The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1888. A BRIGHT IDEA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1830, 18 December 1888, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1888. A BRIGHT IDEA.

Theeb is at present perambulating this colony, partly for pleasure and partly for picking up any stray shillings he can get from persons willing to hear him lecture, a famous war correspondent rejoicing in the very unpoetic name of Phil Robinson. This gentleman reached Christchurch last Monday evening, and was immediately pounced upon by a representative of the Lyttelton Times, to whom he confided the impressions he had formed of the colonies, and a column of the Times is the result. Three-fourths of the space is taken up with a glorification of Mr Eobinson's prowess on the battlefields on which he wielded his mighty pen, and at the tail-end come a few words concerning Federation; There is no hope of Imperial Federation, according to Mr Robinson, for the great majority of colonists "have no respect, or even kindliness, for the form of government prevailing at Home." This sounds to us very much like a libel on colonists, when we remember the enthusiasm that was awakened at the time of the Soudan War, and it appears to us that there are quarters where it would not be good for his health if he were to repeat it. ! Victoria, according to Mr Robinson, is the least loyal of all, but is it not strange that it is the very same colony which has given the most recent proof of her submission to Great Britain? In all the other colonies, without, we believe, a single exception, the action taken by Sir Thomas Mcllwraith with regard to the appointment of a Governor has been endorsed. Victoria however, in an uncalled-for and unnecessary burst of loyalty, proclaimed to the world that she was ready to receive with open arms any Governor the British Government liked to appoint, jfjow does this chime in with Mr Eobinson's accusation of disloyalty ? He, however, took care to exclude New Zealand from the charge of disloyalty. In his peregrinations he has, we believe, visited Ireland and doubtless kissed the blarney stone, and is consequently an adept in the use of soft soap. He has a good deal of this colony to travel yet, and it may not contribute to the financial success of his lectures to stigmatise New Zealanders as disloyal, and probably that is the reason why he has found us the most "substantially loyal" of any. And not only does he compliment us on our loyalty, but he has suggested to us how we may turn this loyalty to account, and reduce it to pounds, shillings and pence. He considers that we could " play no better card " (Mr Eobinson evidently plays euchre) than " petition the Crown, Lords, and Commons" to send us as Governor one of the Royal Princes; and even if the prayer were refused we "would score all round." Certainly we would score all round if we were refused, for the whole world would be laughing at us —laughing at us because we, who only pay £SOOO a year to a Governor, and begrudge it to him, and want to cut down his salary, should have the assurance of asking for a Royal Prince to fill the office; laughing at us because we, who profess democratic principles, and affect to believe that " the coat is but the guinea stamp; the man's the man for a' that," should seek for a Governor a man, not because he possessed attributes deserving of admiration, but because it happened that his mother was a Queen. No! Mr Eobinson.' We are not so silly as to expect that a Prince would accept the position, nor so devoid of selfrespect as to go down on our marrowbones with our petition before " the Crown, Lords, and Commons," begging of them to give us a Royal Prince. If " the Crown, Lords, and Commons " like to appoint a Prince to the Governorship we shall give him a befitting welcome, but you will not catch us indulging in such silly snobbery as to petition for him, The advantage we would gain from having a Prince, Mr Robinson says, is that he would have two Royal courts ' —one in each island—that by Her Majesty's permission he could hold drawing-rooms and levees; that anyone presented at such places would, if they went afterwards to England, have the entree to St. James' and Buckingham Palace, and that in order to secure such a blessing the elite of all the colonies would come to New Zealand. A very good idea, indeed—a Prince holding two courts and drawing-rooms, levees, etcetera, and so forth for all the Australian colonies, on a salary of £SOOO a year, with a prospect of having it reduced! It is probable that if such a thing were possible it would attract many wealthy people to New Zealand, but we do not think New Zealanders will ever demean themselves to the level of petitioning for such a favor. If the oracle can be worked without the loss of self-respect let us have a Prince by all means —a King, an Emperor, a Czar—if his presence would bring money into the colony, but let there be no cringeing, crawling, petitioning. We are a free people in a free country ; we have our own Parliament,

and to that Parliament only shall we send petitions for what we stand in need of. However, we do not suppose we shall ever hear of the subject again, so it is not necessary to discuss it seriously.