The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5215, 8 December 1877, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1877.

Like the falling of the mules through a roof, described by Mark Twain, the quarrels of' Sir George Grey with' his Excellency the Governor are getting monotonous. The Premier has had a memorandumiad about the appointment of Mr. Wilson to the Legislative Council, another about the coming of Sir William Jeiwois, and now he has had a third about a dissolution of Parliament. We may presume that it matters nothing to him that in each of these he has been totally in the wrong. He is perfectly satisfied, we ma}' be assured, to be altogether in error so long as he is able to argue with the Governor in manuscript, with the hope of leading him into a trap somewhere or another. It seems that the last memorandumiad has been brought about as follows. The Premier, all of a sudden, asked the Marquis of Normandy to dissolve Parliament. His Excellency replied in effect that he would do nothing of the kind; and in this he was quite right according to every constitutional precedent ; for it is well known that the duty of the Governoris in the first instance j to exhaust the House, that is to say he | should ascertain whether a Government commanding the confidence of a working majority cannot be formed. Obviously then, if Sir George were anxious that a dissolution should be brought about, and that it was absolutely necessary in the present condition of the House, his proper course on being refused one was to tender his resignation, and then, a Government being formed with another Premier, if that gentleman found it impossible to carry on business in Parliament, the Governor would clearly be compelled by the force of events to grant a dissolution, it being proved that no Ministry could be got together which could command a majority in the House of Representatives. But Sir George did not take this view of the matter, and consequently, when the Governor refused him a dissolution, he proceeded to demand one, affirming that a Premier had a right to so demand. The reply of his Excellency was clear and decisive. Dissolution is one of the prerogatives of the Crown, and is not the right of any Ministry. We fail to see how Sir George Grey can get over this fact, though of course he will bring to bear upon it the rights of man, tho happiness of the whole human race, and the welfare of the people, all very fine and nice no doubt, but scarcely relevant, per se, to the matter in hand. It is comforting to know that in this last memorandumiad the Premier is not likely to receive assistance even from his most ardent supporters. Probably it was the consciousness of this that caused him to delay so long laying the correspondence upon tho table of the House ; for it is pretty well known that not only had he not the support of his own Cabinet in the course he has pursued, but that he was dissuaded therefrom by many of his leading supporters, who had no anxiety to appeal to constituencies that would probably never again return them to Parliament. The papers in connection with this affair, when printed and distributed, will, we fancy, form matter most interesting for perusal. In his desire for human happiness, Sir George Grey should have considered this, and should not have delayed their production ; for he has not only delayed their production, but he and his people have done their best to preserve their existence as a secret. Indeed, had it not been for the express request of his Excellency, it is highly improbable that they would ever have attained publicitj'; the Premier would have carefully pigeonholed them.' But now they must out, and we shall have peculiar pleasure in criticising them in detail when they are before us.