The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURUSDAY, MARCH 21, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5300, 21 March 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURUSDAY, MARCH 21, 1878.

The present Government, and.the party that supports it, are composed of such incongruous elements - that they have found some difficulty in describing themselves for the benefit of an. expectant public. It is notorious that some of the members of the Cabinet contemptuously repudiate most of the doctrines enunciated by their chief; and that not secretly or confidentially, but in the most open and public manner. In the meantime the members of the Cabinet are a happy family ; the leader deceives his colleagues, and his colleagues deceive him. But they are all united in one belief that Sir George Grey can impose on the large credulous and gullible elements in the community, and i that crowds. will cheer an exGovernor who flatters them, while the novelty of the . situation tickles their’\ fancy. So the nondescript and incohesive party now in power cling to the ' skirts of Sir George Grey to pull them on t of their native obscurity. JV C. Browns and Fishers like to be paraded .through towns and villages by a live ox-Governor, who tells the people that with the assistance of such friends as these he will save the country. Thus “ Greyism ” has for the moment become a faith, and a professed “ Greyite ” has a platform' on which to solicit the votes of a constituency. When Mr. Tole first came forward at Auckland he frankly ’ told the constituency . that he could not be expected to have views of his own, but that he would follow Sir George Grey’s leadership in all things. “ Greyites ” will be found elsewhere in the colony ; and what at first appeared ludicrous to people out of Auckland will commend itself to those who like” to worship the existing power whatever it.may be. But there are a few people who are uneasy at being merely ranked as “ Greyites,” and who desire some, better war-cry than “Greyism.” These men talk about “a liberal Government ’! and assume that their policy is “liberal,” while that of their opponents is illiberal;. Lot those who talk in this way study the records of old liberal associations here at Wellington, when Sir George Grey was Governor. They will find that the last man under whom to expect liberal Government is Sir George Grey.” When Governor he always endeavored to obstruct liberal institutions ; as Minister he does not understand them, and refuses to acknowledge them. Let” us judge of his views and actions out of his : own mouth. We are anxious not to misrepresent him, and we will therefore take his own explanation of the action lie recently . took with regard to the Waste Lands Act. Without entering into the merits of the main question, or pausing to point out Sir George Grey’s repeated misrepresentations and misstatements on the subject, let us coniine our attention to the constitutiohal position which Sir George Grey takes up. The Waste Lands Act had been passed in both Houses by a large majority. The question of the runs had been discussed and rediaenssed, and the House of Representatives had come to a conclusion which was not Sir George Grey’s conclusion. Moreover, this very question had been discussed at the general election in Canterbury, svhich took place only two years ago, and had been frequently before the country since the debates in the Assembly during the previous session. However that may be, Sir George Grey’s Government carried the Bill finally through the House, and Sir George admits that his own colleagues were opposed to him as to his action in the matter. We have then the Government of the day and both Houses of the Assembly determining to pass a certain measure, and Sir George Grey taking it on himself, privately, without one word of notice to the Legislature, to try to get the Bill vetoed by the Governor. . He is to be the judge alone as to whether a measure is good for the people or not—the Legislature—his own colleagues—may decide what they like ; so long as he is Premier he will privately and surreptitiously endeavor to overturn what they have done. Fortunately, the Governor of the colony was not to be led into such a step as this, and he refused to outrage all constitutional precedent by vetoing a law which had been passed by both Houses under the auspices of the existing Government. But there are people in the colony prepared to kneel down before Sir George Grey and to accept from his hands whatever he thinks is good for them. What are the representatives of the people ? What are responsible governments, that they should venture to question the decision of an autocrat as to what is good for the people? Not only did Sir, George Grey commit this crime against our constitutional liberties, but he justifies it. He says that he believes every one of his colleagues voted against him on conviction. (It is very good of him to suppose so). But what right have his colleagues tohavoan opinion at all ? We are living under the Government of Sir George Grey,—and the policy must be Greyism, and his colleagues must be Greyites. They may call themselves liberal if they like. Indeed, on the whole, it would be well that they should call themselves liberal; but do not let them suppose that their views are to be considered niore than those of the Legislature, i when their chief 'is satisfied they ace wrong. If' they will have opinions bf their own—if the ■ little surreptitious attempt fails, why ho, Sir George Grey, father than see a gross wrong inflicted on every man, woman', and child in New, Zealand, will—resign. Not a bit. of it. i He will stay whore he is. It is better for the country that he should dh so. He may yet live to circumvent, Parliament, colleagues, .and all/ ...Is.not this assumption—chat ho alone is best judge of what is good,for the .country—the assumption of all despots from the beginning of the world 1 1 >■ - '■ ’ ‘ ' 1 ' .. Sir; George Grey complains that the advice he grtve to the Governor hits been madeipublio.., His old:cqlleagues,made,np, secret of the matter. No doubt they w;ere las completely taken aback at:the underhand arts of their chief as the country was, and when they hunted him .down on that .memorable morning, and ; forced him to sign his consent to the passing of the Act, they must have had queer, misgivings as to their prospects as a constitutional Government. But their constitutional position is at any rate bettor than that of a Premier who remains in office after advising, under compulsion,

the passing of a law which, in his opinion, is a fraud; and an injury, and a robbery of the widow and the orphan throughout the length and the breadth of the land. Ministers must secretly rejoice that Sir George’s stumping tour is over. It has effectually extinguished them as independent colleagues in the eyes of the country. One or other of them has been dragged from place to place like a private secretary, to hear explanations—such as this given on the Land Bill, which practically but patronisingly ignores them. They are the best of all: possible’ colleagues. The Premier is proud of them. He believes they voted against him conscientiously, but what can you expect when mere Parliamentary Ministers venture to set up their opinions against those of a Heaven-born ruler ? It is true that once or twice, when their backs were up, they coerced the great man into doing violence to his conscience for the sake of retaining his office, but shouting crowds will still admire the fluent speaker,, who pities alike the errors of the Governor, of his colleagues, and of the Parliament.