The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1882. MR GLADSTONE'S RUMOURED RETIREMENT.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 965, 29 November 1882, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1882. MR GLADSTONE'S RUMOURED RETIREMENT.

It was telegraphed lately from the Home country that Mr Gladstone had decided to retire from the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer, and apparently also from that of Premier of Great Britain. The only improbability in the story was. the addition, that the successor in the first appointment of the intellectually groat statesman would be the physically great, but otherwise commonplace, Mr H. C. E. Childers, formerly the “ Huge Curly ’Eaded Childers,” as he was called iu Victoria, when acting as Collector of Customs in Melbourne. To substitute Mr Childers for Mr Gladstone would have been almost as bad as to confound Alexander the coppersmith with Alexander the Great. It has since transpired that the rumour was incorrect. Still, ns “whereever there is smoke there is fire,” and as Mr Gladstone publicly announced last year, that he should soon, on account of old age retire into private life, there was probably some foundation for the story which Renter’s Agency forwarded, and it is most likely that before another year is out, another Premier will succeed the present head of the Liberal party in Great Britain. It might seem to a person who had reflected on the subject that this

was a matter which did not concern us colonists of New Zealand in the slightest degree. This would he a great mistake, however. This colony, although possessing a constitution of its own, is an integral part of the United Kingdom, and whatever affects the prosperity and strength of the Horae Country, affects us also more or less. Of that Home Country for all purposes of Government, Mr Gladstone is the temporary king ; the sound constitutional maxim that the King of England reigns but does not govern necessitates this. It is of some importance, therefore, who fills the office of English Premier ; a wise man may do us a deal of good, whilst scarcely interfering with us at all, an 1 a foolish statesman occupying the same position, may do almost as much harm temporarily as Lord North did to the North American colonies a hundred years ago. It is an excellent thing for us that sensible English statesmen leave ns very much to our own devices, and assume that we know how to manage our own affairs. Meanwhile of course we have the enormous advantage of (ho protection of the British navy, without paying for it, and that has hitherto acted as one of the safest as well as cheapest kinds of insurance. Were this protection withdrawn, it is tolerably certain from the French and German aggressions in the Pacific; particularly from the former, that we should be very quickly annexed by our lively neighbours on the other side of the English Channel. In such a case wo should certainly not long be left to govern ourselves as thoroughly ns at present, for that is not at all according to the French view of colonization Another advantage which we derive besides the recent non-interference policy of England, though at the same.time affording naval protection, lias been the availability of some considerable share of that wealth which the Home country has gained through the recent Free Trade policy of England. Of that policy, Mr Gladstone, more than any other statesman, has been the exponent, and indirectly he has contributed to our wealth far more perhaps than he himself knows. Nor is it alone from our large Government loans that we derive assistance from Great Britain which we. could not get so easily, or on such comparatively easy terms elsewhere. Our local public bodies have been able to construct important works, and make large improvements by means of borrowed English capital. • Of course it is a convenience to our countrymen on the other side of the .water to invest their money in our securities, but also it is a decided convenience-to us to get the money even though we pay'interest on it. And in addition to the British money represented by our Government loans, and loans due by public bodies, our business operations are withoutdoubt largely facilitated by the banks, whose capital is furnished by the Home country. The existing arrangements also by which we receive the stores of ironmongery, &c., we require from Great Britain, and in return find a market for our grain, frozen meat &c. are certainly most convenient on both sides, and are of great mutual advantage. Any severance from Great Britain, any foolish attempt “to ent the painter,” as it was styled at one time, would he utterly ridiculous, for it would certainly interfere with the existing traffic. At one time in a great speech at n crowded public meeting Sir George Grey asked the absurd question, “ What do we care for the British capitalist ?” Well, we should very soon find if we tried to do without him.

Of this great country then, Great Britain, which most of us claim as the land of our birth, and with which we are all of necessity most closely united, Mr Gladstone has been for many years past practically the ruler. Of the excellence of his home policy, particularly in financial matters, there has been little question, even among his strongest opponents. With regard to Ireland his administration has been much called in question, but so has every Irish administration we can recollect, or have ever read of. His foreign policy, though well meant, we believe, in common with most of his critics, to have been a mistaken one. Still we have not lost much by it. If his has been a peace at any price policy, that of his great opponent Lord Beaconsficdd, was a squabble at any price policy, whether in Afghanistan, Zululand, or anywhere else. In Egypt the late deceased statesman, by purchasing the £4,000,000 worth of Suez Canal shares, covered himself with temporary glory, but only in reality let us in for a heavy liability to interfere in Egyptian matters, which Mr Gladstone is now trying in vain to get rid of.