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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4265, 20 November 1874, Page 2

The following appeared as a sub-leader in the Trifatne, the evening of the day on which we announced Mr. Bowen's accession to the Ministry : Mr. C. C. Bowen, lately R.M. at Christchurch, has joined the Government, and accepted the portfolio of Minister of Justice. ■ This accession to the Government may possibly not bo popular in tho North or among northern members of the Assembly, but, wo understand, it gives groat satisfaction to the people of Canterbury and Otiigo and their representatives, and the views and feelings of tho large section of the population, where Mr. Bowen is well known and highly respected, are certainly entitled to consideration at the hands of tho Government. Considering that the Government only received, by telegram, on the previous evening, an intimation from Mr. Bowen that ho was willing to accept tho rank and emoluments of a Minister of the Crown, our contemporary must certainly have been inspired or he would not have written as he did, that although Mr. Bowen's " accession to the Government " may possibly not be popular in the " North, or among northern members of "the Assembly, we understand it gives " great satisfaction to the people of Can- " terbury and Otago, and their represen- " tives." The fact is, that except to a select few tho arrangement was a profound secret, and therefore our contemporary was imposed upon. For his information, we may state that although Mr. Bowen has consented to join the Government, he is not a Ministor. We question much whether ho has oven parted with his " bird in tho hand," and resigned his resident magistracy. Certainly his resignation has not. been received and accepted by His Excellency, or it would have been gazetted; so that we have to complain of a further breach of constitutional practice, of which much more is certain to bo heard hereafter. Mr. Bowen. is expected to moot His Excellency, Lord Normanby, on his arrival here, when ho will be sworn into office. The whole business is bo repugnant to the principles of Representative Government that one cannot touch it with any dc#roe of pationco. Our inspired contemporary, who so innocently mislod tho public, adds

to the imaginary information in his paragraph the following comment, which, if it be anything but the veriest nonsense, means that Parliamentary Government does not, and should not, exist here. He says:—" The views and feelings of the " large section of the population, where " Mr. Bowen is well known and highly re- " spected, are certainly entitled to con- " sideration at the hands of the Govern- " ment." That is a novel qualification for a Minister of the Crown. Let the large section of the population in question elect Mr. Bowen to a seat in Parliament,' and there will then be no objection whatever to his joining the Ministry.