The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 1876.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 126, 24 June 1876, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 1876.

Ip Sir George Grey had been the most •steadfast well-wisher of the Vogel Min istr.y, he could not have played their curds better than he has done at the .outset of The session, and the Piako Swamp ■fiasco'has,, at least temporarily, firmly fixed the Government in its position. The attack was premature, was ill-advised, and, though a temporary success, has terminated in retreat, and hasty affirmation of the very procedure that it was intended to avert. As :to ■the merits of the Piako business there is much to be said on both sides. It is tolerably certain that Russell and Co. will secure a most profitable bargain in purchasing Bd,ooo acres of highly -productive land for £22,000, and, what is more, that the conditions of expenditure • of a portion of it on 'improvemeats are farcical, inasmuch as whether imposed ■or not, the purchasers, for their own sakes, would do that, and much more to render their enterprise a profitable one. •On the other hand, if the resolutions of public meetings in the district are to ■carry any weight—and surely residents ought to‘ bo best acquainted with the

matter —the sale that Sir Geogrc Grey has gone into a fit about is a most desirable one, styled in one resolution as “ an nnmixed blessing/’ on the ground that prlvnte persons, small holders. wonlJ not be able to expend capital enough on it to render it capable of cultivation. It is described as a huge swamp, or at least chiefly so swampy as to require large expenditure in drainage works, &e., to make-it fit for occupation. Ho this as it may. the first shot fired by the ex-Govornor merely blew down the outer works of the Government, and has shown how strong the inner defences arc. The charge, prepared with so much care, has ended in smoke, and the member for Auckland City West has wasted his pains. The acerbity, however, with which he pushed his temporary victory, the imputations of corruption that ho so freely hurled broadcast at Ministers, the utter want of the special courtesy that should have been shown by one who has field such a high position, and has played so prominent a part in the history of New Zealand, will not bo readily forgotten or forgiven, and, at the very outset of the pending fray, additional bitterness will bo imported into future debates, and ill-will, beyond that usually engendered by political differences, will, in all probability, arise. It is, however, well that the resignation of the Government will be averted, for, had il been accepted, several weeks of valuable time must, under the most favorable circumstances, in that case, have been wasted. Had Sir George undertaken the formation of a Ministry, some little time must have elapsed before the new creation could have met Parliament, and on their doing so, or very shortly afterwards, their doom would have been sealed; there would have been another crisis, another iuterregnm, farther interruption, and a couple of in on tli s or so must have been spent uselessly, before public business was fairly proceeded with. There are many subjects of vast importance to he dealt with, subjects that will brook no delay, and such delay must have been attended with great public loss and inconvenience, had it taken place. Sir George’s flash in the pan has cleared a great deal of fog away from the political sky and has enabled the Government, at an early period of the session, to definitely ascertain their friends and foes, so in that respect it has done particularly good service. That Piako is only one of the watchwords that the Opposition will rally upon, is certain, but that any future attack of the kind will meet with even temporary success is out of the question. If the Vogel administration are to leave office this session it will be on a financial question, for in that direction their weakness lies, and their adversaries are not likely to allow any practicable breach, in any direction, to remain nnassaultod. In the meanwhile, it is satisfactory to feel that legislation has suffered no serious chock, and it is to be hoped that it will now be pushed on with such vigor and spirit as to bring the session to a conclusion at some reasonable time, in lion of its being extended over the remainder of the year—a result some political prophets predict. In the above remarks, we premise what is reduced to a certainty, that the Government secured, or will secure, a large majority in their Piako motion., brought forward last evening.