THE Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1879. HIS SABLE MAJESTY.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 41, 14 May 1879, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1879. HIS SABLE MAJESTY.

" Words are things, and a drop of ink falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes . fihousands', perhaps million's think."

Ij^sbibed by the boldness of the rebel fanatic, Tb Whitu, his gable Majesty Jtujtg Tawhiaoß, seems to have follqwed the tactics of that impudpnt ,€rir,k-"ter, and availed himself of tlje presence, of the Pbemieb and his jfenchmai-i at Kopj^a to hurl defiance at them m presence of the assembled jtribes. Iqdignant as , one naturally feels, at the arrogant conduct of the titled savage, and mortified at the indignity offered to the jsvhole colony, we cannot blind qi}rselyes to the fact that by forcing tliemseljrgs iinasked upon tlie" Native ggatherr r ing the two Ministers conrted thetreatr ment which tjjey have received. When the member fqr Rodi-icy joineil the Government and accepted the portfolio of Native Affairs, theue was joy and jubilation throughout the land. The talented young New was to pcpvide the panacea for all Native ills and to heal the wounds which had been festering so long ; bift -jflien the great Bro-Consu". himself~rhe who m past years had endangered h/l s credit for loyalty by his sympathies for the Maori — undertook with his poadjutor to adjust the vexcita quaestio, friends and foes alike joined, m the universal cry of " Eurek^ ! • Be^e session, and after session' the Ministers were eternally upon the n)Qye, now interviewing this chief an,d. thpn koo-tooing to that, w/hile/ the/ electric wires were constantly m motion to retail the friendly greetings ivhich \ hailed their advent and the entljifsiastic exuboranqe of the loyalty qf their, entertainers. Since then " a change has come over the spirit of the dream," the welcome; has worn itself qu't, Qnd the Premie.r and his Fid us Achates find themselve ( s m the position of- unbidden guests at q, banquet. With T4WHIAP openly defying them; their great i^ainst^y Eb\i*i deserting them, and even Major Ke^p exhibiting his sympathies, with his race, tl-je feelings of Sir. Geobge Gbey apd Mr. Sheehak mug|t have veceiyed sonie--Tr.i4B-*-o«-^«Uan_._^yanci .the open expression of the Maori King that he was convinced that it was the design of the GoFerninent to inyolve the Waikatos m war, riyas as it w^re rubbin-g salt into thq wounds under which the, two Ministers were smarting. In anp.ther (■olump we publish an interesting account of the. me&ting upon the first day of- its opening^ and short though it be, we think it exhibits pretty plainly to what length oi daring presumption the pamper.cd favanites are prepared to go :— 7" Rewj is qn one side ; I am on the other. ' Thesq are my. supporters. All the • island m mine. Everything rests with me .. a^lone I will not p°rmit G^by to manage these things m his way. He is sitting there now. I will not have anything to do with Gbey." This and niany othe" ; things of a like nature did the dusky ! niona.rch say, and scarcely had he done -jpeaking when Rewi — Rewi the. trusted, Rewi the tried— walked across the area and sat down by Tawhiao, ; thu,s publicly acknowledging his adhesion, to the King, and his desertion of the. (government. The old proverb of- -.' tog m.u p h familiarity breeds contempt,'*' has been amply exemplified m the result of the many voluntary interviews granted by the Premier, and Mr. Sheehan:, and now the Native magnate yqarns t^ s^o Sir. Heecules Robinson bowing down before his majesty. Fortunately the Queen's representative is made of- different mettle f-rp.ni th,e brace of Ministerial dupes'whom he has succeeded m bringing to their knee.s only to level insults at the hca.ds, and w*e trust his. reign of arrogance is well nigh over. Whether the bitter lesson received will be, 'sufficient to bring the dipped Ministers to a sense of- the.ir degradation and the -folly of the tactics pursued, remains to be seen -, tyit whether or noi, it will be the duty of Parliament at an early date to take measures to uphold the honor, of the tionritry, and deal with the insolent malcontents m a fitting manner. There can be no second opinion as to the total unfitness of Sir Geobqe. Grey, for holding the command of- the Ship of State ; and tlie warmest admirers of Mr. She-HAY can scarcely assert that his Native policy has been a success. Even had the Premier succeeded m mendine; instead of muddling Native affairs, his conduct to his colleagues, hasj | not been of such a nature as to command a harmonious working of the Cabinet as a whole. When Sir Geoeo_ t G^e. first omcrgod from tho privacy of

his s^ls home, and ,th**d*y down the gaun'i.e.ii.yin defence of b^ Provincial opinio^' tvs very opponents w,ere forced to adinfi*© the chivalrous independence which; .caused him to renounce pay and pension $ but- experience h,as amply proved -that he has not jthe qualities for a political leader, apd while he has by no .means healed the breach so long existing between Whites an,<l Maoris, the government of which he is the Chief, is rent and split to pieces bydissension. The Cabinet may be separated nfltb three classes— Those who have forked, and' done well ; those who have yoried, and done ill and those who hjtye done neither good nor ill, but whose s'fjs were those of Qn^ssion. In the fjrst : cjlass must be put Messrs. BAtLfNCE, Stout, and M^G^NPEEjy; m theygecond, the Prem',er and Native Minister j while the drones were Golonel Wri^more and Mr. F^heb. While the majority of "Ministers jvere making triumphal marches throughout the length and breadth of the land, scattering glittering promises and ginning golden popularity, Mr. Ballance was the wording bee m the hive, and like anotner Atlas, bore the whole fabric of Government upon his shoulders; There can be no doubt that at an early stage of the coming Session, if there be not a change of Ministry, there will at lep st be a reconstruction of the Cabinet, m which case we should rot be surprised to find the member of Eangitikei assuming the reins of government, a position fqr ssvhich h« shows so riiuch capacity.