The Globe. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1058, 17 November 1877, Page 2

The Globe. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1877.

The Lyttelton Times this morning professes to be very indignant with the people of Christchurch for the absence of the display of party spirit in the present political crisis, and scolds the electors roundly for not coming boldly forward and pronouncing an opinion upon the various questions which are agitating the public mind. Says our contemporary: — In Nelson, Dunedin, and Auckland, the people have had the quickness to penetrate the hollowness of the line phrases which the Opposition have used to cloak their designs against the Government. Christchurch has been behind hand, but it is notorious that in Colonial agitation some place well in the rear is usually preferred by the people of Christchurch, # # * * A political crisis has produced a most chaotic state of parties, which is favourable to unscrupulous bids for power, and most detrimental to the cause of good government at a time when good government is more than ever mos r . imperatively required. Christchurch looks on with stupid wonderment. Some of our neighbours have more sense. They understand their duty better. Seeing- parties so well balanced and so fiercely engaged in fruitless war, they have intimated to their representatives their desires on the subject of their future conduct.

No doubt the electors o£ Cliristcburcb Have a very profound respect for tbe opinion of our venerable contemporary and feel deeply grieved that they cannot always follow her advice on public questions. The phrase “ stupid wonderment,” however, would perhaps very aptly describe the conduct of this would-be guide of public opinion herself. The advent of Sir G. Grey to place and power was evidently as great a surprise to our contemporary, as a blow to her cherished hopes. At first she could only gaze helplessly at the spectacle of a small minority in the House seizing the Ministerial benches, and usurping the position intended for the honorable member for Akaroa and his particular friends. But in order to be on the popular side, whichever party got into power, our contemporary reserved her definite opinion till she had considered the Ministerial policy and their measures, and stated that Ministers might justly claim a fair trial. On the other hand, she maintained that the views propounded by Sir GK Grey when in Opposition, his pledged support of the disunion of the colony, and the general appropriation of the land fund, his exaggerated language, his love of paradox, his inordinate proclivity to controversial writing on theoritical questions, and his political unreliability were not calculated to inspire public confidence. As time wore on, and as Sir G. Grey’s superior skill in party warfare gained him increased support, our contemporary forgot all about Sir G. Grey’s “ political unreliability,” Her “ trimming ” instincts induced her naturally to veer round, and take what she now looks upon as the “popular” side, and she is surprised as well as disappointed to find that the electors of Christchurch have not at once followed her example. Accustomed as her readers no doubt are to the “ shiftiness” of our contemporary, she ought to remember that it takes more than a few weeks to demoralise a whole community. The probabilities are that a week or two ago the majority of the electors of Christchurch agreed with the Lyttelton Times in the opinion that Sir G. Grey’s views when in opposition on the “ disunion of the colony,” and “ the general appropriation of the land fund” were not calculated to inspire general public confidence, and they may still be of opinion that “ hi political unreliability” does not justify them in giving his Ministry their uu reserved confidence. To condemn then therefore because they cannot chang' their opinions with the rapidity of out contemporary is most unjust.