THE STUMP.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5521, 6 December 1878, Page 2

THE STUMP.

Not long since there came a mysterious announcement from the North, by the voice of Mr. Rees, that our Premier, feeling the care of the interests of the people of New Zealand too small to occupy his great sou 1 , was about to proceed in the Hinemoato Australia, to “promote unanimity of feeling amongst the colonics, and to secure colonial reciprocity.” We know Sir George Grey's method of promoting unanimity of feeling in this colony too well not to feel some sympathy beforehand with our neighbors over sea, in view of the threatened infliction. In Victoria the ground may be said to have been well prepared, and as we gather from late telegrams that Mr. Graham Berry, Professor Pearson, and Sir C. 'Cavan Duffy ore about to visit Great Britain, the opportunity of a clear field and the absence of rivals may bo seized by our great stump or..tor. A study on the spot of the working of two elected Chambers, having coordinate jurisdiction and deriving their authority directly from the same source, the people, may prepare him for his great “fight” with tho Legislative Council here, which he has announced as to come off next session. A certain "event” which may prevent the expected “mill” will, we think, from information received, happen very early in tho next session, so that the process of special training may prove to be a waste of power ; but the stump must bo unoccupied by tho great local performers for a time, and tho wearied people may be glad to hear the story of their wrongs recited by a new actor of established reputation, who can give them at least a few oratorical variations of the monotonous chant to which they have been listening so long and so ofte i. We have no doubt that Sir George Grey on the stump in Victoria would ho be a great success, and, as an exhibition, would draw immensely. If tho mission of tho Victorian delegates to the Imperial Government should bo unsuccessful, and the Imperial Parliament should refuse at once to reform the Victorian Constitution, it is understood, we believe, that their allegiance to tho Crown is to be thrown off, and a trial made of Mr. Stout’s panacea, an elected Governor, as a remedy for the evils inflicted on the people by a policy of protection and by a war against capital. In that case there might be an opening which ought not to be neglected. It must not be supposed that’ we desire “ to get rid of Grey;” that would bo a groat mistake. In the dull or “ silly” season of .the recess, it would bo a serious loss to ourselves and to other journalists who take even a lesser interest in him than we do, it ho were away; but wo are not churlish; as may bo inferred from our objection to Tapanui jobs and waggon contracts, and Press Agency and other like games, we bavo a general dislike to monopolies of tho good things which belong to the whole human race and the countless millions of tho future. We therefore could not grudge our Victor!?-i neighbors a spell of our man of tho people, Tho author of “ Sir Gilbert Leigh” would naturally accompany our Premier as bis Appendix, and if their tour could be extended '‘O England, the electors of Bath might have the opportunity for which they are supposed to yearn, of returning Mr. Rees to Parliament as their representative, and another constituency in tho North might also atone for a former slight offered to a distinguished person. Then, whilst Messrs. Berry, Pearson, and Duffy were demonstrating tho evils resu't--ing from an elective Upper Chamber in tho Victorian Legislature, Sir George Groy and Mr. Bees might expatiate upon the evils which, in their opinion, result from a nominated Upper Chamber in the New Zealand Legislature, A coalescence of theao antagonist ideas might produce a higher development of form in bi-oamoral Parliaments. The colonial delegates might bo a portent to Imperial senators ; bat having loft tboir country for their country s good the responsibility for their expenses would naturally fall upon the respective colonies and not upon the mother country, and, remembering old days, tho depo.-ation of a few remarkable men from this side of tho world to tho other ought not to bo regarded in England as an act of unjustifiable reciprocity.