THE Manawatu times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1879. UNFAIR CRITICISM.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 55, 9 July 1879, Page 2

THE Manawatu times.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1879. UNFAIR CRITICISM.

"Words an ishiasp, and a iropVof ink falling lika ' dew spea a. blsougbi;, prcduMg that wlviok makes thousaods; perkaps nflbons *fetat."

, :Tira action ,, of tlie, Hon. the Treasurer' thesignal for a most rabicl attack upon him by a certain portion of the' Press ; but we are pleased to.see^hafc; the journals which have raised the yelp are those which have been inflicted with a chronic rancid hatred of all and every-' ; thing; appertaining to. the member for Rarigitikei. In £he paper which is,suppoaed to represent Mr. BAXXjtNCB's con-' stituency, ; thei'e iappeared; pn article— cleverly written we admit—: but bearing iipon its face the bold jbroad hand .of "The occasional correspondent," 'iii ' which sarcasm supplied the place of argument, and leyity did duty for logic. A!s a pleasing, " skitty" piece of word- , painting '-.pi the^ ima^i^ative.lciiid it was enlitled' tdsome meritVlmt it;^iis \>y rid' means the kind of effusion whioh one ;^uldv*ix^ectv t -ib;;-seo\:in.->;tae..4!Bading; columns of a journal, arid upon most importanf JptditicaK action, more par ticur Jarly wh^ii the status and position of; the writer is taken ; int6'- consideration. Mr: BAIiiiAFCB is charged with cowardice because when slapped upon one cheek by the imperious Pro-consul, he did not m a spirit of humility turn the other.to be likewise punished, but we Veryvinuch, question, whether the cavillers would be prepared to exhibit the Christian meekness proposed- An effort has been made fo discredit thfereliablity^or the s nienipublisUedby^ Mr.'-AJNTjDBBsoN, but the fact is lost sight of that although ; Mr. ; S3tETsTDCA.N— the^vvell : dis^ ci pi eof Ms ? lriasterT^was t— -not the slightestVeffort^ at' contradiction has been made; ; we will discard the Chronicle version •■aitogetlier, and dra^v. : our inf ormatioji' d£ took place f rom dn interesting ■ ;accpunt o| ; the^fracfis lurnished tbthe. Li/tileton Tlinei iby its special correspondent. , That paper, it', ninstlie recollected, is sp,eciallyj jdevpted to Sir \Gredrge (jrey, and for whose behethe Premier^ was accusedj "of workinjE; %.e , Telegraph, .tl)epar.tment i . '" YTq ] will . . let the scribe spe'aii for hi'mseif':-^ Mr. Ballftnce to-day .tendered his resignation of hib seat m the Cabinet. This hw since Friday b.een regarderl as ineyifcable, but Mr. JBttllanbe did hot wish fo toka such a step on; impulse or without reflection. It lms 'b'dfe'frti^taridus { 6? Mrfte 'rt'ttcfe" ihat the relations between himself and the Premier hare beetviar From cordial. Erer since Sir Gr.- (Irej's return fromAuaklandthe breach I has been widening. Sin'cQ Mr. Stout's restgnaition, ancl.on.the q,ue,3tion ,o,f sunplyin^ his-placserthings liaVe got worse. X O.n .Fri<lay, .afternoon^^vhtlsfc: engnged wit)i. My. Ufader-Sedretary^&iitinj -of the Treasury, |. Mr.- BaliancieTreceived a . message that fclie iP^ejiiier-; wished to" , see, him.: "Asking' Mr. I Gavin ■to.iwaUjMrrßallahce went to the i Premier's rooms. \jLfter about !a quarter of |'ah4i'our- ?ir Gedrge Chref rnahed out of his 1 ; Tsom'in^a most l excited .estate, the ' pass'ago,; ,»nd 'entetea * Mr. Fox's room *op-- ; posif e, slamuiing .both ;dpor6, after Mm. ' A i jPewv pecontls ,aFtet 1 i .Mr...,.B'>llftnce emergerl. ! from tne room tr6in"bling with suppressed excitement, and . apparently, realwined by Mr.- Sheehan, whose hand was ou ;Msfsaoiai- -• Act '„ -SiieehaTi Went l>a?kj, arid-Mr. Bal - lanoe^ wenfrjiitbihia own T'pbra. It hn? since transpired that wl*ftt took place;, % the room 'was this. ' Sir ..Seorge Qrey hadbefore, ; liimv. the Treasnry DfiTiartThent Draf^ EstiTnnJtetT) prepared 'by Mr.' Ballaiiee. Hereto-, foi'e, ;sln,ce' Sir ; '.Tnlius KVpgel'B jime,' the sslarv of Mr. E. Foi licts ; been charged. to the Treasury, as- ponftdeßtialvSecretary to the Treasurer, As * *&&& of Jactj Mx.-

