CONTEMPORARY OPINIONS ON CURRENT EVENTS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 241, 12 September 1872, Page 5

CONTEMPORARY OPINIONS ON CURRENT EVENTS.

THE NEW MINISTRY.

The Independent, discussing the probable personnel of the new Ministry, observes : — Messrs Stafford, Fitzherbert, Curtis, Reid, Wood, and probably Sir David . Monro and J. C. Richmond in the FTpper House ; while Mr Shephard wili hold himself, in readiness to step into the Superin tendency field by Mt Curtis. How will this programnie suit the country ? No doubt, provinGiaKsts will toss up their bonnets at the names of Mr Fitzherbert and Mr' Curtis, though they will be rather puzzed to guess the role to be played by Mr Stafford. Perhaps, as he has acted the" man" so lone^ and so miserably, be will now essay the part- of the repentant' prodigal by throwing himself oa the bosom of boo provincial father; Mr

Fitzm£rb?rt.-; Mr"-Reid,""axjjone can for amoraent'loubt, i 3 well qualified to relreveliaofo'ir. ! land difficulties In that resptct he v\ ill completely eclipse Mr Vojjel ; while the one has raised money on the Colonial estate by hyi potbecation the other will only do a cash i business, and. soon get rid ot the stock altogether. Mr Curtis will act as an excellent drag upon the gushing spirits around h-m, ami impart into the politics of the country the hypnotic element so peculiar to .Nelson and with the same success, of course. Mr Wood will be the martyr amongst his patriotic band, should he be doomed to live in the desert of Wellington. Being one of those placid tempered sybarite?, people will be sorry for him, and possibly the seat of Government may be shifted to a spot more biiila' le to his temperament. It was decidedly a promoting of genius that suggested the translation of the great colonial master of deportment to the dignified gloom of the Upper House ; but why, in the name of all that is sensible, give him Mr J. C. Richmond as a coadjutor? Why divorce him from the sanctum of the i&amuier, where be 'wb so long relieved hia distempered organisation of the atrabilious humors with which he has been so much oppressed ever since he caught that sever© neuralgic attack by being sent out in the cold. MR STAFFORD AND MR M'LEAN. The Auckland Evening Star (Opposition), in referring to Mr M'Lean, says it does not often fall to the lot of Colonial politicians to occupy so flattering a position as he does at the present moment. Often and sorely has his conduct of native affairs been criticised. Nothing at tini"B was bad enough to say of him His treatment of the natives was un-English and unmanly, and though practical proof was afforded that his policy kept fire and sword from the homes of our settlers, our indignation was invited to boil over because he did not promptly and summati'y avenge every slight and wrong at the hands of the Native tribes. Now an opportunity is afforded to his criticisers to make Mr M'Lean stand aside, and for themselves to confront the Native difficulty. But no, thank you. They are prepared to walk over to the Treasury benches hand in hand with Mr M'Lean ; but there is a ghost in the closet, and they will not peep in there unless they have Mr M'Lean with them to exorcise the dark spirit. Bounce is now stilled. Great is the policy of conciliation, and Mr M'Lean is its prophet ; and the intermeddling of any other hands than those of Mr M'Lean is regarded as sure to embroil the Colony in a war of race.*. Such appears to be now the preva'ent fealing in the House of Represenra'ives, and as a party in opposition nave an i repressible craving for the honours and emoluments of the ministerial side of the Ho-ise, Mr McLean is invited to prove traitor to his colleagues and his party and pass over, and be a tower of strength to their enemies. That such proposal should be entertained in an assemblage of Englishnv n shows ho v al sense of honor can be obliterated by contact with the villanies of colonial politics. If Mr McLean could perpetrate su:h an act of treasou he would give the lie to lu3 past career, and appear the meanest trnckster that has figured in New Zealand polit cs. But to expect Mr M'Lean to be so shoitsighted aud so traitorous as to abandon his colleagues and their common i o'icy when it is temporarily under a cloud argues very little sense of honor and manliness in the proposers. Shoulder to shoulder the M instry have fought together ; and side by s : de we hope for the sake of honor we shall see them fall together if they cannot stand together. The idea and hope exyressed that Mr M'Lean will let his duty to his country overcome his loyalty to his party is so exquisite bunkum that we cannot avoid contemplating it with pleasureIt assumes that those wanting place and power are animated by a love of their coun try, and that Mr M'Lean must see it in that light. If Mr M'Lean cares anything for his country, he could not fail to view with alarm the smash that is likely to be made of the policy of colonisation on the intrusion of those who have never concealed their hatred of it, and he will probably consider it his duty to do everything he ca i to avert such a catastrophe. On this point we think the mind of the Colony in%y be at rest. THE WEST COAST MEMBERS. In promptitude of expression, though not in the formation of its opinion, the Wellington Independent has anticipated us when it de- : clares that for the West Coast members to ' vote against the present Ministry would be i to vote both against the sympathies and the best interests of those whose sympathies and interests they are supposed to represent. < . . . Mr White has remaned tiue to his character by continuing in opposition, yet we venture humnly to think that, by continuing to do so, he is not so true to the instincts by which he should be guided, or to the interests of the important se tion of the West Coast of which he is the honored, respected representative. \ He cannot surely refuse to confess that, at least so far as the West Coast is concerned, the Ministry's administration has been wellmeant and not ill-executed, while among the strangely constructed Opposition of whom he ■ is one he finds himself working with those who are opposed to the whole spirit of the people of the Coast — to the very objects for which they are at present actively agitating, and who exhibit no ca lacity for administration superior to that of the men who, oa the sole plea of inferiority, it is sought to unseat. — Grey River Argus.