POLITICAL—GENERAL.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 20, 16 July 1864, Page 5

POLITICAL— GENERAL.

Nothing of importance has lately occurred in the political atmosphere of Auckland. Rumor specks of a disagreement on native matters, and the conduct of the war, between the Ministry and Sir G-eorge Grey, and argues therefrom a speedy meeting of the General Assernbty. The Governor, it is well known, has strong Philo-Maori tendencies, which, backed up by Exeter Hall, and the Aborigines' Society at home and the peace-at-any-price party in the colony, has led hi n to tlirow every impediment in the way of a vigorous prosecution of the war. The celebrated Waitara despatches prove him to be by no means a si Ickler for truth ; but on the contrary an able master at deception, a peculiar adept at so veiling falsehood -with the semblance of truth, as to render it a difficult matter to distinguish one from the other. To Sir I G-eorge may well be applied the lines, Knows -what, ho knows, as if lie knew it nob ; What lie remembers, seems to have forgot. Be this as it may, it is more in accord ance with his peculiar turn of mind, his policy and past career, to be at peace with the Maori, whether such a peace is either a strictly honorable — or even a sure one. So long as it lasts his time, Bir George Grey cares little if the deluge succeeds. If he could but leave New Zealand as the pacificator of the North Island, he will take good care that he will not again commit the one false step of his life, that oi 're-visiting a Colony where, he has once been Governor. Nor caiiAve wonder at this feeling. The prestige of his whole career, which luis taken him

years of dissimulation and trouble to build .up,' l-ests principally on the impression j that, personally, he could control, and in-; fluence the savage tribes placed 'under. his. rule. His success iv his former "government of New Zealand, and since then as: Governor of the Cape, seemed to. justify the belief that in this respect he was more; than ordinarily capable. -Xt would appear to have misled even himself, and, relying on former achievements, he unguardedly risked that ,/ wliich 'had taken a lifetime to compass.. .On returning to the reins of! government in-New Zealand, he found the state of affairs; much altered, and in 'none ' more than the state of feeling amongst ( the Maories themselves. These astute savages had so studied his character -and .profited by their intercourse with him, that they ultimately became his master at his own weapons. Pormer tactics were useless now, and when used rebounded, on himself in a manner anything but satisfactory. After vainly striving, by every concession, to avert war, Sir "[George was driven into it, having gained nothing by his endeavors to prevent it but the contempt of his former pupils. The present Ministry, however, not being so facile as its predecessor, the Dometb Ministry, Sir George Grey finds considerable difficulty in convincing them that it is better to patch up a peace at once than continue a war, which cannot be said to have added much to the prestige of the British arms. The Colonial Secretary, Mr. Eox, ably answers the letter of remonstrance sent by the Aborigines' Society to Sir George Grey, thus expressing the opinion of the j Ministry on the subject of peace : — The deliberate opinion of Ministers is, that to terminate the present insurrection without a confiscation of the lands of the rebels, making, of course, ample provision for their future, would be to surrender every advantage that has been gained, u,nd practically to announce that British rule over the Maori race must cease, and the Northern Island be abandoned as a safe place of residence for Her Majesty's European subjects. That there should be a difference of opinion between the Governor and the Ministry on this subject, cannot be a matter of surprise to any one conversant with the character and career of both | parties ; whether it will be carried to such an extent as to necessitate the calling together the General Assembly to arbitrate between them remains to be seen. ■ The delegates of the different Australian Governments, to decide where the seat of government 'shall be in Cook's Straits, have, we understand, left their various Colonies for this purpose, and probably have ere this reached Auckland. The Secretary of State for the Colonies has written to Sir George Grey, that Her Majesty the Queen has received " very graciously " the memorial of the inhabitants of Auckland, protesting against the removal of the seat of Government of New Zealand from that town. This, coupled with the fact that the management of the native population in the Northern Island will be rendered yet more difficult by the removal of the seat of Government from that city, while it will benefit, in a very small degree, if at all, the inhabitants of the Middle Island, may possibly induce them to confirm Auckland as the sea.t of Government for the Northern Island. Wlietherthey do so or not, Auckland will assert, and with ultimate success, her right to be so considered.