The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1888. THE GOVERNOR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1814, 10 November 1888, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1888. THE GOVERNOR.

The Government has received a communication from England to the effect that Earl Onslow has been appointed Governor of this colony in succession to Sir William Jervois. In the latter gentleman New Zealand loses the best Governor we have ever had. The duties of a Governor in this colony are to represent the Queen and exercise on her behalf the functions which are the prerogatives of the Crown. These are very limited, for although apparently important they are not so, for it is the duty of the Governor to act on the advice of his responsible advisers. He has, of course, the right to veto what he thinks improper, but this right is seldom exercised. A Governor over in Australia exercised it a short time ago with results unpleasant to himself. In reality, the Governor’s duties are more of an ornamental than of a useful nature, but even limited as the Governor’s functions are, previous occupants of the office hove succeeded in causing some trouble. The Marquis of Normanby ran foul of Sir Geo. Grey and others, and Sir Arthur Gordon had to leave the colony because of his quarrels with his Ministers. Sir William Jervois has performed his duties to the entire satisfaction of all. He had a moat trying experience in 1884. In that year Parliament sat for over a month . making and unmaking Cabinets. Intrigue and trickery, and chicanery were resorted to to obtain power, and politics were reduced to a farce. During all this time His Excellency had no responsible advisers —he was, in fact, captain of the ship of state, without even a crew to assist him, but though the storm of political strife raged fiercely, he succeeded in navigating his vessel safely into smooth waters. During his whole tenure of office not a jar has occurred between himself and those with whom he came in contact, and now both political parties are equally sorry that his connection with the colony must cease. Politically and socially Sir William Jervois fulfilled the end for which he received his appointment to the entire satisfaction of all. He needed no great ability to do that, but he did more —he combined the ornamental with the useful. As an engineer he fills a very distinguished position in the world, and he has given to this colony the benefit of his great abilities, and of his vast experience in defencejworks. In this respect he has placed New Zealand under a very great obligation to him, and for this, and for his many other excellent and amiable qualities, he leaves the colony universally regretted. It is not our wont to flatter the rich and powerful. To do the reverse is more in consonance with our habits of thought and our feelings, but Sir William Drummond Jervois is both great and good, and we ungrudingly tender him this humble tribute to his worth. We learn from the cable news that he has not received any other appointment, and that he will retire from the service altogether. This is strange. JSir William has candidly admitted that he would like to be reappointed to the Governorship of New Zealand, and this argues that he has no wish to retire, Is it possible, then, that because he belongs to the Liberal side of politics the present Conservative Government will not give him another appointment worthy of his acceptance ? It looks very much like it, and it is very probable that is the explanation of it. The present race of Conservatives are capable of any meanness ; they have nothing of the high-minded patriotism and honorable feelings of the Conservatives of the past in them, and they are without doubt capable of setting Sir William to one side in order to make room for one of their own. They have shown this in a marked mapner lately. At the rate they are going on before the span of time allotted to them will have : expired every one of the Ministers | will have secured a permanent billet. ( The Lord Advocate of Scotland has been appointed a. Judge ; Earl Onslow has been appointed Governor of New

Zealand; others are securing other positions—and thus the Conservatives are endeavoring to secure to themselves the loaves and Fishes. With reference to Earl Onslow, he is a very young man to be appointed to the Governorship of a colony. He is only 35 years of age, and has not been heard of until very recently. A great deal has been made out of his experience as a politician, but we cannot see any grounds for it. IJe has been for about eighteen months Political Under-Secretary to the Colonial Office, which is a very inferior position, and one in which he would have very little to do with politics. However, he comes of a very aristocratic family ; his social status is undoubted, and in that respect he will doubtless prove as ornamental as anyone could wish.