The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1002, 5 July 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1879.

We have before us the published account of the nrptoro which took place between Sir George Grey and the Hon. Mr. Ballance, and which h said to have led to the resignation of the Colonial Treasurer. It discloses a very serious state of affairs, and even if the statements made are only approximately true, we must candidly confess that Sir George Grey does not appear to advantage. That he should ' have «iuarreUed with the Colonial Treaj surer over a matter of detail connected | with the department over which Mr. ! Ballance presided, and that, too, a matter ' in which Mr. Ballance certainly appears to have been in the right, docs not either redound to his credit as a politician, or display a wish to work in harmony with his colleagues. Briefly told, the facts, as given by the Wellington Chronicle, are these:—ln preparing the Estimates the Treasurer transferred the salary of Mr. Fox, the Secretary to the Cabinet as a whole and to the Premier especially, from the Treasury Department, because he was not mainly engaged in that department, and placed the item under its proper head. On the Estimates being forwarded to the Premier for his revision, Sir George Grey sent for the Colonial Treasurer, and asked in a very rode way why the alteration had been made. Mr. Ballauce then told him be made the alteration because he thought: that every item should be charged to its I proper account. The Premier then ac- J

cased Mr. BalLrace of persistently insult-1 ing him, and made use of intemperate language towards his late colleague. Mr. Ballancc, we arc told, calmly replied that he had never intentionally insulted the Premier ; that he had drawn up the Estimates in the way he had thought best, but that he was perfectly willing to make any alteration the Premier wished for; that it was only the rough draft of the Estimates, and that it had yet to be revised in Cabinet. The Premier had now com- ; pletcly lost his self-control, and he conj tinucd to rave at the Colonial Treasurer in ! the must offensive manner. Mr. Ballancc

being then put on his mettle, told the Premier that the matter was purely a departmental one, and not a question of policy ; and that, he being responsible for hi 3 own department, claimed the right to manage all purely departmental matters in his own way. The Premier said he could not hear of such a thing; he must have absolute control of every item in all the departments, and

that lie wanted the Treasury for himself ! This drew from Mr. Ballanco a threat that he would resign, and the Premier told him to do so, and, according to the Chronicle, said he also would resign. What followed we need scarcely state. The Premier advised the Colonial Treasurer to leave the room, and even went

the length of threatening to send for a messenger to turn Sir. Ballance out. After this, Sir George Grey, in a state of passion, left the room, and a messenger did actually arrive in accordance with the Premier's threat, but was ordered off by Mr. Sheehan, who had been present throughout the stormy scene. This is briefly the account of the very extraordinary proceedings, and though the story is a very one-sided one, we arc bound to believe that it contains some amount of truth. That such a state of affairs should have arisen amongst any body of public men is astonishing, but j that they should happen in a Cabinet formed of men possessed of intelligence and ability, brought together for the purpose of working for the good of mankind, and the " amelioration of the human race," is simply outrageous. In the Premier, a gentleman whose extended public experience should have taught him better how to work in harmony with his colleagues, such conduct as that of which he lias been guilty is unpardonable. AVe are assured that he has frequently heaped indignities upon his colleagues, and we are forced to the con-

elusion that he desires to exercise the

powers of a dictator. His conduct is th.it of an autocrat, and lis has shown himself to be ill-adapted to the task of leading the House and guiding the destinies of tiie country. This much we are forced to say of the Premier, however greatly we may admire his political principles. He lacks the tact necessary to entry out the great reforms he has enunciated, and his want of judgment is undoubtedly calculated to cripple the energies of the Liberal party. While : saying this of Sir George Grey, we i cannot exonei-ate Mr. Ballance from blame. That lie should have so hastily abandoned his post, notwithstanding that Parliament is just upon the point ur i..toting, finrl in the face of the fact that the country look to the Ministry to give to their promises a substantial form, is exceedingly to be regretted. He should, we think, have stood manfully to his colors, and not have abandoned his party in the hour of their trial, for that they will be placed on their trial directly Parliament meets few will care to deny. Had he submitted the point in dispute to the whole Cabinet, an understanding might have been arrived at. This would have been the proper course to pursue instead of arguing the point with the Premier. Had he adopted this line, we feel sure that he would have been upheld by his colleagues, and Sir George Grey would have been taught to become a little more of the Premier and a little less of the autocrat, and it would have shown him that the other members of the Ministry were determined to be treated as the colleagues of the Premier and not as " lackeys of Court wages."