THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 90, 21 September 1868, Page 227

THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS.

(Evening Post, 12th. September.) Thebe is very little probability that the division upon the Ministerial question, now before the House of Representatives, will take 1 lace before Wednesday next, unless the .“running is forced,” for some reason which is yet unknown. The life of the Ministry hangs upon a thread ; numbers have been counted, and they rely at the present moment, upon a bare majority of one vote. The wires, however, have once more proved what a useful'institution the telegraph is to politicians, iq < need. . Mr Mr, M‘Neil, a member for Southland, has been affectionately “ looked up,” and „if willing to assist, silently as he always does, his Ministerial friends, this gentleman may be expected here shortly. In either case of victory or defeat, a dissolution is imminent; and never, it must be admitted, was an appeal to the country more desired than at the present-moment, when f an alteration in the constitution which has governed us for many years, is in contemplation. It is worthy of note, that majorities of one have not been unfrequent in New Zealand. Mr Box was once turned oat office by a majority of one ; and Mr Stafford placed upon the Ministerial benches by a similar proportion of political strength. By reference to a telegram we received yesterday,; top late,' for, our issue, and which appears in another oofumn, it will be seen that the proposed removal, of the Armed Constabulary troop, commanded by Major Braser, from Hawke’s Bay to Patea, has created'considerable excitement at Napier. The resolutions adopted by the meeting,, and the language-used by an old veteran chief, Te Hapuku, would appear to convey the impression that Napier and its vicinity might at any time-become exposed to inroads from-the rebel Hauhaus. A number of our most ; influential merchants, •: with - whom we noticed Messrs John Johnston,; Levin, Lyon, R. Stokes, Captain Rhodes, Mr A . P. Stuart, joined the deputation, which we already stated waited iipon the Government, yesterday, together with Mr Cox, Colonel; . Bussell, and the Superintendent. ofHawke’s Bay. the answer those gentleman receivedfrom

Mr Stafford was, that tho Government sal? no reason:.for altering their intention to remove: the Constabulary, and they per- ■ sistently deolined to reconsider their decision..; We were not aware that . Napier could, have been so nearly exposed to .impending. danger from . neighboring and hostile-natives, but the fact of .Mr Donald M'Lean, in whom the whole community ofHawke’s Bay has. the. greatest confidence, agreeing -with the fears expressed by his constituents with regard to the unprotected state of that province, goes far to prove, we think, That there mast be good grounds for the anxious feelings exhibited by our neighbors. It was only a few days ago, in the House of Bepresentatives, the Ministers and some of the members of the opposition, emphatically recorded their opinion that it was because Superintendents of provinces were not all equal in native experience and sagacity to Mr D. M‘Lean, that the management of native affairs could not be dealt with provincially. It is surprising that shortly after the expression of such sentiments, the General Government should have declined to , treat him with the deference which has always been shown to the Superintendent of Hawke’s Bay in •native matters connected with. hj« province. There is no need to refer to the many services he. has rendered to Hawke’s Bay, but it may. be remarked, en passant , that this and previous Governments.were only too glad, on numberless occasions, to avail themselves of Mr D. M'Lean’a services on the East Coast, which the latter always rendered cheerfully, and without reward, and whose operations were invariably crowned with success. ’ A great number of our citizens have large interests at stake in Hawke’s Bay, as shown by the deputation which waited yesterday upon the General Government, and we have thus been in- 1 duced to offer these few remarks. On the other hand, we believe that leaving aside the soreness felt by Ministers at Messrs M'Leati and Ormond’s defection from the i ranks of their supporters—defection which might Well have rendered Mr Stafford somewhat hasty in his treatment, of the Bay members—it is urged that the ease.of BiitCa is now one of emergency; 1 and'that, were any disturbance to break out in Hawke’s Bay, a large force might be at any time dispatched to quell it. To this it may be remarked that, as we have only some 80 or 90 fanatics to contend with at Patea, the addition of Major Eraser’s 65 men to the 750 men, already at the Bront. will not be of very great importance.