WELLINGTON.

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 541, 6 July 1869, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(from our special correspondent.) Thursday, July 1. A month of precious time has been los+, and the Assembly has done nothing bi.t turn one Ministry out and put another in —if not another, part of one, for up to to-day Mr Fox has only succeeded in being able to secure two colleagues, Messrs Yogel andM'Lean, and, to present appearances, is not likely to fill up the two vacant offices of Postmaster and Commissioner of Customs. It was at one time stated as a probability that Mr John Cargill, of Dunedin, would be the new Post-master-General, but he is said to have refused It is notorious that Mr Fox tried his utmost to induce the leading members of the middle party, or Adnllamites — viz., Messrs Tancred, Stevens, Rolleston, and that man of no party at all, Dillon Bell — but each and all not only refused to join his Administration, but have allowed it to be plainly known that although they voted to turn the Stafford Ministry out, they are not prepared to vote to keep the Fox Ministry in. Mr Fox was from the first in an unfortunate and difficult position. His . followers were not united together upon any great question of policy or principle ; they were merely unanimous in the desire to unseat the late Ministry. But although unanimous in this desire, their motives were very varied. Some voted because of personal grievances witl^ one or other of the members of the Government, others desired to get rid of Colonel Haultain and Mr Richmond, and the rest hungered for place and power. They succeeded, and this sue 1 cess has now dissevered the party and left the number of Mr Fox's followeift very much less than that which now is in Opposition under the leadership of Mr Stafford. Immediately after the late Ministry had announced their resignation, a private meeting of those who had voted for the Government was held, at which resolutions were passed pledging the party.

