on tlna measures marked out. The necessity for borrowing to. meet Provin oial engagements is aproof how essential it isthatthe whole Colonyshould be governed by one Parliament, for, noth withstanding the restriction that permission must be asked by a Province before borrowing, it is plain engagements have been entered into and arrangements made which have added very materially to the aggregate debt of the Colony. We have on many occasions expressed how much, in our opinion, New Zealand owes to the efforts of Sir Julius Vogel, Sir Donald M‘Lkan, and the Hon. Mr Richardson. On them, in conjunction with the Hon. W. Fox, the heavy responsibility lay of a complete revolution in the policy of the Colony. Had it failed, as was predicted by politicians of the physical' force class, they would have boon regarded as \isionaries who wanted “to turn the world down.” It was a great experiment, and fortunately ibr humanity, it succeeded,In sentiment of Major atkikson, they •‘hoJ the Loads to roue-and the hearts <•« ' risk their reputations and fortur.es \u the venture. New Zealand now stands a model for imitation to all future Colonies so far as relations with aborigines are concerned. There have been mistakes not yet corrected, and which public opinion does not acknowledge. It will be left for other statesmen fitted for the work to deal with them. Those who are now desirous of withdrawing from administrative labor have been faithful to their trust, and in spite of obloquy and misrepresentation have pursued with singleness of purpose and unwearied perseverance the objects they had marked out for themselves.. The Colony owes them much, for they bore “the labor and heat of the day.”. Even the fledgings of the Opposition could only show their teeth by “chaff” when the Statement was made, and dreary Mr Thomson perpetrated the joke of Sosing to speak by telegraph. The sters who will retire have earned the respect of the Colony, and have opened thr. way for fresh talent to develop the work and reforms they have so ably begun.