Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1869. THE TWO COMMISSIONERS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 707, 9 August 1869, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1869. THE TWO COMMISSIONERS.

The result of Friday night's division on Mr Stafford's amendment on Mi McLean's resolutions respecting the sending home of two Commissioners, for the purpose of negotiating with the British Government for the use of Imperial troops singularly bears out the views expressed by our Wellington correspondent, as published in another column. Excluding the three Maori members and the two disinterested patriots whom it is proposed to send, the Government is left in an absolute minority,—-and this after all the trimming 10 suit the votes of doubtful Members, and all the evasions and postponements to which the Government has resorted in order to avoid defeat! The estimated expense to the Colony of this holiday trip, with which two of the obsequious (partisans of the Fox Ministry I are to be rewarded, is put down at !£6,000; but it is very questionable | whether it will not amount to a great deal more, while the present inability of the colony to be so liberal is, unfortunately, beyond question. For oui selves, we are unable to see the utility of the scheme. Why should the colony be put to the cost of a Commission, when all that it can do might as well be clone by a simple despatch 1 Why must two be sent 1 One person was found quite enough to effect the delicate and difficult business connected with the consolidation of the Loans; and iiviva voce communication be deemed necessary in this case, surely one person could be found of sufficient intelligence and ability to execute the simple task of asking the British Government whether it will allow us the use of troops or not, without sending an Aaron as well as a Moses, the one to be the mouthpiece to the wisdom of the other. The result of this division also shows the extreme ticklishness of the position of the Fox Ministry,--a position, by the way, of which Ministers themselves seem to be aware, —and which induces the utmost caution in bringing questions of a debateable character before the House, lest such should result in a defeat.