THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1882. “THE GENTLEMAN IN CHRISTCHURCH.”

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2504, 18 April 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1882. “THE GENTLEMAN IN CHRISTCHURCH.”

The mysterious individual alluded to in the heading has made quite a little name for his impersonal self. On Thursday he told the “Lyttelton Times,” or the “ Lyttelton Times ” thought that he fold it, that he had received a telegram from Sir George Grey to the effect that he (Sir George) had been asked by the Governor to form a Cabinet, and that he was prepared to submit a list of names on his arrival at Wellington. But this statement came to the ears of Sir George, and in a reply published yesterday in the columns of our contemporary, he indignantly repels the soft accusation. He says to the “ Times”—“ You have been misled by statement regarding telegram to Christchurch about formation. I have sent no telegram whatever to Christchurch, or, of the purport stated, to any part of the colony.” This was rather a facer for our contemporary, and it was forced to go into an explanation with regard to the matter. In this explanation, which appeared in the leading columns of the same issue which contained Sir George’s telegram, two facts were prominent, namely, that “ the gentleman in Christchurch” was a loosKh sort of individual when he came to be sifted to the bottom, and that after all the “ Lyttelton Times,” notwithstanding its having published the facts given to it by the Mysterious One, all the time knew what the real state of the case was. It seems that the “ gentleman in Christchurch ” had not heard direct from Sir George himself, but from a person in the latter’s confidence, from whom he had so frequently received correct information that he looked upon telegrams received from him as practically coming from Sir George himself. It was evidently very wrong of the Mysterious One not to be more accurate. He is altogether too confiding. But the “ Lyttelton Times ” has now found him out, and the world has found him out, and ho has “ put his foot into it ” all round. But that our contemporary should have all along known all about the situation, and at the same time hare published, with a flourish of trumpets, the secret imparted by the “ gentleman in Christchurch,” certainly seems singular. It was a risky sort of thing to do, because the more vulgar and common kinds of intellects are unable torefine to the necessary point for enabling them to swallow such apparent inconsistencies. They might, for instance, imagine that the “ gentleman in Christchurch ” absolutely himself lived in Gloucester street, and that our contemporary really all along had entirely mistaken the political position. In the well-known drama of the “Ticket of Leave Man,” that amiable character Melter Moss, when spoken to by anybody respecting the peculiar financial arrangements with which he is accustomed to mix himself up, invariably has a “ party round the corner ” who is the principal in the affair, and on whom is pushed the onus of the transaction. So it is frequently found convenient to have a “ gentleman round the corner ”to refer to. We are not saying that the “ gentleman in Christchurch ” is absolutely a “ gentleman round the corner,” bat we merely wish to caution our contemporary to be more cautious in the future. The world at large is a disbelieving and sceptical world, and when a journal has to make such a very funny explanation as was made by the “ Lyttelton Times” yesterday, the world laughs and draws inferences.

THE POLITICAL SITUATION. After an interval of very unnecessary nu-nceuvring the Governor has returned Into a safe constitutional track. Since the resignation of the Hall Minist.-y the Governor has naturally drawn all eyes upon his proceedings. And he need not be surprised if they have occasioned some wonder. It now appears that he summoned Sir George Grey as the head of the Opposition, or at least as the individual best versed in its constitution and strength, with a view of gaining from him a resume of its chances and total power in the country. This, together with conferences with the late Premier and members of his Ministry, was to put him au fait with the real political position. Now it is very safe to affirm that what he heard from the two gentlemen did not agree in the slightest, and that his judgment cannot have been much assisted by the information received. A true insight into the relative strength of parties cannot be gained in this manner, hut must rather be acquired intuitively by the thousand and one indications that are always floating in the political atmosphere. The Governor’s idea can at best only be called a crude one, and it has resulted, as do most crude ideas, in nothing at all. If, instead of hastily summoning Sir George Grey, he had taken his time and calmly considered the matter in all its bearings, he would probably have saved the country some suspense, and have not detracted from his own reputation.