Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1872. THE GOVERNOR AND THE MINISTRY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1450, 9 October 1872, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1872. THE GOVERNOR AND THE MINISTRY.

It is hard to understand why Sir George Bo wen should refuse to grantfin appeal to the electors of the Colony under existing circumstances. It is abundantly evident that the constitutional question of supply was not the consideration that influenced him in his extraordinary decision, and that Mr Stafford was fur-seeing enough to discover this, Yet, that was at first made the ostensible ground of his refusal. When, however, it appeared that Mr Stafford believed that if such appeal •was made to depend on hi* having supplies granted he would be able to obtain them, his Excellency <?till refused to pledge himself. Sir George was, therefore, disingenuous as well as unjust. There was, beyond quest ion, ample ground for Mr Stafford to expect that a dissolution would take place on the contingency of his defeat. The House had already decided in the most deliberate manner possible that it had not confidence in the former Government; that Government had beon convicted of incapacity to carry out its own policy, of a reckless waste of the resources of the Colony, and of the most gross abuse of patronage. All this w.is before the accession of Mr Stafford to power. -After that event it was further convicted either of ignorance of the financial position of the Colony, or, what was worse, of misrepresenting that position to the Colony itself. Mr Stafford's defeat, then, left but one true for the Goreynorj which was to

appeal outside the House to the electors. He can hardly replace the late Vogel party in power against the voice of the legislature; and the wretched compromise of a coalition Ministry should nob be thought of. Meantime, the Colony is made to suffer. Time sufficient for the conduct of the whole year's business of the country has already been wasted in fruitless parly strife, and in. the House as at present constituted there is no prospect of anything else but these party squabbles to the end of the session. The very first debate under the new Ministry may, and probably will, result in its defeat, and the Governor will then have to sjant to Mr Vogel what he has refused to Mr Stafford. For to this it evidently must come at last. Unwilling as we are to admit the fact, we fear it is not to be denied that the Governor has at last identified himself with a party—has permitted such identification to become palpable ; and thav, never very popular with the country, he has nowtaken a step which will tend to destroy even the slight favor in which he has hitherto been held.