Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1871.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 941, 11 February 1871, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1871.

The English Mail via San Francisco was due in Auckland to-day. . The Rifle Volunteer Band give another of their open-air concerts this evening at half-past 5 o'clock. Captain G, Fox.—We regret to find, in the list of passengers for London by the Electra, the names of Captain and Mrs G. Fox. Captain Fox's many good qualities will be remembered by those who knew him when in charge of the s.s, St. Kilda. It is not a good sign vhen men of his stamp have to leave the Colony and seek their fortunes elsewhere. An article in the Evening Post, criticising various recent Government appointments, alluded to Captain Fox, as follows : —" There is, however, a worse abuse of the power of patronage than even making useless or unnecessary appointments—it is the driving good, useful men out of the service, in order to gratify Ministerial malice, personal or political. This the present Ministry has done on more than one occasion. It was only yesterday that the Electra took from our shores one of the victims of persecution of this kind—a useful public officer, and an estimable man, and a valuable colonist, who has now with his family left the Colony for ever. We allude to Captain Fox, late of the St. Kilda, who happened, unfortunately for himself, to be in command of that vessel when the difference of opinion arose between Mr Stafford and Mr M'Lean as to the removal of the Ngatiporou from the East Coast. The Premier telegraphed precise orders ; the Agent gave different and contradictory orders. Captain Fox obeyed the Premier, and when the Agent blossomed into a Minister, he revenged himself on the captain by getting rid of him as q:\ickly as possible." We do not wish to give a one-sided statement only, and therefore give the reply made to the above by the recognised organ of the Government, — the Wellington Independent. Our readers can judge how far the Evening Post's charge is affected:—"The Government are accused not of making an unnecessary appointment, but actually of doing with one in the person of Captain Fox, late commander of the St. Kilda. The facts are that the St. Kilda involved a large unnecessary ex penditure. She was sold by order of the present Government, and of course the office of commander of the vessel coul4 #ot be maintained when there was no vessel to command."