The Lyttelton Times. Wednesday, February 6.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 341, 6 February 1856, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. Wednesday, February 6.

Mr. Fraxcts Hinckks, a Canadian, of lush extraction, bus been appointed to the Governorship of Barbados. This selection is made, it is said, in accordance with the recei.flv adopted principle of allowing colonial politicians to share Imperial rewards. We give liy'.ow extracts from flic Spectator and \li<: (JuurdtUit on the subject: — JIJ-XKXT OOJ,ONIAI. APPOfNT.MJBXX. (Trom liie " .Sj.i:i-*u.«»r.':) '!'!.•<•-•ifpoiMtut'-ut of Mr. i'V.nicis Hincks to bis G'i-. criiwr of Maihados h:\> been nx-nti'Mied by ii journal which mumxiHs the present Government, .is o-ilv one in ;> .scries of appointments establishing the principle that Colonial statesmen arc to receiver regular promotion, not being

limited to their own colonies. Among the. i7istances nauied in proof ol" the assertion, some ure uufo/tunafe. Lord Kl«iu iiml >Sir George Grey, lor example, have-served in different colonies, and have, been promoted by circitlntitiii to odier colonies ; but they are not colonial statesmen, ami their promotion bus Hide connexion with the promotion of men like My, Francis IJ iucks or Mr. Dominic D«ly, who mo included in this list. It it is to be recognized as a principle that Colonial statesmen, arc to bo promoted by appointments io places out of their own colony, the principle is unquestionably |v>. cent, ami we are not quite cerium that upon reiluction v can bo sustained. Viewing the appointment of Mr. Francis Hincks with reference only to Canada, the pre-" ''* ferment appears in some decree likely (o operate a> an abatement of the principle ol (l responsible Government." According to (hat piinciple, an active colonist must look for his bone of political success to bis Ability in obtain* ing the confidence of bis own countrymen: but if be can make office a stepping slime for preferment whicli he is to obtain through favour from the Imperial Government, the responsibility may bo a temporary delusion for put poses of speculating in irresponsible employment extraneous to the interests of the colony. At present, if a Canadian statesman forfeits the confidence of his countrymen, be is consigned to private lit., and bis rival, more faithful to the principle upon which responsible government I rests, takes ofTice. According to the interpretation pat upon the appointment of .Mr. Francis Hincks, the Imperial Government may reverse his poeiieai justice, and while the colonists reward their tripled statesmen with such appointment as ibey can give, the man who has forfeited their confidence may be still furtbei rewarded with a higher preferment. As respects the colony to which the favourite statesman is translated, his reception is likely to depend upon his having some connexion there, or not ; and we know far too little of the bouse ol Hincks to know whether its eminent representative has any relation with Barbados. If not, (be Barbadians are likely enough to ask, why their Government should be used as an instrument for redressing the vicissitudes of a Canadian statesmen ?—why, because a man who has deserved weii of his official chiefs, has failed in one colony, be should he made supreme in anothei ? And we really do not see that it would be easy to answer the representations on the part of the Barbados people. These objections did not originate with us, and are not niHoe for the first tune, nor fc»r the first time even in the case of a Cai.uaiuu statesman. It is no scciul, we believe, that when Mr. JJominic Daly leu Canada, > c was oiltted a governorship in the island ofAitiuritiiis. .Mr. Daly's antecedents hud been of a kind to secure him the esicein of all parties. Finn to bis own political convictions, be nevertheless riffianud from übsiiucling the new regime in Canada, but did much to facilitate the early working of respon.sible government, and letired from office rather than create difficulties by bis own personal claims. Certainly no man deserved more consideration. Moreover, he did not rush into the government ol any coloty from the political arena of Canada, but had actually withdrawn before tl.e oflVr was made to him. lioci'uned to him as an objection, however, that he was not familiar with the politics of the .Mauritians; there must be'Joti.er colonists more connected with the island, belter acquainted wish its wants ami capabilities, and therefore mure suited to the post than hhmell; and on these urounds it wa.s, we believe, that he declined the appointment, and found a le^s agreeable and less salubrious residence in 1 obago. There is :i principle on which the appointment of Mr. Hiiscks miL'bt, in some respects, be more than justified. It may be said that by thi^ imperial connexion the Colonies are not to be regarded as separate countries, but as comolidated in the empire; that, henceforward, appointments are in be made with reference to the el.tints and merits of the individuals, and their fitness f'»r the service to which they are directed, without reference to the geographical distinctions ol' their origin. Be it so. Wo might even overlook many circumstances respecting the peculiar incidents of Mr. ilinek'.s career, and say that this is ibo commencement of a good rule. We have some other examples oi a biiuihir kind. There i« Mr. Daly again, now Governor in Prince, fviward Island, having been transferred to that more healthy though scarcely more important government fium Tobago. There

is Sir Henry Barkly, a West Indian proprietor, Governor of Jamaica ; there is Mi. Lowe, a New South Wales settler, Vice President of the Bd.ucl (if Trade in Whitehall. But, we are not aware that this list can be gre.tlly extended; and .suiiiu appointments which arc conspicuous for their newness or ilkm;- incidents belong to a <li lie rent order. Sir William Di;nison, for example, an irritant transferred from Van Diemen's Land to New South Wales, is no colonist, although Colonial Governor; Sir Charles Ilothain, who is .interchanging sharp words with the people oi Victoria, is a British Admiral, noted for his diplomacy in South America. In short, the great number of instances are centrifugal—ihat is, they show iio-.v citizens of the Mother-country attain Colonial preferment, whiic few colonists attain Imperial preferment. Supposing, however, that the principle had been adopted, it would still seem that improvements might have been made upon the course chosen. Granting that it is desirable to institute a circulation ot preferment, it would certainly have appeared more natural to promote Mr. Daly from Prince Edward Island to Barbados, letting Mr. Hindis enter the rank of Colonial Governors as the subaltern, holding the commission for Prince Edward Islam). For this the eases of Lord Elgin and Lord Harris would appear to be actually in violation of such principle. Again, as a rule, H would appear more probable that colonists ootiid he useful in the Mothercountry, where they might practically assist in solving many local questions, instead of being shifted from colony to colony. The selection of Governors from the Mother-country can lie justified upon many grounds, and especially upon grounds of selecting officers independent of local influence, while for their guidance and aid on the spot they will find many interpreters of local difficulties ; and the exclusion of colonists from the highest local offices would be amply compensated if they had any fair hopes of obtaining an equivalent number of appointments in the Imperial centre, where, without any formal institution of a Colonial Council, their experience would prove of practical value. (From the Guardian.) The appointment of Mr. Elinckes, (the son of a physician at Cork, a rebel, if we mistake not, a few years since, and more recently an able Canadian financier,) as Governor of Barbadoes, is .spoken of as mating a new era in our colonial policy. That a colonist may make a good colonial governor is possible, but does not necessarily follow. Nor is it the case that Mr Minckes is the first colonist so appointed. Mr. Daly, now Governor of Pr'uoe Ed Maul's Island, was, when appointed, as much a Canadian as Mr. Minckos. We do not exactly see any relation between Canadian and West Indian politics : but if Mr. Hinekes can deal with the latter, his ability and liti.Hss will be very rapidly and generally admitted.