NR FOX FROM A MIDDLE ISLAND POINT OF VIEW.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 698, 8 July 1869, Page 4

NR FOX FROM A MIDDLE ISLAND POINT OF VIEW.

(From the Marlborough Press.) The only speeches of any real import ance [on the "no confidence" question] in the papers I hat have come to hand are, that of Mr Fox in bringing for ward his motion, and Mr Stafford's in r>'ply. We confess we could not peruse this debate without a feeling of surprise and shame to think that the vast amount of intellect, and talk, and wri tine, that has been exhibited for months, holding half the country in expectation of a great change, sh mid have culminated in such a puny effort as that of Mr Fox. Whatever the in iluence may be which this gentleman retains over the mulecontents of the House —from old associations or from general consent in the absence of a more able leader, gifted with an equal degree of hatred for those in power — certain it is that his speeches to parties at a distance fail of producing any other effect than surprise that such a man should be the recognised leader oi half the Legislature at a period so critical as the present. As a piece of composition we have no doubt his speech, being well studied, was toler able; but as the exposition of the views of a strong party showing cause why the present Government should give up their places to them, it was a poor exhibition. Mr Stafford well characterised it in his able reply as being " a mere rechauffe of last ses sion, in which what was new was not true, and was true was not new\" The escape of the Chatham Island prison ers, the misunderstanding s of two or three years ago between the Ministry and Mr M'Lean, certain extracts from private letters upon the conduct of the war, an extract from Col. M'Donnell's pamphlet (the correctness of which Mr Stafford denied), the statement of a respectable trooper as to his advice having been disregarded by Colonel Whitinore, with sundry other criti cisms upon the conduct of the war, in which an ungenerous desire was shown so disparage the really noble efforts of our troops, formed the substance of his attack. Taking this line of argument, it was indeed impossible that a list of shortcomings could not be discovered in the past action of a Government which has been compelled, within a few months, to levy and discipline a force to meet a desperate emergency, with very inadequate means at their disposal. But even in taking up this very illogical view of the case, Mr Fox's speech was characterised by a carelessness of statement and a want of force which gives us the impression that he merely made the attack because he was expected to make it and no one else would. He confessed it was his object to forestall the Government statement of what their policy was to be, and yet, with a single exception, he did not vouchsafe to give the slightest hint of having any policy of his own. The only observation in his whole speech suggestive of a policy different from that of the Government,

was an advocacy for a return to the miserable reign of double government, Imperial interference, imbecile management, and endless expense over which we could have no control, which we are all taught are comprised in the aid British troops. Of all this the colony is heartsick and weary; but the fact remains, that for the want of a better party cry, and aided by certain centres of population in the North which would be benefited by the presence of troops, this fatuitous and suicidal" policy again commands a party in the House. Whether it will prevail or not, a few days will determine; but decidedly with a Parliament so nearly expiring from effluxion of time, the Ministry would be justified in appealing to the country if defeated, or rather, on such a momentous issue, it would be a duty it would owe the country if such a crisis should occur.,