THE MINISTRY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5487, 28 October 1878, Page 2

THE MINISTRY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND TIIIE3. ‘ SIR, —Your indication or suggestion of a possible change of Ministry deserves the very serious consideration of our representatives. There is but little doubt that a majority of the House of Representatives is not in accord with the Government as at present constituted, hut, most unfortunately for the country* the prominent members of this majority do not care to take upon themselves the trouble and responsibility of assuming the reins of power. They say it is too late in the session to make any change—that the Grey Ministry may as well have another term of office—we will take care they cannot do much mischief during the recess. But, sir, I maintain they can do a very great deal of harm, and I ask if it is patriotic on the part of our real statesmen thus to shirk their duty? The present Ministry have been tried and found wanting. They have tampered with the liberty of the people in endeavoring to pass a BUI which would give them the control of the elections in the North Island ;—they have tampered with the very head and fountain of justice by allowing one of their partizaus to make the most scandalous charges against their Honors the Chief Justice and Mr. Justice Richmond without enforcing him to substantiate his accusations; —they have tampered with the finances of the colony by entering into private contracts, involving the expenditure of large sums of public money, without the authority of Parliament, as witness the Tapanui railway and waggon contracts ; they have tampered with the franchise of the colony, as witness the Bay of Islands electoral roll affair ;— they have tampered with the freedom of the Press, as witqess tbeir subsidising out of public money only those journals which support them, to the exclusion of all others, and particularly as witness their late scandalous transaction with the proprietors of the three principal Government organs ; —they have tampered with the honor and good name of the colony by their action with regard to Sir Wm. Jervois, and the neglect of her interests at the Paris Exhibition; they have shown a lack of loyalty to our gracious Sovereign by the studied insults offered to her representative by the Premier; they have humiliated the whole colony of European settlers by the Premier and Native Minister abjectly and unsuccessfully visiting and trying to bring to terms rebels against the Crown, even at the expense of making, promises (perfectly unauthorised), of enormous grants of public money and public land. With all their boasted success they have failed to obtain the rendition of one of the numerous murderers who now enjoy the protection of these very natives, of whom they impudently make the Governor say, in his opening speech to Parliament, (< at last ” they have been brought into our fold. They have failed to carry through Parliament one single measure of importance as prepared by themselves; they have forfeited the confidence of their erstwhile supporters, and now, forsooth, they ask the House to give them another year of grace, under a solemn promise that next session they will bring down measures of surpassing excellence. I think the irrefutable facts above instanced show that the present Ministry are no longer deserving tlie confidence of the country, and we have it on the highest authority that “a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit,” Surely amongst the gentlemen you name, Messrs. Rolleston, Walter Johnston, Stevens, .Wakefield, Montgomery, Seymour, Curtis, and Thomson, could be found able leaders in the House of Representatives ; and such distinguished and experienced statesmen as the lion. Sir Dillon BeU and the Hons, Messrs. Hall and Waterhouse would be quite as competent as the present Colonial Secretary to lead in the Legislative Council. The fact is that the glamour which the delusive eloquence of Sir George jGrey cast over the people is fast dying out. It has had a splendid run (as the theatre people would say) of over a hundred nights; We have had good fun and free entertainment, but the play is played out, and if is time to* drop the curtain and return to real practical work—this bonuic ,Isnd of ours wants good laws and good government. It is no part of our mission to make laws for the benefit of the whole human race,

or for the countless millibus who are to succeed us ; as Mr. Macandrew very aptly said the other day, “ Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.” In conclusion, I would earnestly urge upon our representatives a thoughtful consideration of these facts, and further, that surely the shame and disgrace Sir George Grey has brought upon our little colony by his treatment of Sir W. Jorvois, and by - his wilful and shameful neglect of our interests in withholding from us the benefits we should undoubtedly have derived from proper representation at the Paris Exhibition, —surely, sir, this is enough, but now we learn that, having played out the “ Human Race” business' here, he intends, during the recess, at the public expense, and in the Government steamer Hineraoa, to bumilitate us still more by going as Premier of New Zealand to Australia, to inculcate his doctrine of communism, to incite class -against class, and to preach his new religion—that there is but one Grey, and J. C. Brown is his prophet. Honorable members of our august Parliament, we look to you to save ns from this great degradation. Cut down this upas tree at once, before it be too late.—l am &c.,