DISSENSIONS AMONG MINISTERS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 103, 7 May 1879, Page 4

DISSENSIONS AMONG MINISTERS.

i I ["Timaro Herald."] But whot s Cabinet ! This unlu.-ky Luckie business does not bring out half the bpaotiffl of the situation. The most entertaining episode that has yet j arisen in Ibis remetkuble Ministry is tbe recent breach between tbe Premier and the Colonial Treasurer* In order to. realise the possibility of such things occuFringr, ac we are about to naentfon, it must be borne in oilod that the memV'era of ihe pres&nfc Government fire in the habit of plotting agaicst one another without the eligtitest scrmple, «nd of representing one another to the outside world as the roost inveterate tp seals. That was all very pleasant, so 'long aa it was confined to mere conversation , b©t when they took to clawing one another through the newepepere, trouble ensued. The occasion woe this : The Colonial Treasurer, Mr Ballance, whom it would be mere fulsome flattery to call a bern intriguer bad for come considerable time been contemplating a coup of the roost , ambitious nature, (he 6rst step towards the achievement of which was the removal tjf Sir G-. Grey from bis office of -i Premier. Mr Ballanoe, it ma? be mentioned indulges in tbe J uxnry of an organ fall to himself— not Colonel Whit.raore*B charitable grinder, tbe " New Zaalander," but a special Balance organ, tbe "Evening Cbrjoniole," — and (bis cbaate print was S2Jt to workjoan»ibil«{e the Premier. ATter aeveral preliminary flourishes, jtho prand attack was made, during; Sir . George Grey's absence- at Kawau, in ■ ad- article on tbe situation of "Native affairs. In this sparkling brochure! the Premier was denounced in so many words as a : coward and a traitor, was accused of . purposely biding away in bis island at a critical juncture in order to throw tbe onus of bis position on . his colleagues, and, received a Very broad bint that if . be stayed at j the Kawau altogether, biscolleagues would Dot break their hearts or find any cjiffi culty iv filling bis place. "Some goodnatured friend " sent this article to! gj r George Grey, and be was a littb.annojred ut it.. He came, strange to say, at,oi5 C c to the conclusion that Mr Ballance had written it, and be set out; for Wellington in anything but a Christian frame of mind. When he arrived there be found tbe delieqaent had fled, jand was waking a show of " erquiring jr,f,o Ihe requirements" of a district where it ia understood be intends to seek election when tbe time comes. The Premier soon had him back though, and then ha gave bira a taauvais quart , d'heure and no mistake. We are assured that the gallant old knight warmed to his work mO3t healthily, and said every nasty, stinging, cutting, palling thing he could think of,,conc|uding with a .plain announcement of his determination not toretftiu Mr Ballaoce in the Cabinet a moment longer (ban waßjjeo.ess.sfy. /jJGtorcjpaders are aware that though the members of this touchingly united Ministry hate one another like poieon.^aad abuee one another like pickpockets, yet no . amount , of disagreement will induce a sipele 1 one of them to sever bia_.> connection, .- .with the- :resl ; and the ; idea; pf> resigning prpbably jpever entered jMr Ballauce'a bead. When be left j the Premier's presence, , like, JVrtemus Ward* in, tbe ." canawl bote,*' he jwae K "sik and' sorry lied koro ;" but; be never thought ot resigning. The Premier, however, had made op ibis mind to get rid of him, and we believe that the pleasant creatures have: never -,;, spoke to one another since. Tiey bave spoken about one another a good deal, ; though ; ood the most aplendid stories - are 'Premiers sarcastic die-' section of," that low fellow,' Ballanee;"..' The scheming for the expulsion of tbe Tieasurcr from the Cabinet was going on briskly up to the time of the „ Pj-emier'e departure for the North, but we have not beard whether any, final decision was come to before he left. The intention .we &re ; informed, ia to advise the Governor to dismiss Mr Bflllaace* -and. this- was aautioualy, .ventilated in an article in the Lyttehon.. Time,' a few. days, ago, when the right of tbe Premier to insist oa any member/ of the Cabinet ./jghon be objected ltd,'/ being removed, was solemnly diacusesd ;in general terms.; . The chief difficulty ,w»s the. choice 'of 1 m successor capable of . .. managing the .tangled business of tbe Treasury iand oiicalated to strengthen tbe Ministry. A Canterbury man fas considered highly iies^able, and it jrns seriously intended to invite a somewhat A pronounced member of the Opposition to" coalesce *' with Sir George Grey. This, idea was speedily abandoned, though, on its being, ascertained that •• the member referred to bad recently become more pronounced than ever] if possible, in his opposition io the Minis-, try. It was then suggested that another Canterbury roan, who has taken \ no part in politics for some, time past, and who, though at one time opposed tojtbe .party now io power, is understood! to be very placably disposed jast nbw, should be offered Mr Ballance'a place, in the contingency, of his getting a aleat in the House. This plan, which was not thought much of, even by th.ose who conceived it, has been received with, laughter and amazement by everybody else; and. we shall probably hear of gome new move when ihe Premier returns to Wellington. In the meaotime, poor Mr Ballabce'a feelings dust fee aboot as enviable as those of poor ' Mr Lockie. They .make, infac^, a pretty pair. For oor part, |we conJesa ita&t we have no wore pity /or

one than 'the other. It would, indeed, be only a charming instenoe cf poetical justice, if Mr Ballance, who got into office by his treachery to Major Atkinson, were to be turned out aiaio through hie treachery to Sir George Grey. We do not prefen^ of course, to judge the qusrrel between tbe PremiVr and (he Treasurer. Eacb, we think, has done a little injustice to tbe other. The article in the Chronicle was wrong in so far aa it called Sir George Grey a coward as well as a traitor, shuffler, liar, &c. He is not a coward. Sir George Grey, on the other hand, wos wrong in assuming that Mr Ballance wrote the article, or did more than give eotnelody else ihe cue We are certain be did not write it. We have seen plenty of his writiojr, and we are convinced be could not" write ao well to save bis soaf.