The Hawke's Bay Times, Published every Monday and Thursday. MONDAY, 26th MARCH, 1866. THE POLICY OF THE STAFFORD MINISTRY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 361, 26 March 1866, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times, Published every Monday and Thursday.

MONDAY, 26 th MARCH, 1866. THE POLICY OF THE STAFFORD MINISTRY.

"kullics addictcs jurahe in vebba magistbi."

The elections for the House of Representatives are now nearly over; it is probable that the nest mails will put us in possession of complete returns. The names of sixtythree of the seventy constituting the House have already been received, and from the election addresses, as well as the antecedents of the gentlemen returned, there is no room for questioning the fact of the stability of the Stafford Ministry, and the future policy of that Ministry now becomes a most interesting subject for enquiry. To aid us in this investigation, we have several addresses made by members of the Government to the electors of the Colony, the most important of which by Mr Stafford himself lias already received a share of our attention, and nest in importance to it are those of Dr. Featherstoae at Wellington, and Mr Paterson before the electors of Dunedin. These addresses bring before us a view of the difficulties that must be encountered by the Government during the session now so near at hand; for we may well expect that such session will be called witbiu two or three months from the present time. The adherence of Dr. Featherston to the Ministry augurs the cessation of action against the rebel natives, and the return to the old exploded pet and pamper—flour and sugar policy. He has spoken pretty plainly on this point, and those of us who know the man, know that in joining a Ministry all the concessions are made to and none by him. In the carrying out of this idea. Ministers will find an able coadjutor in the House ia the person of our new member, Mr D. M‘Leau. The only o.ther point to which we shall refer at this time is that indicated by Mr Paterson —the remodelling of the Constitution to meet the views (as far as possible) of the Separationists, and here, we believe, the chief difficulty of the Ministry will He. As sketched by Mr Paterson, it consists in banding over to the Northern Provinces the confiscated lands within their boundaries, together with the cost of managing the native difficulty for themselves; reducing the number of the Provinces to the original number of six, only rt placing that of Taranaki (which is to be absorbed by Wellington) by Hawke’s Bay, which it is proposed to enlarge by the addition of a good slice from the east coast of Auckland, restoring all the other separated Pro\ inces to the larger ones, from which they have been separated—Southland 1 to Otago, and Marlborough to Nelson. Bat

we confess to a great difficulty iu understanding how Auckland will be brought to agree to this, and we have an idea that Mr Paterson was giving his own opinions on the question rather than making known the policy of the Government, especially as he proceeded to hold out some hope to his con. stituency that Otago and. Auckland might yet be made the ports of departure aud arrival of the proposed Panama service, which-mas* have been unofficial. In fact, iu all addresses of this kind there is aud must be a great deal of difficulty in discriminating between the private opinions and wishes of a gentleman and what is actually given from official inspiration. We cannot at present believe that Mr Stafford seriously coutem plates the dismemberment of Auckland Province, much as it would be to the advanage of Hawke’s Bay.