The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) SATURDAY, JULY 12, 1879.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 443, 12 July 1879, Page 2

The Patea Mail. ( Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) SATURDAY, JULY 12, 1879.

Next in importance to the Maoris is the Parliament. Fortunately the former delectable subject was interred, temporarily at least, just at the moment that the latter rose from its ashes. We never could have survived two such subjects at once; but the kind Providence which always tempers the wind to the shorn lamb, has befriended us, and we continue to exist. Business lias been looking up at Bellamy’s this last week or so, and some .patriotic members ef the Legislature who were a little thin skinned, ha ve settled their last year’s accounts per post, so that on their arrival they might look people in the face. Some others, however, happily for the country, are sufficiently experienced politicians not to make any such exhibition of weakness. They have opened a fresh account with a patronising air that outdid the waiter himself. Mr Barff lias taken his old loom which has been scrubbed and aired. The well-worn Bible and the prayer book that he forgot in his burry to catch the steamer last year, were dust.-d and put within easy roach, but as he had brought a fresh supply, he was going to pack the old ones away carefully, when he thought of his fellow members. He spent all Friday morning seeing them, but found they had ail provided for themselves, except Dr Wallis, who accepted the gift with tears in his eyes. This is all the news there is to hand at the time we write, except that oatmeal is a little firmer in the market since the Otago mcmbcis began to arrive. What the prospects of the Grey Government are, is still a question of interest. Of more interest than ever, in fact, since the answer to it does not seem ilb uiuai us> ii um muimi agu. body thought then that the Opposition would got the odd trick, but just now everybody is beginning to think that Sir George lias got a trump or two up his sleeve as usual, and that he will put them down so gracefully that all, except the losers, will be glad be has won. A few centuries ago astronomers used to try to calculate the movements of the planets on the supposition that their motion was perfect, a perfect circle in form, and perfectly regular in velocity. This supposition invariably landed them in difficulties and contradictions. The opposition Press, including, as it does, the most respectable journals in the colony, has been guilty of the weakness of calculating the motions of Sir George Grey on the supposition that they would be according to recognised rule. It has assumed that he would stand on his merits, and not resort to any unworthy sleight of hand tricks, or claim and receive the credit for the accidental occurrences of the time, or for the things that he sanctioned after they were done. That section of the Press, however, begins to feel alarmed as it remembers how good Sir George is at tricks, and sees what a chance the bold settlers of this county have made for him. Should , this alarm prove well founded, the opposition Press may console itself that only the data were wrong, not the calculations. Certainly it should not have set down ‘an English gentleman,’ 1 candour,’ and ‘ self-respect’ among the data. It almost deserves to be wrong for such weak folly. If a man dies when you cut off his head, it does not follow that all creatures else will do so if you ent off their heads. Some living things when cut in two simply consider themselves multiplied by two, and they go on and flourish. In the same circumstances the nobler being would have died instanter. If Sir George does not die politically after he has been politically cut in two and turned inside out, we shall know what to think.

The trumps that Sir George seems to have up his sleeve are, first, the arrest of the native ploughmen ; and second, the desertion of Mr Ballance. In considering the first it must be borne in mind that only a very small portion of the colony is included in the Patea and Taranaki Counties, and that by far the greater portion of New Zealand is sufficiently in the dark to believe any plausible story that is put before them. Moreover the whole of the South Island, and a large part of the North Island, want peace at any price. “ Spend no money on war,” is a cry that will secure a large following. Any talk about being humiliated before the savage, will be thrown away on those whose lands and houses are safe, and to whom a Maori is a rara avis.

It is easy to see, therefore, how Sir George is likely to play his first’‘trump.

Fie will bold forth to thi« effect —“ A handful of hot-headed and irresponsible men at Hawnra, were going to run the colony into a costly and needless war. (Hear). I thought it better to spend six months in waiting than in fighting, and so gain our object and save our money. (Hear, hear, from the Southern men). But I saw that something must be done at once to check the growing insolence of the nativ s, and to satisfy the impatient settlers. I determined, therefore, to have the Maori ploughmen arrested when the right hour arrived. (Hear, hoar, and cheers). I first directed that they should be quietly removed a few times, I bad this done until my plans were matured, and then swept the intruders into prison. The result has justified my expectations. The ploughing has been stopped, confidence has been restored, and the greatest enthusiasm at my action in the matter prevails throughout the Patoa County. (ihe member for Egrnont, ‘ No, no !’ but is drowned in repeated cheers). In the very improbable event of war, I have secured the chief warriors before band, without cost or bloodshed. (Laughter and cheers). The House is aware that it is an essential part'of my—our policy to raise a loan. Had X, for the sake of a worthless sentiment, allowed the country to be hurried into war, a loan would have been impossible, except at a ruinously high rate. When it appears however that instead of being compelled to fight the natives as equals, we are strong enough to simply arrest them as wc would transgressing boys, confidence will bo restored.” (Loud cheering fron the unthinking majority). That is about the weight of the first trump that will be drawn out of the sleeve.

The second trump will be the cowardice of his associates in office, “ I was so unfortunate as to lose my able colleague, Mr Stout. At the same time, it was supposed by those who paid no attention to my measures, and who were ignorant of the justice that characterises the decisions of this House, that my term of office would not extend greatly beyond the opening of the present session. It was at this juncture that I was shamefully deserted by the member I now see opposite. In the midst of laborious preparations for the duties of the coming session, in the midst of the perplexity arising from the loss of an aide and honourable colleague, in the midst of dangers threatening the peace of- the colony, in the midst of his own unverified estimates, and in unmanly fear of the censure of this honourable House, he deserted me; deserted me for a trifle that might pass between friend and friend any day, and be forgotten. It was not done in the heat of anger; I besought him to return, he refused. It was deliberately done; his policy had evidently been to bide his time, and leave me in the hour of need. (Great sensation and cheers, during which Messrs Ballance and Bryce look very blue). These are the trumps that the Premier has up his sleeve and will not fail to play, whether successfully or not is still uncertain. “Up his sleeve ” we say, for everybody knows that the settlors compelled the arrest of the natives, and that Sir George Grey compelled the resignation of Mr Ballance.