THE “AUSTRALASIAN” ON SIR GEORGE GREY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5228, 24 December 1877, Page 3

THE “AUSTRALASIAN” ON SIR GEORGE GREY.

With all bis experience Sir George Grey is but a clumsy bungler in Parliamentary management compared with our own Ministry. The Premier of New Zealand is adverse to doing anything for the defences, even to sending a steamer to convey Sir <’V. Jervois on his contemplated tour of inspection. He considers that the financial condition of the colony will not allow it to provide for its defence, which is something like saying that a man has so largely spent his capital in furnishing his house that he cau’t afford to buy a lock for his front door. He holds, moreover, that “ the Home Government is found to defend the colony”—one of the meanest and most ignominious contentious that the Premier of a wealthy prosperous community could put forward. That a country which has spent enormous sums of borrowed money should decline to provide for its defences, and attempt to throw the responsibility of defence on its creditors, would be a policy discreditable in the highest degree to the community were it not that it expresses rather the feelings of an erratic, eccentric politician than those of the people of the country. These views thoroughly exhibit that wild, irrational, petulant character that stamps all of the proceedings of Sir George Grey. But what we wish now to dwell upon is the absurd way in which he gives effect to them. Entertaining these opinions, Sir George Grey flatly refuses to send the steamer applied for, and brings forward these arguments in a despatch to the Governor. We read that “ there is great and general indignation at hia action.” Naturally. But why did not Sir George Grey take a different course ? Why did he not publicly pledge himself to assist Sir W. Jervois in every way and to take measures for giving prompt effect to his report when it was presented, and then when the time came send the necessary Bill up to the Upper House in suoh a form that that Chamber would be compelled from self-respect, and a regard to its privileges, to lay it aside ? In the arts of political insincerity and party tactics, Mr. Berry could give Sir George Grey many useful lessons.