THE HON. JOHN HALL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1405, 19 August 1872, Page 2

THE HON. JOHN HALL.

(From the Tiraara Herald.) Paradoxical as it may appear to be rtheaccession of the tlon. John Hall to theMinistry is a source both of strength and' of weakness; of strength, so far as theimmediate action of the Government isconcerned, but of weakness, so-far as thecountry is concerned, v.Briefly, we mean, that though Mr Hall will doubtless bemost useful to the Government, hia~services to the country will, if his political antecedents be taken as a guide, be just, as likely to prove a corse as a blessing, Mr Hall's abilities are beyond and he possesses many qualities which fit him for a public station and parliamentary life. In. sporting phrase he wouhi be called a'•" good aground man." *--&& though a clear debater, and sharp reasoner, good;at -repartee,, and not averseto quiet sarcasm, and, an indefatigableworker in whatever he lays his hand to.. Mr Hall, unfortunately for himself, neutralises all these excellent qualities by possessing, politically, a most unstable and shifty character. No politician iin New Zealand has so often changed nis coat as Mr Hall, opinions and convictions at one time held well nigh sacred by that gentleman, having been repeatedly cast aside through apparently mere whim or caprice, or for the power a change would? bring about. Without travelling deeplythrough our short colonial history, two. instances of Mr HalFs versatility arebefore us. Probably, the reminiscenceof one will not be palatable to the Minister, but we must drag it forth to prove our case. The most remarkable, and at the same time most glaring case of " change of mind " occurred soon after Mr Stafford assumed the Premiership. We will not inflict on our readers, or wound Mr Hall's conscience unnecessarily, by recalling the scathing words- of contempt, derision, arid disgust, Mr Hall made use of in speaking of Mr Stafford,, at a hustings, or public meeting, in or near Christchurch. But lo! a fewmonths only had passed, when the words, of derision were turned to words of praise,, and we find the Hon. John Hall working,. and working well, under the leadership of the man whom he had so recently polki-cally-eurs&l; and again, all last session, Mr Hall figuratively cursed Mr Yogel;. now he blesses him, and enlists under his banner. To the Government, the Hon. Mr Hall will be invaluable. A pick of the entire Assembly could not have brought to the fore a better man for its purpose. Mr Hall is politically so delightfully unscrupulous, so pleasantly oblivious of former promises or pledges, so utterly indifferent to what " people will think," that he is able, with that peculiar, self-satisfied and well-assumed air which so well becomes him, to give to the House the mind of the Government, whether that mind and his own private convictious. a<*ree 01 no. But though thus useful to the Government, Mr Hall is distrusted by the House and the country. His inconsistency has been so marked, and, if we may use the expression, so curiously "steady," that from one month to another one cannot tell what are bis opinions. In a single month, aye, in a far less time than that, we have known Mr Hall, after «• putting down " a would-be opponent, turn rouad in a week's time and deliver himself of opinions exactly identical with those of his antagonist, but done so cleverly, and with so much what the French ter n empressement, that he would deceive, if possible, the very elect. Whilst suiting the Government, Mr Hall suits not the country - r the latter wants a more dependable man.