A POLITICAL TRIPLET.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1367, 16 December 1872, Page 4

A POLITICAL TRIPLET.

Mr Stewart, M.H.R. for the Waitaki district, when lately addressing bis con-, stitaenta, made the following references to three of our political leaders :— MB STAFFORD. Of Mr Stafford as Premier, I Bay (and as a voting politician I speak with diffidence), that my opinion is that Mr Stafford will never again resume the position he once held as a statesman in this Colony. Everything in nature has its waxing and waning, and Mr Stafford, who was at one time the leading mind in the Colony, and who will, no doubt, yet lender it good service, has, nevertheless, lost that quality, which makes the leader ia Parliament, or the general in the field, viz., that of coolness. He loses his temper. On one occasion during the late session lie characterised his opponents vyon the Government benches as "miserable wretches." Mr Stafford is a gentleman, and, as a gentleman, apologised; but although a statesman and a man whom the Colony could ill afford to spare, wants, I repeat, that coolness of head necessary to one occupying the head of affairs. MB. VOQBL. I now come to the bete noir of some people— Mr Vogel— -with regard to whom I say honestly and distinctly that although at one time I had very little confidence in him. — {&. voice: '*Have you any now 1") I have. I am free to own that I believe there is not a more honest statesman in New Zealand, or in these Colonies— (Oh ! oh ! oh 2 laughter and uproar.) Each of you is free to exercise his own opinion, but you mast grant me the right of holding mine. Ido not aupp«w that one out of twenty of the gentlemen present has ever had the opportunity of judging of Mr Yogel personally. I do not suppose there are more than one in twenty who know him except by newspaper report. I hare had for two sessions the opportunity of studying him and watohnJg him carefully, and T say honestly, and I do not care though every man in this room were against me, yet I say that I believe Mr yogel to be a statesman, and an honest statesman ; and more, that he possesses more ability than any other nan in New Zealand. (A voice; "You are no judge.") Admitted. Still I have an opinion, and I have stated it. I have, however, this other thing to say, viz., that i think him somewhat too sanguine— a little too anxious for " progress. ME FOX. Now I have a word or two with regard to Mr Fox's retirement from office. An to Mr Fox himself, it is doing that gentleman the merest modicum of justice to nay that the impression which some people seom to entertain that he has become antiquated — that he is lapsing into a sort of second childhood, through " water on the brain," is as utterly fa'se as anything could possibly be. Mr Fox at this moment ia quite as capable of tak« ing a leading part in public affairs as any man in the Colony, and ho deserves great credit for championing a cause which, though treated by some people with ridicule is still a noble cause, the very ridicule attaching to which has only spurred him on to devote to it his utmost energies. Mr Fox, too, deserves the credit of thorougn aUiutereoWduesa, inasmuch as, for the sake of his party— the party of progress— the party which will in the | end, in my opinion, work outthe destinies of this country— its prosperity— lie luntarily gave up the posUinn of Premier, which he could have still held, and retired into the ranks. The position of Premier, or of leader of a party, are objects of honorable ambition to old statesmen, and to throw them up and accept a BUuuruinate position for the sake of the triumph of principles, shows a greatness of character to which fow can lay claim.