THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1879.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1753, 2 October 1879, Page 2

THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1879.

Me. Hall’s attack on the Government on Tuesday evening gave the Premier a fine opportunity of showing his unexampled adroitness in evading the point of any question that may be put to him, when he finds that a straightforward answer may involve difficulties. The opportunity certainly was an unusually good one, because to have refuted any of the accusations made by the leader of the Opposition in a satisfactory manner was an impossibility. As far as the telegrams received report the debate, the arguments ran much as follows. Mr. Hall accused the Government of complete failure in administering native affairs, while the expenditure had been increased by £20,000. Sir George Grey meets this with a statement that native affairs are in a much more flourishing condition now than when he came into office. As to any increase of expenditure that is passed over in convenient silence. The latter method, too, is pursued with regard to the question of general finance. According to Sir George it was not the time on the ovo of a dissolution to make any statement which would elucidate the financial position of the colony. It does not appear to have struck him that the various constituencies would probably wish to know as much as possible on this most vital point. No doubt from the Government point of the question the Premier was quite correct in his views. Anything he could have said at the end of last session would most certainly not have told in favor of the candidates who stood on the Grey ticket. A judicious silence was no doubt Sir George’s best card. Mr. Hall accused the Government of tampering with the Press of the country, by unfairly distributing Government advertisements, and influencing newspapers accordingly, also by acting unfairly with regard to the special wire system. The Premier sets up the defence that giving advertisements to newspapers cannot possibly influence the Press, and ho wonders that anybody can make such a statement; that is to say that the handing over of several thousands a year to the journals that take the Government side cannot possibly have any effect on those papers. What charming innocence on the part of the Premier ! “ Honi soil qui mal y pense,” he exclaims, while handing over most substantial bonuses to his own friends. Mr. Hall strongly animadverts on the manner in which the Civil Service has been treated. Members had been removed, and appointments made, which were altogether uncalled for. Such men as Mr. Luckie had been appointed over the heads of old civil servants. Sir George simply denies this, and appeals to the Civil Service itself. The House would have been much better satisfied with some attempt at showing that the accusation was unfounded. In answer to the accnation of Mr. Hall with regard to the want of care taken by the Government, of Lunatic Asylums, the Premier mentions the comforting fact that ho has great sympathy with these unfortunates, but he reminds the House that provisions of this kind were made by the provinces, and that when provincial institutions were abolished, no adequate provision was made for such institutions. Surely the Government have been in power long enough to set straight a matter such as this. For a gentleman who once stated that he could draw up a financial statement in half-an-hour it surely would not be too much to expect that in nearly throe years he should be capable of evolving some scheme which should place in a more satisfactory position those unfortunates in whose welfare he states himself so deeply interested. Then in answer to Mr. Hall’s statements respecting the use to which the Hinomoa had been put. Sir George leads off by informing the House that this is a peculiar country cut up into clusters of islands, and the services of a steamer under such circumstances were absolutely essential. Moreover, the country required to be informed on matters affecting its welfare. If he had done wrong ho was quite willing to take the censure of the people. There is nothing at all surprising in the latter assertion. Sir George is, when cornered, always eager to appeal to the judgment of some other body, and the more impossible such an appeal may be, the better it suits his purpose. The geographical discovery made by Sir George with regard to the peculiar position of these islands does him great credit. Whoa, however, he was so eager to sell both Government steamers those islands wore clustered in much the same way in which they are at present. As to the country requiring to bo informed on matters affecting its welfare, we are glad to see that, in one small particular at all events, the Premier holds really practical views. There is nothing after all like combining business with pleasure, and if a man can, while he is pleasurably lecturing the country on matters affecting its welfare, do his electioneering business at the same time, who can blame him P Sir George’s

conscience at all events is not going to upbraid him. In one solitary instance the Premier does not appear to have shirked the question. On the point of his autocratic tendencies ho makes no subterfuge, and calmly states that ha is for the future quite prepared to follow out the same course of action which he has hitherto pursued. With regard to the more general questions of politics, vr» do not propose to follow the Premier. Most people are by this time pretty well aware of the claims urged by Sir George’s party. Their assertions that their {opponents are mere aristocrats in disguise, and are bringing forward liberal motions as a shield behind which they are hatching the most sinister designs, have been too often repeated to require notice. The way in which the Premier calmly ignores the fact that it was under his own regulations, that very many of the large estates were amassed is nothing new. His monomaniacal idea that he will bo hunted to his grave by a sot of rabid Canterbury squatters can only provoke a smile. The debate on Tuesday evening may certainly bo studied with profit. But what is to be gained is this —the golden rule for a politician when he is justly accused of maladministration is to answer nothing directly, but to hurry on as rapidly into that region of vague generaltios where his wicked opponents must of necessity ceaso from troubling, and where his weary colleagues may assuredly rest in peace.