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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1197, 17 February 1880, Page 2

We liave gathered a few further particulars regarding the General Davidson job, and in the interests of truth and justice we hasten to lay them before our readers. It appears that we were somewhat in error in assuming that the Ministry had re-created the old office, for there is a wide distinction between the present post and the old one ; but, unfortunately for the Colonial Exchequer that difference is not one in favor of the Ministry. General Davidson ha 3 not been appointed Inspector of Volunteers for the whole Colony ; he has simply " consented to act as Inspector for the Middle Island," and we, therefore, beg pardon of General Davidson and the Ministry. We scarcely thought that our rnlein, who, according to their own estimates of their mnny virtues, are so pure and free from guile, could have performed

with their consciences. The effort would have been tco much for them, and they have consequently divided it into two jobs ; but, unfortunately, the cost to the Colony has not been submitted to the same arithmetical rule, for while they have divided the work by two they have multiplied the remuneration by the same figures. At any rate, so we are led to' infer, for the Ministry would - scarcely think of "accepting the services" of an inspector for one portion of the Colony unless they contemplated treating the Volunteers in the other portion in the same liberal spirit. General Davidson, while " consenting to act" for the Middle Island only, has also, we are informed, kindly consented to accept the full amount paid to the previous Inspector of Volunteers, - and , has placed the Colony under a double debt of gratitude to him. Who - the Inspector for the North Island is, if he has been appointed, we cannot say,"but whoever he may be he will, we suppose, receive the same grateful acknowledgement at the hands of an excessively liberal Government, so that the cost of inspecting the Volunteers will bo raised to the handsome total ■of 'XI4OO, exclusive of travelling -allowances. There is, however, a possibility that the Government may not be able to find another General in the Colony to " consent" to act as General Davidson's counterpart in the North Island, and they may effect a small saving by employing a colonel or a major at a smaller salary, for we presume that a title makes some difference in the cost. If not, we may fairly ask, why on earth General Davidson, for inspecting the Volunteers of the Middle Island only, is to receive a sum equal to that paid to Colonel Harrington for performing the work all over the Colony, and double that paid to Major Withers for doing the same duty ? One remarkable circumstance has struck us in connection-with this appointment—this availmentof eminent services, we should say—and that is, that not one of the journals who so loudly and so virtuously declaimed against the late Ministry for what they were pleased to term jobbery has had a word to say with reference to this unquestionable job. Not one of the virtuous members of a virtuous Ministry has offered a word of explanation in regard to it. An ominous silence has surrounded the whole transaction, as though all concerned were heartily ashamed, as they certainly should be, of the whole affair. We grieve to think that such pure and highly moral Ministers and such virtuous newspapers should have been guilty of backsliding of so flagrant a nature, but we are pleased to believe that they are not entirely dead to all 3ense of shame.