Fox lia's long ceased to i\ave any connection with eillier the Treasurer or th« Treasury, bemg tlic Confidential Secrelary to thfc C-ibinot nnd Pveniier. In pi'eparing his depnrtmantal estimates, Mr. Ballnnce struckMr. Fox out of the Treasury, and put him clown at the same salary as Secretary to the. Cabinet. When Mr. Ballance came, into' the Premier's room Mr. Sheehan being abo pi'esent, Sir George, pointing -to the trans* •fur of items, said to Mr. Ballahce; ;.'-' li this, kind of thing is to be done, 1 shall fcate the' Treasury into my own hands." Mr. Bak lance atleoipted to explain his reasons, but Sir George refused to listen, and told, lir. Ballanee ho wasnot to talk to him; but do : as lie was told. ■- Mr. Ballance replied that ho understood it to b» the duty of every Minister to prepare his" bvrii departmental estimates for _ submission to the Cabinet, nnd it was for the Cabinet to revise them, adding that if the Cabinet; chose to charge Mr. Fox's salary to a department with which Mr. Fox had no connection, he of course could not object. Sir George Gi'ey declared that this was an insult to him as Premier, that 'he ' would not be talked to, and after some further strongly condemnatory language addressed to Mr. Ballance, said " Leave the room, sir." Miv Ballance, although excited, was calm, and said he certainly would not leave the room. He had been sent f or, and as, long as | he was a member of the Ministry he would; certainly claim the right of free "discussion _with ail his colleagues^ from the Premier downwards. Mr. Sh»ehan interfered and tried to throwoil; on the troubled waters, but without effect. Sir George Grey declared' that if Mi\ Ballance did. not leave the room, he would sent for a messenger find hare him_ forcibly ejeoted. . Mr. Ballance declined to, move if all the mo3senger3 m the buildings; were summoned, whereupon '■ Sir George Gr,ey said he ; would .not stand m that or any other room with Mr. Ballance,' and he rushed out as already detailed. :v . There is a story known as : the " old man and the ass," which ho Houbt:Mr. Ballanch has read with advantage and "pro.fi fcted by the lesson. He, obeyed the dictates of a inanlj, independent mind; and took the only course open to him as a honorable upright fpan, unswayed by the judgment of chronic cavillers. Had" he then done asthe sneerers now advise, lie would cei'fcainly have left' himself open to have the taunts : of cowardice and greed hurled at him, as they certainly^ would have been. He would have been stigmatised as a barnacle sticking to the Ship of Shite for the sustenance it'gave; a'nind who had not a soul' to call his own, who took Ms scourging but kept his place that he mighfretain his-pay.'.' Mr Stout, after retainiag office throughout the entire Jlecess, : signifies his ihr tention of resigning sit the. very threshold of the opening Session, and the united Press and Platform, groan, with, utterances of deep regret, but not one woxd of condemnation; Without* the slightest provocation he withdraws from the Ministry and leavei his colleagues to meet Parliament as best they may, 7 and no ona dares to hint that the step is cowardly or that %6 haS done wrong. Mr. Ballanck has been, insulted at a Cabinet meeting, informed by his autocratic Chief, that he will take the. Treasury into his own hands, and actually degraded by having a messenger sent to turn him out, and foresooth, when his insulfcer appeals to him to relieve him of his diffieull-y, he is to pocket his affronts, ignore the possession of all feeling, and bow his head m submission. The senile and age.d blusterer— who m his own estimation is a veritable. Admirable CfiiOHTON^mrsj'udged the man he had to deal with, to bo expelled one moment and recalled the next, and the ingratitude of such treatment towards one who had proved himself the king bolt of the State Coach,, was as unwise as it disgraceful. - While all honorable men will heartily applaud Mr. Ballakcb for the step lie lias taken the Colony at large will rejoice at what has signed the death-warrant .of: Sir Gteoege Geey's Reign dt Terpor and Imcompetency. The late Treasurer has proved himself tooinvaluable while m the traces,' to be allowed to remain long, out official harness. His capacity for work is well known ; his manly honorable instincts have just been proved,, and we would not be surprised to see him take the foremost i place m the counsels of his country, when the choleric Knight of Kawau shall have b*en once moro relegated to the : shades of exile m his-Island home./ 0; ; '-^