not to abandon the principles they had desrred to carry out, and unanimously electing Mr Stafford leader. A committee, consisting of Messrs Stafford, Hall, W. H. Harrison, Haughton, Bradshaw, and Bnnny, was chosen, to whom were to be left the general arrangements and action to be taken by the party. It \yas also resolved that no factions opposition should be brought to bear upon the Government, but that for the present to give Mr Fox the fullest opportunity and freedom ol action, and that the Opposition should watch with the utmost vigilance, and be ready to make an attack whenever any question affecting the political principles of the party was raised by the Government. So far, nothing has been done by Mr Fox, except to indicate in general terms what the policy of the Government was. Well might he keep his policy in the dark until the division was over which was to give him the reins of office ! for had he even hinted at the possibility of such a policy being likely to be brought forward by him if he succeeded in throw ing Mr Stafford's Cabinet out, he would never have obtained a majority. The Ministerial statement was listened to in solemn and ominous silence. One or two clacquers endeavored to get up a cheer occasionally, but there was no response. It absolutely disappointed all sides, and it was interesting to observe the glances of blank astonishment and of disapproval which passed from member to member. I may summarise Mr Fox's remarks as follows : — He had been sent for by the Governor, and had consented to undertake the formation of a Ministry. He had not yet been able to complete all his arrangements, but he had succeeded in obtaining the co-operation of Mr Yogel as Colonial Treasurer, and Mr M'Lean as Native and Defence Minister. He hoped by the following day to till the two remaining offices. He would, however, at once make the House acquainted with the general features of the policy which the Government proposed to carry out. He had already expressed himself in favor of an application to the Home Government for troops, and he proposed to obtain the retention of the 18th Regiment in the Colony, and to procure one other regiment from England, specially recruited and officered, and with arrangements for enabling the men and their families ultimately to settle in the Colony. He would very considerably reduce the number of the colonial force, which he would endeavor to ''demilitarize" and make a mere body of police. He would contract our defensive frontiers, and, although not absolutely abandoning the out settlements, he would withdraw from occupation for a time. His policy would be a purely defensive one ; he would avoid any attack pn the ' Maori King, and would generally adopt that principle which is said to be the better part of valor, As. to the cost of the various operations necessary for pacifying the country, it should be home by fhe revenue of the. Colony ; but if any loan should be found to be absolutely necessary, he would raise it upon the credit of the whole Colony, but make the interest a first charge upon th,e revenues of the North Island, and in order to effect this }ast cqnditioi} wqnld apply for an Imperial Act to give force to it. As to domestic questions, it was not his intention in any way to interfere with provincial institur tions, or to endeavor to effect any organic phanges. With regard to those Provinces which were in a position of embarrassr raent, the attitude of the Government would be "paternal" — what he meant by $he wqrd, is, a puzzle to everybody. They would not feed one Province at the expense of another, but would, by giving good counsel and conferring with the weak Provinces, encourage them tq work put their own relief. Surely never such a wretched scheme of policy was presented to the people of New Zealand. It has no consistency nor adjiesiveness, and whilst some of its parts are impracticab,le they are nearly all irreconcileable with each other. To begin with, Mr Fox must know that his expectations of getting troops from England are founded upon no other basis than his own wishes, opposed to the testimony of the jnost positive nature, that the Imperial (Groverumenfc will not afford the Colony military assistance. The despatches from the Colonial Office to the various Australian Colonies, show b,eyqnd a doubt that the British Government is determined to throw her Colonies upon their own resources. But Mr Fox is eilher blinded by his prejudices, or is deliberately depaiving the Colony, in endeavoring to persuade the House that troops could be got if we chose to ask for them. Only gome two or three of his party .support him in his opinion on this question ; and, as if the previous despatches were not conclusive enough, there was laid on the table yesterday a copy of a despatch just received from General Chute ordering the immediate removal of the 18th Regiment, who are to assemble, at Auckland prior to their departure for Australia. It necessarily follows that if Mr Fox cannot obtain troops all his scheme of defence must break down. Withoxit the aid he expects be cannot reduce the Colonial force nor reduce the expenditure. Without materially reducing the Colonial force he cannot defray the cost out of the revenue of the colony, and must go in for a loan. He is thus brought back to the policy of the late Ministry, only that whilst the latter would continue to follow the enemy up, and not allow him to tight only when it suited him, Mr Fox will leave him alone and allow him to recruit and refresh himself until ready for another series of raids and massacres. And it is well that your readers should know what charging the cost of the war upon the revenue really means. It means the absorption of all the Customs, andleavingthoJProvincesnothing but their territorial revenue to live upon. It means the total suspension of all public works, it means depreciation of property, dearth of employment ; and, in short, absolute ruin to many parts of the colony, of which Westland is one. Mr Fox talks largely about curtailing the cost of the military operations, but in the face of the ' recent advices from the Waikato showing that the Maori King is in reality the head of the rebellion, and the abettor of crimes which he leaves Te Kooti and Titokowaru to accomplish, he cannot possibly do so. And, besides, supposing such an improbability as his obtaining from the Home Government the two regiments he speaks of, he could not hope, to get them in less than six months, ana what is to be done in the meantime ? Then again these 2000 men (for the 18th will have left the ( pi my) could not be landed under a cost of LIOOjOOO for transport and pay going dn during the voyage. And they would cost another LIOO,OOO annually to maintain, to say nothing of munitions of war

and transport. Where is the money to come from I Mr Fox does not tell us nor can any of his friends. Nothing can be more unsatisfactory to the colony than Mr Fox's domestic policy. What is he going to do with Southland, with Marlborough, and with Taranaki and Hawke's Bay. What notice is he going to take of the petitions of Timaru, Westland North, and the Grey. As to the latter qtiestion, Mr Stafford arked to-day if it was the intention of the Government to bring in a Bill to give effect to the petitions of the inhabitants of the Timaru and Gladstone districts to be separated from Canterbury and formed into a County. Mr Fox's answer was in the negative. Ido not like to make rash speculations, but I am convinced that Mr Fox will before long — perhaps in a few days — be completely defeated upon some cardinal point of his policy. Whether he will resign under such jin occurrence I cannot say. It is generally believed that he obtained the consent of the Governor to dissolve if necessary, and may resort to that alternative should circumstances render it possible to do so. What with the great debate and the Ministerial crisis very little real business has been done. A BUI introduced by MiReynolds for facilitating the perusal of the Registry of Bills of Sale was kicked out by 50 to 8. The Otago Settlements Bill, for setting apart laud at Martin's Bay and Preservation Inlet for purposes of special settlements was gone through Committee. A Bill to enable miners to vote at elections of Superintendents has been lost.