The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5277, 22 February 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1878.

Me. Ormond’s address at Waipawa to the electors of Clive was a masterly answer to the charges which have been made against the late Ministry. He alluded to the circumstances which led him to join the Administration, and as he has frequently been taunted with a desire to cling to office, it may not be out of place to mention that for four years before he took office he could have obtained a seat in the Cabinet. This is not to be wondered at, for Mr. Ormond is one of the most capable administrators that the colony has produced. He is also an effective speaker, and though at times in the heat of debate he has overstepped the bounds of discretion, in no single instance were his words very wide of the mark. It was necessary at the end of last session for the member for Clire to be very cautious, for no opportunity was lost of distorting his words and attributing to them a false meaning. Mr. Ormond throws little additional light on the reorganisation of the Ministry after the departure of Sir Julius Vogel to assume’the Agent-Generalship. Indeed, there was really nothing to add to that which had already been known, for it was one of the characteristics of the late Government that it did not fear the fullest publicity. Mr. Ormond states that when Sir Julius Vogel retired from the head of the Ministry, Mr. Stafford was pressed to take tho Premiership, for he would have brought with him a name for honest, faithful administration, and would have had the full confidence of the country. However, Mr. Stafford was firm in his refusal, and Mr. Ormond believes that in refusing to accept office he was influenced by the system of personal invective which was adopted by the Opposition. Anyone who has listened to the speeches of such members as Mr. Hees, Dr. Hodgkinson, and even the great Proconsul himself will well understand that there were good grounds for Mr. Stafford’s objection. However, if tho member for Timaru had joined the Ministry, it might have weathered the storms of invective with which it was constantly assailed. His personal influence was as great as that of anyone , in thu House, and Sir George lias more than once felt that in power of sarcasm Mr. Stafford was more than his match. When it was definitely known that tho member for Timaru would not accept the Premiership, Major Atkinson was fixed upon. He was hot willing at first, but consented on condition that he should get aid from his party. Mr. Ormond was one of those who consented to assist Major Atkinson, though he says it was with great unwillingness he did so—“ The duties ho knew were very onerous, and there was also much that'was unpleasant in connection with it. He knew . that he should have to apply himself to the work of and. that carried with it the most unpleasant duty of having to dispense With the service's of a number of public servants—a most painful duty to tho man who had to carry it out.

Another thing was that he would have to assist in bringing into operation the new fcpm of government. He meant the present system of local government! Anyone who had at all made himself, ' acquainted with the history of governments must have noticed that those who launched,a new system, however fdl the system might prove, were never those who carried it out. In any great change it was never the Government which introduced it that eventually brought it into full 1 effect. History, proved that that had always been so. He knew that that contingency attached to his taking office, and it might well be asked why, after he had refrained for years from accepting it, he should go in to. undertake work, which, as he had said, was in soma respects unpleasant and painfui, and in others was liable to the contingency, he had mentioned. But he belonged to a party, and he knew that his services were required by his party, that local government was what the country had to get, and that measures were to be framed and passed to carry it into effect.” Mr. Ormond alluded to the sneers about the emoluments of offices and about the palaces Ministers lived in, arid stated that anyone who knew him would know that leaving his own affairs would involve more loss than would bo compensated by the Ministerial salary, and as for the palaces, he had left a very comfortable residence to go to a very uncomfortable one. Mr. Ormond was addressing those who were acquainted .with him, and they, must have marvelled much that anyone would be so regardless of the truth as to accuse him of sticking to office foi its emoluments. Yet that charge has again, and again been levelled at Mr. Ormond and his colleagues. Of course, the object was to catch the ears of that considerable section of people who i have small faith in human kind, and in politicians in particular. To accuse a public man of motives of personal gain,, is a. iaure appeal to the understanding of the' vulgar. That, a man should, incur loss of time, comfort, arid money, through a laudable ambition and for his country’s good, is beyond their: comprehension. We need, not follow Mr. Ormond in his remarks on'the Middle ’Party, and the shameful conduct of the present Ministry in sticking :to, office in the face of a hostile majority, in Parliament. , All the circumstancess are well known, and have been freely commented upon. That shortlived ' combination- called the Middle Party, though it contained several estimable gentlemen, would heartily wish that its simplicity and foolish: mistakes should be hid in oblivion. No doubt the members of the party were well iutentioned ; but they must feel sad when they reflect on the wayin which they played into the hands of Sir George Grey. Many of the Middle Party were old riiembers of the House ; but they had neglected, to notice that of late the tone of Parliament had, deteriorated, otherwise they would have placed no faith in the assurance that Sir George Grey would not under any circumstances be the Preihier who should succeed Major Atkinson. Mr. Ormond’s remarks on the Landi Furid are well worth pondering over by those who desire to maintain, the unity of - the colony. Mr. Ormond says:—“ It might be asked why the late Government, havirig among them those who: were l convinced of the necessity of taking, the Land Fund, did not take it themselves. ;. It must, however, be remembered that the late Government had as opponents men..who were bent upon the disruption of the colony—men such as Sir George Grey and Mr. Macandrew, who were determined to bring about, if they could, the separation of the colony. He therefore thought that, although the Land Farid was necessary to the colony, separation was a question of greater importance —to uphold the unity, of the. colony was a matter 1 of much riiore moment than making the Land Fund general. Had the late Governriient brought forward the Land Fund question they would have played into the hands of the separationists. It could not be supposed that Mr. Macandrew, for instance, would have supported the late Government if the proposal had coma from them. Mr. Macandrew had been desiring separation through the whole of his career ; it had been his one aim all along, and it was still.” The; African does not change his akin nor the leopard his spots, and we hesitate to believe that certain gentlemen have departed from the principles which they have advocated since their first advent into the political arena in this colony.