The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 1879.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 449, 2 August 1879, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 1879.

The attempt made by Mr Hislop to reopen the No Confidence debate, by proposing an amendment to the effect that the House bad arrived at its decision against the Government in the absence of information to support it, was a failure. The Address was passed, and Sir George had to present it to the Governor, with the bitter conclusion tacked on by the Opposition. The New Zealander, by the way, was very confident that the sanguine hope of the Fox party ot being victorious by a majority of fourteen or fifteen, was all ridiculous moonshine. No doubt that journal finds it convenient to forget such prophecies now. It was expected all along that Sir George would ask His Excellency for permission to appeal to the Country. To most persons it appeared that the balance of argument was against the granting of such a request. The fact of there being a good working majority with the present Opposition, the urgent necessity of carrying on the business of the country with despatch, the fact that not the policy but the men were condemned, and the obvious injustice of appealing to the country while the present unequal distribution of representation continues, were all thought to point a refusal on the part of the Governor to grant the request of the defeated Premier. That the Governor has the right to refuse such a request has rarely been questioned, except by the present Government. This is one of the few questions on which His Excellency cannot be said to have responsible advisers. Advisers he may have, is sure to have, but the responsibility of decision rests with himself. When Mr Yogel was defeated by a majority of three in 1872, he at once resigned, not even asking for a dissolution Within-a month, however, Mr Vogel was victorious by a majority of two. His rival, Mr Stafford, asked for a dissolution, and Sir George Bowen refused. . Surely then, when a Ministry is beaten by a large majority, as in the present case, there should have been little hesitation in refusing to plunge the country into the distraction of a General Election. His Excellency has, however, thought otherwise, and granted the dissolution on Thursday. Fortunately, Sir Hercules is such a late arrival among us, that partisanship cannot be laid to his charge. He is a good and tried man, and we wish to treat his decision with all due respect, although it is against us, in a sense. We do not fear the result of the election, but we deprecate the loss of time. It may be that His Excellency will prove

in the end to be the best physician for tiie ills that we are heir to. He will cast off the useless and diseased limb that we would have spent strength and time in vain attempts to heal. It is certain that a large number of those gentlemen who voted in the last division may weep a long adieu to Bellamy’s, and their make their last trip at the public cost. If they are Shakespearians, they will find themselves unconsciously repeating— Farewell, a long farewell, to all my greatness I This is the state of man : to-day be puts forth The tender leaves of hope ; to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honours thick upon him : The third day comes a frost, a killing frost; And nips his root, and then he falls, as 1 do ; And when he falls, he falls like Lucifer, Never to hope again.