The Globe. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1878.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1474, 6 November 1878, Page 2

The Globe. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1878.

So it would soem that wo aro again to have a change in what is popularly called the Vice - Regal administration. Lord Normanby, it is authoritatively assorted, is to be transferred to the colony of Victoria, which step is, of course, one of promotion. Few people, indeed, will bo found in the colony to say one word against the Marquis when ho leaves. His Governorship Ims been marked by ability, forbearance, and, lot us add, by a display of that valuable, if somewhat rare commodity, tact. And it is, perhaps, the latter qualification which is mostly required in men holding the exalted position which, under existing constitutional rules, is by no moans of so easy a character to fill as some people appear to think it. During his term of office, there cannot be any doubt but that Lord Normanby has mot with many difficulties not usually encountered by representatives of her Majesty abroad. We do not refer, of course, to any internal or nai tional trouble; the Maori question, fortunately, has not boon such, during the last few years, as to call forth the interference or active interest oven of the custodian of Imperial rights stationed among us. But party politics happened to run into an inordinarly tortuous channel as soon as the present Ministry came into office, and a severe tax upon his powers of forbearance was the natural result. It is no now thing to state that Sir George Grey and his colleagues have invariably evinced a spirit of hostility towards Lord Normanby, to whom they were never slow in attributing motives of partisanship whenever ho thought best, in the public interests, to take a stand in questions brought before him, and in which he had jurisdiction. The Blue Books now contain, for instance, the whole correspondence which took place between the Premier, his Excellency, and the Homo authorities in reference to Lord Normanby refusing to sanction the elevation of Mr J. N. Wilson to the Upper House. The course he then thought his duty to pursue, the fiat of Downing street has now amply decided to be the right and proper one. And in various other ways also has his Excellency proved that he thoroughly understood the nature of the responsibilities imposed upon him by the Imperial Cabinet. Lord Normanby will close his connection with Now Zealand at an early date, and when he relinquishes the Governorship ho will certainly have the right to think that he has fully earned the respect and good feeling of the community by the dignified and unprejudiced manner in which he conducted the administration of his office. It is widely reported that the Marquis’ successor in New Zealand will be Sir William Wellington Cairns, K.C.M.G., and already questions are asked as to what manner of man our new Governor is. Sir W. Cairns is now in England, where he proceeded on account of illhealth. He is of Irish parentage, was born in 1828, and is the second surviving son of the late Captain W. Cairns. The eldest surviving son is the present Chancellor of England, Lord Cairns, Our prospective Governor went to the East Indies in 1848 to qualify himself to enter the Civil Service. In the Colonial Office list, we find that he was appointed a writer —a term in the Imperial Civil Service akin to that of a clerk—in the Civil Service of Ceylon, on the nomination of the Secretary of State in 1852, and was then attached to the cutcherry—or staff — of the Government Agent of the Southern Province at Galle. In 1853 he was appointed Acting-Government Agent at the same place, and two years after Commissioner of the Court of Requests and Police Magistrate at Calpentyn, in the North-western Province. In 1856, Mr Cairns was an Assistant-Government Agent at Trincomalee, in the Eastern Province; and in 1859, Ac ting-Assistant Agent at Colombo, in the Western Province. The same year he was promoted to the Assistant-Agency at Matara, in the Southern Province, where he remained until 1864, where his services were secured as Acting Postmaster-General of Ceylon. In the following year he was transferred to Badulla, the Central Province, again as AssistantGovernment Agent, where he continued to act as Postmaster-General until December, 1866, when ho proceeded to Europe on leave of absence. On February 20 th, 1867, ho was appointed first LieutenantGovernor of Malacca, when the Straits settlements were transferred from the Indian Government to the home authorities, and in 1868 wo find him at St. Kitts in the West Indies as LieutenantGovernor. In 1870 ho was selected to undertake the Government of Honduras. In recognition of his services in that then somewhat unsettled locality, Mr Cairns received in 1874, at the hands of the Earl of Kimberly, the distinction of the Companionship of the Order of St. Michael and St. George as well as the Government of Trinidad. The climate, however, having undermined an already well-tried constitution, ho had to resign this Government, when ho returned to TCnglaritl Shortly aftewards ho accepted the Governorsniji of Quounoianrl. which he hold uutil sent to South Australia in 1877. From this short synopsis of the various services which Sir William has already rendered to the Crown, it is easy to perceive that ho is not a tyro in the administrative art. His appointment to the Now Zealand Governorship requires confirmation however, although wo perceive that several of our contemporaries have taken it for granted that the appointment has actually been made.