TITLE OF HONORABLE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2212, 9 June 1891, Page 2

TITLE OF HONORABLE.

We notice that Her Majesty the Queen has conferred the title of “ Honorable *’ on the members of the late Ministry. Tbe way this is done is the new Ministry recommend that their predecessors shall be allowed to retain the title, and the Queen acts on that recommendation. When the Stoat-Yogel Government took office, in the same way they recommended their predecessors, and that is how Mr Rolleston is thus entitled. But we do not know of many instances in which the Tories returned the compliment. Instead of treating their predecessors in this courteous manner they searched the pigeon-holes and discovered that a sardine-opener had been supplied to a ministerial residence, and did everything mean and dirty te discredit their fallen opponents. Of course the conferring of the title on them-hurts nobody, and it does not matter much, but, consider* ing the Bank of New Zealand and other scandals, we think the title of Dishonorable would be more applicable. But they are only to retain tbe title within the colony, and against this we protest. If they are to be thus styled at all, they ought to be so styled in all parts of the empire. This is an innovation lately introduced by the Tory Government, and we are surprised that Colonial statesmen have not protested against it long ago. This is the. way to promote Imperial Federation!' Colonials are treated worse than foreigners when they go to England. They are degraded by being deprived of their title, aud then English Tories wonder how it is possible that Colonials do not federate at once !