A NEW LIGHT ON AN OLD SCENE.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 60, 26 July 1879, Page 2

A NEW LIGHT ON AN OLD SCENE.

TiiE correspondence which has been forwarded to the editor of the Ashburion Mailhy Mr, Bahancb, and which we publish lower down, must be & bitter pilLfor certain of the late Treasurer's friends (?) to syrallow, Erer since the; menibei' foi-Rangitikei joined the Ministry of Sir G-eobgbGbeTi it has been the habit of unsompulous journals to occasionally indulge m covert sneers and half-hinted inuendoes as td the conduct of Mr. BAidtiJWCE m withdraw:, ing his adhesion-? from the Atkinson party,- anil as a .consequence the fair fame of the late 1 Treasurer has suffered by, the slanders. The extract and correspondence which we quote has . been m our possession for some days, but we studiously abstained from publishing them until full time and opportunity had been allowed' the late Premier to contradict the two^lefcfcera or question their bona fides, that not haying been done, it may safely be taken for graaied ihat the case is exactly at Mr. Ballance has stated it to be j ond we ask what musi be the feelings of those who hayeUpst no opportunity of affixing a stigma so undeserred and a, stain «o unjust. ; Not only, however, were hints and sneers indulged m, but the lively imagination of the scribes even went so far as assert that on the very day upon which, the;^ Jia|e -^Ministry wa. s ousted Mr. BalXance was at a caucus meeting of the s^roveirnment supporters, although their expulsion from office he took his seat on' the Treasury Benches. How grossly untrue was the accusation the annexed' certificate from Major ■A.TEiNioir will\ amply prove ; but the correspondence will do more — it will not oniy remove the stigma which hit rhaligners have sought to put upon him» but it br.ings ; forth, into the light an upright, honorable action .which has . never before been made known to tiie "pubfic. The following is the correspondence •—• Sib. — The consistency and ab : lity with which your journal has advocated the the liberal cause, have marked and emphasised yx>ur censure 'of , my conduct ia your issue of the sth initopt. I must, however, venture i ;dispn,^'^e justice of your remarkt. . -,;,; ■■'.;■■-■.»"' -" •■■ " . You B*em to assume Viat an unfortunate, personal difference 'indicates a change of prinoiplbs and parfcy^'and on this ' assump- i tion you proceed to. make a general and indiscriminate attack } and m order, I suppose to sustain you? case, you refer to a slanderous insinuation, originated probably by a bitter personal opponent, as follows : "It was alleged by tWmeniUers of the Atkinson Government the Vljfiy Btllance bartered his cha-acter for political honesty when he joined the * .present Mniistry." 1 Another variety of the charge v circulated m an opposition paper,, is that I betrayed the confidence of Major Atk'nson by a sudden withdrawal of my support f.om the Govewmeoj;. To every one acquainted with the proceedings of the Session of 1877< and such charge, as the above will appear utterly groundless. The reported dtbatos.show that during the whole of that session I.opposed mest of the leading principles of the policy .of what is known as the Continuous Ministry. I saw m the Native LnndXJourt Bill, a measure calculated to enrich -i few by g'ving them a tnohopolT of the unsold Native lands, and I mar say "that J :ie<Jfche, attack by moving a-i-esolution, wliicli would". have destrdyeirtlie Gove 1 . nm#n li if they kad not yielded by withdrawing the Bijl.j. Those who assert, therefore, that I was Jn the confidence of Major Atkinson or the Government af fejr this, assert, not only what they muit know to be untrue, but what, keeping m riew my subsequent speeches, -would be absu-d, I remained nominally a member o? the party* though dis.trnßtful of the Ministry and i* 8 policy. My hope, frequently expressed °^ this time; was to see; the formation of. 8 . Colonial ; partv, bas#d- on Liberal principle" «nd ti'om this position Ihave never swerved fc* an instant. At length arrived the period when my last party yo'te was given, to- the vJ Atkinßon-W.flittaker Ministry. A : lTiotjon, of'no confidence was moved on the quettlon of the Waka-Tlaori newspaper, wTieri I spoke, expressing m strong terms my. disapproval of the policy and constitufc'ton. of the. Goverrittientj but refusing to turn it out on so small an issue, especially when, as I beKeved, ,nq corrupt motive or action could be. showVi;'_. But 'I felt that I oonupied a false position m sup^orL/ng a Governihent m whose policy I had lost all faith. I conferred wiffi "a friend, a member of the House, whose. OpmiShs and my own liad be6n moving m thY same direction, and we came to. the conclusion, that pur., duty was at once. to intimate Jri writing? that weeould; no longer be considered supporters ofthe Government. The Wdisti-Maori? question was decided m favor of the Government by a majority of nine on the Ist October, and on the 3rd October, two days latter I w *ote to Major Atkinson intimating that I could no longer support his Ministry. My. Lamfich had not then, as far as I am aware, even thought of moving a second vote of noconfidence, and the general impression was that the Government were secure for the session. These, Sir, a-e the indisputable facts, and I leave it to your own sense of justice to siy had how far they justify censu^eTnot to speak, of grave, imputations of political dishonesty: ; Finally I JiayaorifVow'^o say— Your aim is to"asisi»t m creating 5 a g-eat "Liberal partvxin the Colony, There is much work to be done before this great' work can be finally ftccbmplishiftd- ; before, indeed, the-e can be ahyHiing like uniformity of public opinion. To my mmd. there are two essential conditions to be observed: the fir?t is that, allowance must be made for. individuality m opinion and charßcter.; and second, that th> lines of the Constitutton are observed, Within these limits there it room for 'a party which may confer, by nsedftd reforms, the greatest blessings on the Colony. ' I am. Si*, ■ ' s Tours truly, •■■■■• .T. Baiiastob. v Wellington. 11th July, 1879, [Copy.] - 3rd October, 18.77. Dear . Major ATEtirsoir,— lt is with regret I have ..to inform you that considering the policy, an.d. responsibility expreised by ypur .colleagues in^the. recent no-confi-. dwice debtte, I. r desire -tob« considered, and Jiherefore hold myself, freei frbnr theobligations of a supporter, of the Government. ■:. . : . „ ■ '.. -• With eyery assurance of persona} regard I .am, yours very^truly, I . J. Baiianob. FEeply.] 4th October, 1877. Mx Dbae Mb. BaiiTjawce,— l received, with Tniinh regi'e.t yonr note .of yesterday. However, ; I am pjeased to thmk that if we ar^to fight m apposite camps, the cause for which we avQ contending is the same, viz., the advancement of New Zealand. May the right vpii.— Yoiira, sincerely, ~ ri. A. Atb.in|oit.

We will not add one word of oomment. The document speaks m language more powerful than any we. could utter, and should cause Mr. Ballance's chronic slanderers to hang their heads m aUame,