The New Zealand TimeS (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, APRIL l2, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5318, 12 April 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand TimeS (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1878.

Our contemporary, the Grey liimr, Argus has joined in the’note ofSwarning coming from - various quarters,' which iis uiot’ niicalled for, and which should not be disregarded.' '"The Separatiohish’-teiideneies 0f,,,tw0, of the ..leading, membets I .of the Cabinet ai*e well known, and it is‘probable'- tluitNf Sir l George ' ‘ Grey 'and'-‘Mr.' Macandrew have an 1 understanding between themselves they will be too' much for any- colleagues whose' inclinations.may be different,to their own, .It has already .beerf seen, how far, members ■of ithe Cabinet aylip are known to differ from Sir George Grey oh radical questions of policy have been prepared to swallow their ’bbiiviotibhs and to do' his; bidding. ‘The hhly’ niah fbally likely' to’ resist ‘ him effootually, should-Hheir political' views' and desires run.,counter . .to each, other, is - Mr. Macanbrew.. But if .these ,two agreed.on a general outline of. policy,..they’are likely, to carry it',' so far as " the Cabinet is concerned., What Parliament and the country may say to them is another matter, But during the recess much mischief may be done by a secret insidious!'paving the way for , a policy that woald'ibe; most unacceptable to the country at large, and which the majority-of the Cabinet would'she'*-too weak to oppose. ‘ "F'- 1 « _ Both Sir George Grey : and Mr; 'litacANDRp'w ~have over and pver ajgain proclaimed the'ir undying, hostility tj?; the political unity of the colohy. ,' Two separate, sealjs of.gpvernment at pppqsj,te puds of, the. two islandg; one at Auckland and the other at Dunedin, aye, according to these gentlemen, ItOnbe; the result .of l 'the abolition of the provinces p and so; far as their probable dine of ■ action is" to be gathsfed ,! from“ their language,''they are both certain to work towards 1 subh aeonsummation.' That they cannot openly advocate such a policy at'the present time will not in the least deter them from working up to it' sepretly and quietly. The pretence, under which their policy is veiled may be shallow enough ; blit it,is hoped, that, it may ,serve' its purpose, until the time' has come for striking an effectual blow. The. Premier’s firewdfks will amutie' pebplej* while ! tlie' more serious projects are. being.'matured. And then the bublic is so .easily galled,,so at least thinks the-;Premier, ,as 'he looks down from the stago at tlie gaping and cheering crowds who follow, him in his tinsel and tinfoil progress.- -He - does not - understand the people yet, with’all-his boasted experience; nor does he know how- to distinguish between thb ■ good-natured cheers with wjiich they patrpnise the show, aii(liho determination, not. ambiguo.usly expressed, to watch the showinaii Very' .-.closely,- ...(.,.0 -ae .>!!»’ J..-lUi , .uni 11

Not long ago tlie Police Department ;was reorganised, by the late Government. Great pains had been taken to-obtain-evi--denee arid- information; All the chief, officers of the police were assembled at Wellington to give advice as to the changes "that slibiild be made, and a Bill-’ . was prepared. to give, effect to the recommendations then made. By the Opposition, and especially -by the most vidlent of the Provincialist party, an absurd cry ' was raised that there was an intention'to militarise the police.- It was very Clearly shown tliat'rio such ihtehtioh existed,"and that the Scheme Of' the late Government, while it.roduced the expanses of the whole Constabulary -Department some £30,000 a year by consolidating the force, did not in- any way: impair the efficiency*, of the civil police. On the contrary, it provided that the system of those parts of the 'country in’ - 'which' the most efficient police had' ’been 'established • should be extended’’ over the whole cqjohy. Thb ; ’ Constabulary Bill-, was not jjassed, but the’ new system" was '‘'piacticlvlly. brought j. .into,, -.operation, ,and the. police force of the colony became one body. No sooner had the present Government taken office than tho whole arrangomont previously i: made'"\Vas upset. Two" forces'were created under separate" commands, one for each island, involving inofpascd .cost, and diminished efficiency, ihj (I the;,’,event., ;; of, ' serious "disturbances. The manner ’ip.which this chapgo,was,effected : illustrated, in a remarkable, manner the insignificance in they Cabinet; of at least one member of the Government. Colonel Whitmoiie, who nominally.holds the office of Defence Minister, was: one oftlie, members of the Upper House who most strongly approved of the policy of the late Government, .with regard to the police, 1, who,, indeed, wanted to, go a grpat deal -farther in ,the direction,,,of what- Mr. . t MaoandkEw : .called . -, militarising,, the force.""Now, it is under his auspices apparbritlyJthat the recent change,.has -beeneffected. The fact is that he has nothing whatever to do with this or "any’ other question p’f I ' policy ’dptermippd'' on "by'his colleagues.. Is not every declared principle of Sir George Gkey at open vai/ia'nce' , with ail the ppirjious expressed hy' the present Colonial Secretary in the Legislative Council? .fiAndyet yhe'has .so little, sense of self-respect as to-remain in a . Ministry opposed to all that ho.has -been pleased to call His principles. Practically, ho has not got any, or finda'ib'cOhvenient to let them sleep. , rOho of the greatest dangers arising oufof the’, composition" of the present Government is that "no one knows what -its principles are.- Wo are.obliged to recall the previous utterances of.thA most intriguing-and-’inost influential anipng them, wnd to watch’.the symptoms wliich gradually' bring ’put t their 1 asbeiid'ancy.,, fllaying; dealt' with-tpe'polipe, the Govern’-" raent-turhed thcir-attanUbrLto.theJßublio Works Department, -with ai similar object in view. We do-not care what pretences bate bo, .noted.,, .Gradually every branch i of this 'department isfl'bcifig' ’clividcd’ into a North Island fuld'South Jisland branch. The expenses wil 1 "be ’ consnleraUly 7 in;; creased, whild - the ; reduction perhaps of an" bfficcr or two at" Wellington will be pointed to as effecting a reduction in the

service. fAnd when all efficient control a‘t head-cjuartersvjof tli'p. N Si3outhem ; i departments/ lias beeome“lm:possible i j owing’v to \ .ttio in ; the‘'system of acJministr|ition,' we shall hear' pf ' tlje-’’S|tnpossibility >■ of ’one Government for the colony. Now wo are far from desiring to see a purely cen- • advocated the localisation. of all-details of -administration.. ’But'theT control- must-.be-central r if. we.wish,Pai - T. liament to maintain ,au efficient check ■upon-.-tho-great..expenditure.going,.on_all over the country. That the colony out-sido-’of- 'thbl'towns of' Duhediii’.and Auckland will be satisfied at this attempt to hand the islands over to administration frpm these two centres is not probable. But’ we qfi’otesit against the Insidious attempt to work direction -of separation without' th'e’ldiowledgo or consent of Parliament. .

There are many other sigiis‘~of the adop tion’ of la/siinilari policy .with yospec t to other-.,departments,...which we shall have to refer to again. And we shall have again .•j.to' uleal.'.'.witlv v.thp arrangements made lately by the Government for the' conduct''of' ithovPolice.'jand of tho Public Works Departments. They have succeeded- in''breaking up an exceedingly able staff of engineers. It will be necessary lb iii(juifb : whore ■ they are drifting; ' iL " ' ;ii o-" '"■■""hi