The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY. OCTOBER 11, 1872.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 243, 11 October 1872, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY. OCTOBER 11, 1872.

In another column will be found two of the memoranda that passed between his Excellency the Governor and Mr. Stafford on the question of dissolving the Parliament. In all, eight of these communications were exchanged between them, but we have selected two only as Tbeing sufficient to show the grounds on . ■which the Governor based his refusal, and the opinion entertained by Mr. Stafford of that refusal. We would . call special attention to that headed "'No. 4," in which Sir George Bowen in a really able and thoroughly straightforward manner, gives Ijis reasons for declining to accede to the request of - his constitutional advisers. Had he laid aside his pen on arriving at ; the conclusion of the memorandum itself, Ifis Ministers would have been satisfied, and, we believe, the country would have accepted his decision without a murmur, but -no; it would seem that on a re-perusal of what he had- written, hhre r became alarmed at the unwonted firmness he had displayed i He wavered; he sought to qualify his refusal; he did worse. In a moment of feminine weakness he. listened to the promptings of his evil-genius, and — added a postscript ! Abrogating the important functions that belonged to bira as Governor of the Colony, lowering himself from the high position he occupied as the Queen's representative, whose word on an occasion of this kind should be law', he stooped to make the suggestion that the responsibility should be removed from his shoulders, and that the whole onus of deciding the knotty question shoujdy resfc r with his Parliament. Virtually, his replylresolves itself into 'thißr— "l'.do.!j not myself consider that a dissolution;; should take place, and I have, I think, arged^ excellent, reasons for refusing it; but if you can induce the House to vote, supplies, I have no objection to pocket my/ 'own convictions',' 'and to grant" you that: which you desire, but which I know I shall be? wrong in allowing." No wonder that Mr; Stafford,^ -in his brief j reply, ' remarked -that' if t'^e course indicated by his^xceHiency^were of decidinjg ; whether^Parliamenii; should be # diSßbivedrormpt, would in fact be rele- • gated; to the House ■;•; of Eepresentatiyes^ insteSdypf. "resUhjg^ as , f it constitutioiiaily 'f k ;s^B«ffelyA ; mußtf have •^oclMn^-'^^Sir';

George Bowen that he, whose duty it was to assume a thoroughly impartial position,, was placing a very formidable .weapon in the hands of the Opposition^ He mußt have known'that there were many members to whom the retention of their seats in the House without the expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty consequent upon a general election wos of far greater consequence than the existence of this, that, or tbe other Ministry. He must have been perfectly well aware that, even if Mr. Stafford could boast of a small majority, it would speedily have dwindled away had he gone- down- to the House and said— " GentleraeD, a dissolution of Parliament depends entirely upon your passing an Appropriation Act; if you vote supplies for three .months you will be packed off about your business, some of you, on both sides of the House, never to show your faces here again; if you refuse, you may possibly,retain your seats for three years longer." We. do not mean to say that these are the precise words that Mr. Stafford;woui'd have made use of,, but, we believe, they faithfully indicate the aspect that the question would have assumed in the eyes of a very large section of the House. With every desire to speak with the utmost respect of an. officer holding so elevated, a position as.that of Governor of New Zealand, we cannot refrain from expressing our great surprise that such a proposition should have been made by Sir George Bowen to a Minister of the Crown —that he should-actually go down to the House and assert that he had been instructed by Her Majesty's representative to hold out a strong inducement to members to array themselvesagaiost his Government. Naturally enough Mr. Stafford declined to place himself in so humiliating a position, and none will think the worse of him for so doing. Of the action taken by His Excellency we prefer to say nothing more, but will leave the public to form their own opinion on the extraordinary coarse he has thought fit to pursue. ,