THE PREMIER AND THE GOVERNOR.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 889, 20 February 1879, Page 2

THE PREMIER AND THE GOVERNOR.

[fkosi orr ? AVtcllixgton, February 19. The Post to-night says it is not going too far to say that the attitude assumed by the present Premier towards the Marquis of Xbrmanuy has been viewed with, deep regret even by Sir George Grey's warmest admirers, while the general feeling on the subject has been one of grave disapproval, and even of indignation. " It is not our intention on the present occasion to enter into minute details or to specify individual instance? c£ the studied discourtesy with which it has been patent to all thai the' Premier has treated his Excellency almost from the moment of hiking olrice. These have been matters of public notoriety and universal comment outside this Colony as well as within the boundaries. Whether, as has been publicly stated, the Premier did endeavor to prevent a guard of honor attending the Marquis of I\ormanby on his departure, and prohibited in tho iir.st instance the firing rf ihw us>*al sanity by the. Volunteers on that v.ecasioi; ; whether, as has been freelyrumored, Sir George Grey habitually fail ed in respect to Her Majesty's representative so glaringly as to elicit a remark from His Excellency that he had not been treated with the ordinary courtesy of a gentleman ; whether the Premier did, as alleged, countermand tho permission accorded by his colleagues for the use of the Government steamer Hinemoa to convey His Excellency and Lady !Norinanby t<* Melbourne, her ladyship's health bcin;-.v.-n to be in so precarious a state as to ..sod every available comfort being placed at her disposal during her compulsory voyage; into all these and other similarallc-gatlons we do not intend to enter now. It i.-; suliicient for our present purnose to remark that tho studied neglect shown by the Premier to Lord Normanby on ihe occasion of his departure litis been a matter of general notoriety and unfavorable, oven jr;dignn;it a comment. Apart iroiU the personal popularity of the Marquis, justly earned by the kindly and active interest ever manifested by him in till subjects affecting tho general and social wuliaro, the citizens of Wellington do not at all relish the discredit reflected upon the city as the vice-regal place of abode by the subjection of the Governor to marked and uncalled-for slights during his residence therein, and particularly on his final departure from tho place. They feel that some •share of the odium attaching to these unpleasant circumstances are unavoidably rcilected on the place in which they occurred, and naturally they are indignant accordingly. Sir George Grey may rest •issured that so far from enhancing his popularity by his behaviour to f-ord Korinanby, he litis imßtnrod ;t }p,ost materially, and that if it should be found that Sir Hercules Robinson is exposed to similar Treatment from him, ho will become as s ; gnally unpopular as he once was the reverse. Whatever political dilteronec may appear to divide the people of New Zealand into parties and cliques, these are but superficial division, and do not at all affect the earnest and staunch loyalty which lies so deeply rooted in the hearts of the whole British nation, and we are well assured that we give utterance to a sentiment all but universal when we express our hope that Sir George Grey will not think it essential in tho interests of posterity and the human race that he should continue towards Sir Hercules Robinson the line of conduct ho thought iit to adopt in his relations with the Marquis of Xormanhy,"