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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5447, 11 September 1878, Page 2

Honorable Legislative Councillors and Gentlemen of the House of Keprcsenfcatives have returned from their Southern tour, all jubilant as to its pleasures, and all grateful for tho frank courtesy and overflowing hospitality which they have everywhere received ; those who wore strangers to the land have been greatly surprised and enlightened as to its rapid progress and teeming resources. Jn so far as the promotion of good fellowship and better acquaintance between North and South was concerned, the success of the excursion party has been complete. We are glad to record tho fact, and to join cordially in the hope that, in our time, the men of tho North, on a like occasion, may have the opportunity of offering to their Southern friends a return for their genial kindness with, interest and heartily. , One regret will mingle with the recollection of tho late event, and that is that tho trail of a miserable jealousy and of a small party spirit should have unhappily been thrown over it. It was an occasion upon which generous men would have gladly seized to admit tho merits of a political opponent, but the Premier and 4 tho men of tho present Government cannot rise to such an occasion. As it was certain that, in Dunedin at any rate, tho name of Sir Julius Yogel would bo mentioned with honor in connection with the great work tho acsomplißhment of which was about to bo celebrated-, Ministerial envysnached tho opportunity to slander an absent man and to detract as far as they could thus do from tho credit and honor which were due to him who practically inaugurated and carried so far on its way the great scheme of Immigration and Public Works to which this colony owes tho high position and consideration which it lias attained. Tho dastardly attack has missed its" object and recoiled upon its authors ; the Honorable Mr. Fisher will probably remember whilst ho lives the storm of hisses and contempt which followed hia weak attempt to do the bidding of his jealous and egoistical master. Wo have exposed with irrefragable proof the falsehood of tho accusations made for the occasion against Sir Julius Vogel, and we have no desire to aggravate tho bitterness of the late Ministerial defeat by any further reforeueb to it. It has pleased Ministers also on this occasion to anfame and insult the oldest, ablest, most honored and.most disinterested of. Now Zealand’s statesmen, Mr. Stafford. That gentleman's honor belongs. to New Zealand, and in its public records, —from the time when ho joined his fellow settlers in resisting the tyranny of Sir George Gref, as mi autocratic Governor of this colony, down to tho time when he left the same Sir George Giusy an autocratic Prime Minister, seeking to reestablish his personal. govonmieul in the name, of the people, —hia best defence'will bo found. It needs no word from us. ■ Mr. Stafford himself would probably bet small store by tno opinions of any one of (ho honorable gentlemen who now occupy tho Treasury Denches as

expressed in their newspaper, and would rest assured, as he might safely do, that such opinions could be shared by very feweven of the few readers «>f that journal.