Grievance-Mongers.

Patea Mail, 24 July 1882, Page 2

Grievance-Mongers.

Not much encouragement is given to greivance-mongers by the result of the Maori deputation which a few days ago presented in London a petition of grievances to the Secretary for the Colonies. Those who persuaded the Maori chiefs to go to London on this mission must have been ignorant of the working of our constitutional system ; for of what use could it bo to present a petition to the Queen ? Her Majesty might receive a colonial deputation, but it would be only an act of courtesy, because any petition of grievances must be referred to her Minister to be dealt with on its merits. The Maori deputies were thus referred to Earl Kimberley, and what could he do for them ? He followed the usual course by referring the petition and its allegations back to the Governor of this Colony, who next refers it to the Minister for Native Affairs, whose duty it will be to write a memorandum for despatch through the Governor to Earl Kimberley in London. Thus the whole routine is necssarily circuitous, yet stricly regular ; for if Mr Bryce is the Minister who had failed to do justice to these Maori petitioners, it is he who must be asked from head-quarters to give an account of the matter. At this rate, it will take about nine months for the Maori petitioners in this Island to learn the result of their appeal. They might just as well have learnt it directly from Mr Bryce in the first instance, as his authority cannot be overridden from London without producing a serious crisis in our relations to the Home Government.