THE Thames Advertiser. FRIDAY, SEPT. 4, 1874.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1849, 4 September 1874, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. FRIDAY, SEPT. 4, 1874.

« It is not easy to know what to make of the changes in the Cabinet, spoken of in late telegrams from Wellington. Before the session came to a close, it was known that Mr Vogel was inclined to look round for better men than he has in his Ministry, Sir Donald McLean keeps himself almost exclusively to his own department, while Mr Richardson' although managing well the details of the Public Works Department, gives no assistance beyond that. For some considerable time past, Mr O'Rorke'a position in the Miuistry must have been an uncomfortable one for himself, and he had been so shunted fromoffice to office that he must have been glad of an opportunity for retiring with something like dolat. As to Mr Vogel, it may be suspected that he felt no very poiguant regret at parting .with Mr O'Horke, as it gave him an opportunity of filling up his place with a man who would be a strength to the Ministry in the country, who would be influential in debate, and who would transact well the ordinary departmental work. Of late, Mr Vogel has had to make use of Mr Thomas Russell in a variety of ways, and possibly, but for Mr Russell's private position and circumstances, he would have joined the Ministry before this time. In any case, Mr Russell has to a certain extent identified himself with Mr Vogel and his policy and plans, and in popular regard, whether he join the Ministry or not, he will have to share the responsibility, to some extent. As for Mr Stafford, he stands quite clear. He has not determinedly opposed the public works scheme, but has made it known that to a certain extent he approved it, and would have followed the same course. But although he has given Mr Vogel no factious opposition, he has carefully refrained from identifying himself with any portion of the Ministerial policy. It was known that just when the session was about to close Mr Stafford was repeatedly closeted with the Premier. The cordial and frank aid given by Mr Stafford to the State Forests Bill was very gratifying to Mr Vogel, and the resolutions for the abolition of the provincial form of government in the North Island also formed a ground of co-operation and agreement. But we were hardly prepared for the announcement that Mr Vogel had offered to retire from the Premiership in Mr Stafford's favour, : aud we suspect that this part of the '■ statement is beyond the truth, and that Mr Vogel will contradict it. We thiuk it true, however, that Mr Vogel had strongly urged Mr Stafford to join the Ministry, and that the latter declined for the reason stated in the telegram— namely, that he did not wish to assume responsibility in connection with the Public Works and Immigration Scheme. As for Major Atkinson, he is a good and useful man, but in the not-distant future Mr Vogel will want greater assistance than be is able to render. Since the above was in type, we have received the telegram which appears elsewhere, in which the statement which appeared in the 'Post' is contradicted, , or rather modified. We credit the contradiction so far as the statement about Mr Vogel's wish to clear out is concerned. We do ' not think that Mr Stafford would ihave any occasion to lecture Mr Vogel about the necessity and even decency of remaining in New Zealaud to face the results of his policy. Mr Vogel is not a timid man, and to speak vulgarly, he would be found to have plenty of " brass" to face it out, if his policy were utterly to collapse, and to bring the colony to disaster. It is rather singular, however, that both Mr Russell and Mr Vogel should go to Sydney. Either of these gentlemen should surely be able to arrange the business connected with both the mail service and the telegraph cable. '