Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1863.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 142, 2 October 1863, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1863.

One of the chief difficulties against which it is the misfortune of the right-minded journalist to contend is the obstinacy and stupidity which prevail in “ certain quarters,” and this, to us in common with many others who walk in the same path, is a constant source of tribulation.

When, in discharge of our duty to the public, we a short time since raised objections to our Civil Commissioner accepting a seat in the Legislative Council, we little anticipated that a most remarkable instance of that stupidity would make its appearance in the shape of a weak article in the Herald, and in the blind and persistent fashion which is the special mark of that obscure state of the mental faculties of which we complain, oblige us again to refer to the subject of the seat in question. It would seem, then, that the Herald is satisfied that nothing can be more conducive to the welfare of this Province in particular and New Zealand generally than Major Whitmore’s going into the Legislative Council. To this view of the case we demur upon several grounds. Firstly, we demur upon the ground that the Legislative Council is, in all practical matters affecting the interests of the country, a very negative body, and its interference is generally and very successfully neutralised by the Lower House. Secondly, we demur because we have a greater respect for the Major than to wish to see his brilliance obscured by the dust kicked up by those respectable old fogies amongst whom he will take his seat. And thirdly we demur because, as we said before, we are convinced that, in the present state of affairs, if the office of Civil Commissioner is of any value, the duties of that office ought not to be delegated to a deputy, who again will probably have occasion to devolve his deputyship upon another deputy, and so on. It is a patent fact that the greatest possible confusion succeeds the repeated occurrence of the deputy

way of performing official ceremonies. We know of no instance on record, and their name is legion, where the public service has not suftered severely from the absence of the principal person concerned in looking after any particular branch thereof. And this is a very natural consequence ; the thread of the business is broken off at a certain point, and is resumed again at a certain other point, during which interval circumstances will probably enough occur rendering it necessary for the person officiating to be well up in antecedent transactions, in order to carry on the matter to a successful issue. This repeated breaking of the connecting chain —this constant interruption of a direct line of action, as a matter of course, adds confusion upon confusion, until the whole is worse confounded.

The question as to whether or not Major Whitmore’s opinion upon military matters is of any value, and therefore to be sought in the council of the land, is not of much importance, and has very little to do with his absence from the scene of his duties as Civil Commissioner and Commandant in an isolated Province. It by no means follows that because Major Whitmore acted as Military Secretary to General Cameron, he is marked out by that circumstance as the better able to direct military matters, nor is it proved by that that he is anything in particular beyond a very useful fellow. We attach very little importance to distinctions of this nature being conferred upon gentlemen in the army. In the the course of our life we have had the misfortune to fall in with gentlemen holding high positions in Her Majesty’s service who were notoriously most outrageous muffs, and we have seen men covered with bits of ribbon, like a doll in a fair, who had the good fortune to gain those distinguishing emblems of service upon most remarkably easy terms. In short, it by no means follows that because a man is a Military Secretary he is not a muff, while, on the other hand, it by no means follows that because he is a Military Secretary he is a muff. This, however, is wandering from the point, although it bears upon it, and we return again to the Major's departure to the land of Nod.

It lias been advanced in support of Major Whitmore’s acceptance of the seat to which we refer, that he can very readily depute his duties here to somebody else during his absence. Ibis is what the Wellington Independent and other choice and classical journals call the “ aryumentum ad absurd urn,” which interpreted means that “ if it is not sublime, it must be ridiculous.” In the case of such trifling officers as Superintendents, and such like small fry, a deputy is of no consequence, but in the case of the high dignitary the Civil Commissioner the matter assumes a serious aspect. If the Superintendent chooses now and again to take a trip up and down to see how the world wags outside, nobody minds him, and if he stayed away until the end of time it would be a matter of small account, providing that his pay was stopped from following him. But, under the supposition that the Civil Commissioner is a very different kind of animal, and viewing him in the light of a person holding powers of great magnitude as affecting the peace and well-being of the Province, we must certainly raise a strong protest against the absence of that functionary at the present critical state of affairs. No ! no ! ! no ueputy’s deputy in this case, if you please, dear Mrs. Herald! When Colonel Eussell, of recent memory, held high place here as Civil Commissioner, that painstaking and exemplary gentleman was at a great loss which way to turn in order to bring a convincing proof to the native mind that the powers he held were not merely nominal powers, but powers of a real and most unquestionable character. Therefore, when the gallant and experienced Colonel took himself up to Auckland to join in the general chorus there going on, it was no great matter! as here he could do nothing, and there it was

not of much importance if he could do no more. His case, we say, was exceptionable. Not so Major Whitmore. That sensitive but indefatigable officer has the sword jflaced in his hand wherewith to convince the wavering and strengthen the weak, and is surrounded in his official chair by hundreds of well-armed and accoutred men, ready and willing for the fray at his command. And we contend with very sufficient reason, that such being’ the case it would be highly imprudent, and anything but desirable for the Major to leave the management of this force to some very questionable deputy, say, for instance, the respectable member for the town of Napier who sits on the right hand of his Honors Executive !! or any of his choice selection of Militia Officers.

We have endeavored to follow this matter out calmly, and devoid of any particular personalities which might cause our esteemed but weak Commandant severe pangs. But really it is most unfortunate in the interests of that distinguished gentleman that whenever he is going wrong and we check him, he flies for protection to the obsequieous Ho old. It is a bad sign, and a worse sign still when it is considered in what a lame and limping fashion his cause is fought by that enlightened journal. We repeat again that, regardless of the probable loss to the Country at large of ]\Xajor "Whitmore 3 ® eminent council in matters of war, to Auckland he ought not and must not go ; and if he was a man of business habits it would strike him at once that when too many irons are in the fire at one time, they cannot all be well looked after.