THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1135, 18 March 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1872.

Among the last and the least of our legislators who have addressed their constituents on the events of the late session of the Assembly may be enumerated Mr Ralph Richardson and Mr Arthur Collins. They have lately addressed audiences somewhat limited as to numbers and intelligence, but their addresses have been, in more or less accurate form, given to the world through the columns of the Nelson papers, and, as thus given, their observations on men and matters are well worthy of perusal, if not of preservation, as unique contributions to the instruction and edification of the electoral body. Mr Collins, moreover, can claim to have some interest taken in his opinions, as he is by name and pretentions a member for a Gold Fields District — that of Collingwood. And Mr Richardson, as representing personally and politically those who have the least possible connection with Gold Fields, is a worthy subject of study, if it is only for the purpose of discovering what class of men other constituencies consider it their duty to return as representatives of the intelligence and interests of the country in the General Assembly. The two deserve to be associated for the reasons that they are both- members of the Opposition, that they are demonstrative in their expressions of fraternal friendship, and that they are the true type of the class who most freely contemn the men composing the present Ministry, or who most frequently condemn their political measures. But for the accident of their being in the Assembly, and for the fact of their being prominent by belonging to jtbp minority, neither might deserve notice except as amiable " fellahs," remarkable in the oue instance for social excellence, and in the other for extreme inanity. Mr Collins was the first to address his constituents, as he is the first in other respects — his fellow-member following him only, on any occasion, as an indifferent "second," subject to the will, and subjected to the warm praise, of his principal. He must occupy also a primacy position j in the consideration of a Gold Fields com? muoity, as he has been, in the Provincial Council of Nelson and in the Assembly, an eminent, though misguided, miners' advocate. He has in his time, and in his place in both bodies, been great upon the subject of the burdens borne by the poor miner, one of hi* most brilliant, as well as benevolent, conceptions for the relief of that pauperised individual — as seen probably in the neighborhood of Collingwood — being the project of issuing quarterly miners' rights for the small sum of five shillings. The effect of the project upon the miners' franchise was, accordiug to Mr Collins's estimate, as nothing compared with the necesssity for enabling miners to pay, for their rights on the Benevolent Society principle ; but it is needless to say that other and better representatives of the Gold Fields did not exactly see it as he saw it. What he may have said on this §übject and others kindred, when addressing his Collingwood constituents, has not been accurately re* corded, but we have in some degree of fullness his remarks upon the Ministry, ami, made as these were to a Gold Fields constituency, it is well to see the impression he desired to create, and to ask how far that impression, if made, would be justified by the circumstances. It was ' Mir CoUWs particular role in the Assem.

bly to put what are called "nagging" questions to Ministers, and most of these had particular reference to the Colonial Treasurer and his mission to England. The replies which he received he considers to have been " unconrteous and unsatisfactory "—uncourteous on the part of Mr Fox, and unsatisfactory as to Mr Vogel — and to his Collingwpod hearers he thus communicates his individual estimate of both these gentlemen : — " Sir, Mr Yogel has shown that he cannot make Estimates even remotely approaching to the truth. His official duties, it seems, can be easily performed by his colleagues, one of whom spends his valuable time during the recess in going about the country preaching teetotalism ; the others most of theirs in interfering with elections. The question naturally arises — What are his uses? Having been unable to,obtain an answer to this question from the proper quarter, I am forced to the conclusion that making and breaking absurd contracts, borrowing money on the credit of New Zealand, and spending it, if possible, without the authority of the Comptroller, are the principal services which Mr Yogel renders to the country." Here is a pretty short summing-up of the work and the capacity for work of the members of the Ministry, singly and as a whole, and it is a sum-ming-up delivered to a so-called Gold , Fields constituency, by a so-called Gold Fields representative. Without any desire or ambition to become defenders of the Ministry, or any members of it, -we may well ask, as members of a community supposed to resemble that addressed by Mr Collins, if this is the estimate that our experience justifies us in forming as to the composition and character of the present Government. Is his description to become current as a description which either mining or other communities adopt or approve as the picture of facts, and as a picture the faithfulness of which deserved to draw from bis constituency, as it did, an expression of thanks and confidence? Is this the estimate honestly formed by the Opposition, in whose ranks Mr Arthur Collins may be said to have occupied a prominent place, whether that place be considered the van or the rear? Is that Opposition based, and is Mr Arthur Collins either its base or its pinnacle, on the ground that the members of the Ministry, as at present constituted, are either mere intermeddlers with elections, peripatetic apostles of ueetotalism, or occupants- of useless sinecure offices with which the country can well dispense? If such is the case, undoubtedly ' the sooner tho Ministry and the large majority at their back are " burst up," the better it will be for every interest iv the country, to say nothing of the interests of the Opposition by whom they would deserve to be displaced. But we confidently believe that if the people of the Colony find reason to condemn the present Govern ment, as they have reason occasionally to do, they will condemn them on their public policy, or on their method of carrying that policy into effect, and that no part of the population will contemn them in the small spirit in which they arecontemned by Mr Collins or others of his class. It was one of Mr Collins's friends whoj when speaking of himself and the Colonial Treasurer, thanked God that he, at least, (the friend of Collins) was a gentleman. More recently there was another notable example of one who, by an unfortunate fate, found his way into the House, contending for the representation of the country by the descendants of. its early settlers or owners of sheep, and complaining of others attaining position and power who had no credentials of such distinguished descent. Mr Collins's comments are of a piece with these when he pretends to find, in our leading men, persons who are, by their incompetence and uselessness,- an incubus upon the Colony, The remarks are as unworthy even of Mr Collins, as they are totally undeserved by Ministers. No oue who has watched Mr Vogel's career, from the time he first took part in politics, and during the time he hai fought against prejudice and amidst envious or evil report, . can deny him the possession of abilities which make him worthy of the position he occupies, and of an energy and attention to duty equal to that q£ any of his colleagues or predecessors. No one who has read the records of his mission Home can refuse to credit him with a large amount of work in the service of the country, or can characterise the question " What are his uses ?" otherwise than ridiculous and impertinent. And, as for the Premier, judging alone by the manner in which he has lately spent a little of his "valuable time" on the West Coast, he may well be forgiven if, in the midst of politics, he can occasionally "preach" on one of the greatest social curses of the Colony, especially if he can preach with the same emphasis and eloquence as he spoke, last session, on the occasion of introducing the Permissive Bill. It is needless to follow out this reference to iudividual members of the Ministry, nor do }ye desire to pass panegyrics upon them. It has be.en much the fashion to do the opposite, nor do we see reason for an abandonment of the closest criticism of thier policy, or the manner of discharging their public functions ; but silly assertions like those of Mr Collins, as to their untruthf ulness, intermeddling, incapacity, and inutility, only provoke even their opponents to scout any association with opposition based on such a belief, and to acknowledge fairly whatever merjts the Ministry may possess. The devil himself gets his due ; but we should not wonder to hear Mr Collins, even in that instance, say, " The question naturally arises — what arcf hi» uses ?" To Mr Richardson's unparalleled exParliamentary explanations we must refer at another time. The Colonist fitly describes them as having no parallel in its editor's experience of speeches for a quarter of a century, and we believe he does not exaggerate. Mr George Cotterell as the Professor, or Mr Sothern as Dundreary, are only artificial representatives of what Nelson possesses, in a state of nature, in the person of Mr Ralph; Richardson.