“Verite sons peur.” Wanganui, July 30, 1863.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 7, Issue 354, 30 July 1863, Page 3

“ Verite sons peur.” Wanganui, July 30, 1863.

In wliat position does, the Governor now stand in reference ,tb._the ’advice which Lis ministry gives him on native affairs ? We will endeavour so to answer the question, as, shall . enable; our readers to understand the very intricate state which the questions of Responsibility and Nonresponsibility have got into. When in 1861 it was announced to the House of Representatives that Sir Geo. Gi’ey had been re-appointed,Governor of Hew Zealand, tlie satisfaction was general. It was believed that his name would be a tower of strength,- and that tlie colony would be speedily. extricated from tlie horrible mess into which it had ,becn plunged. \yiien, however, the first burst of enthusiasm r was over*; and members began to look their new position in the face; they, thought it most probable that the Governor would want to have his own way just as fully as he had had it before, and there*werenot wanting hints tliat he would even *bring with him sjiecial powers —powers to suspend the constitution if necessary. As a foil the lioiise did what it could. It could not anticipate the evil it feared, by-pi'otestiug beforehand against the ''suspension of the Constitution ; but it could and did indicate very clearly its views on that’‘question; by"asking that the Constitution should be practically extended, rather than curtailed or suspended. The House therefore; directed the ministry to obtain from the Governor, as soon as ho should arrive from the Gape, the long-coveted : control over' native affairs.’ ! o'n this condition only, would it vote money for native purposes. - With the advent of the new Governor it desired that Colonel Browne’s Native Secretary’s department should be abolished, and its irresponsible function of advising the,Governor made a responsible one ill the hands of ministers. Lest there should be any doubt or mistake about the intentions of the-house, it passed the following resolution on the 6th of September, just befoi-e.it broke,up, without a ; single dissentient “ Resolved,- —That this Committee (of. the whole House) have consented to vote the Estimated for the Land Purchase Department for the ensuing year, upon the recommendation of his Excellency’s Ministers, aiid upon the express declaration by the Government that a complete revision of that department is necessary. . • “ That any reconstruction of the Land Purchase Department on a satisfactory basis necessavily involves also an- entire re-organ isatiqn of the political branch of that service, and that no such re-organisation will be effectual or satisfactory the ; country which does not, while fully recognising and securing to the Governor both, the initiative and decision when Imperial interests are involved, place the conduct of the or-dinary business of nativ e administration under responsibility to,the Assembly.” Bearing in mind that'the' Land Putchaise aiid the Native Secretary’s departments had long been amalgamated under the* headship of Mr. McLean, and that they were the recognised advisers of the Governor, it will be quite clear that the resolutions above noted. give decided instructions to. the Pox , ministry to obtain Sir George Grey’s consent to allow the same control, in ordinaiy matters relating to native affairs, to liis* ministers as they already possessed relative' to other affairs. Independently of Mr. Fox’s personal views, he was ; bound as the servant of the house to see that its injunction 1 was enm-plied.-2with."-rLet-:us see :ho\v he fulfilled his duty. , Sir Geoi-ge Grey arrived at; Auckland pti the 26th September; On the - 30th

.Ndvemberhe'wrotetO;the,D.ukeofNew.‘ castle fhat lie had consented to do what the House had desired, that he.should do, and had agreed to act, on ; native as on, all other questions, by and with the,advice' of liis responsible . minis try. “At the present crisis.;.(writes.,Sir ,George) ; it is, quite impossible -that her, Government could- be . advantageously carried on under such a system (Governor Browne’s). v Itherefore: immediately arranged. tq consult my responsible miniSri ters in relation, to. native affairs, in the same maimer as . upon all nther subjects, 7 and in like manner to act; .through- - them ■ in relation to all native matters. ; Tfany serious difference takes- place betweeu ;us, upon these subjects, I must; as jii, other cases, resort to other advisers, and appeal in fact to the General Assembly.?’ Responsibility; complete inallits. parts, extending alike to native and European governments, was-thus established within a few weeks after Sir George Grey’s arrival. Mr. Fox in asking for it, and Sir George in .acceding to it, both thought they were doing so in obedience to the unanimously expressed wish of .the. Legislature: This fact cannot be. too steadily borne in mind. Jt is fashionable with some writers to shut tliuireyes to this resolution of the house, and lay the blame on Mr. Fox’s shoulders for accepting a responsibility .which, they say, has burdened the;colony with the payment of. a large share of war expenditure. . Fashionable although it may be, it is most unjust. . ; , When, after, two or-..three, months, it was found that Sir George Grey had uei : ther the-power nor the. will to suspend the Constitution; tlie opposition leaders raised the “expenditure cry.., Mr. W., C Richmond struck the key-note in the address he issued from Otago, where he, had gone, to practise his ; profession. , He made, it the reason for retiring from the house-r-a reason which some of his best friends thought unworthy of him, because they considered it was not the real one. They said that liis partnership arrangement expressly precluded liis attention to politics for a specified period ; but : whether this was. the case pr not we do. not know, nor do we think it much to the purpose. He gave the cry the sanction of liis powerful name ; he set tlie ball rolling, and with what, effect we pro-, ceed to show.

- Tlie house met in July 1862, and it was at once evident;that the tactics of? the Opposition were, either to make Mr. Fox swallow;,all his professions and .principles, or do so themselves.. Mr. Fox, however, refused, to emulate the mammal .for which New Zealand is cli iefty famous. He objected to wallowing in the,mire of; divided, responsibility, and tested the feeling of the House by the following resolution— ..

“Tliat while this House, disclaims, on the part of the colony, the exclusive responsibility of the cost of educating, civilizing, and governing the native race ; while it equally disclaims liability-for tlie principal share of the cost of suppressing insurrections of a; people over whom the Imperial Government lias never practically established the authority of law pit will at all times cheerfully recognise its duty to co-operate to the extent of its ability and means. with Great Britain for the attainment of these objects, so essential* to the welfare of the colony ; and, in conformity with these views it is of opinion that the interests of. the Imperial Government, and ; of the natives: themselves, as well as of the colony, require that (reserving to tlie Governor both the initiation and, the decision of questions where’ Imperial interests' are concerned) the ordinary conduct of native affairs should be placed under .the administration of responsible Ministers.” ; • We all know its fate. The House which had,, without one dissentient, less than a year previously insisted, on “ Ressibility,” was now so thoroughly divided that the casting vote: of the Speaker had to be thrown ; into the Equally balanced scale. He threw it into that of the Opposition and Non-responsibility ; the Fox Ministry kicked the bean! and resigned that; night.: The Fox Ministry-having been ; sent in to “do it,’’ did it ;• tlie present Ministry Avere ■thereupon sent in ; “ not to do ; it,”, and- the whole colony is now.agliaat - at..,their having* “ done it ” -also. - • - .

If the-General Assembly'chose to blow hot and cold and eat its Own words, the Duke of Newcastle does not feel at all inclined'to do so likewise He sanctioned the “ Responsibility” arrangement. He still adheres to it. He will not listen to any change, .and expresses, no yeiy high opinion, of the Assembly for desiring it He tells the Governor that the arrangement made with the Fox Ministry must stand, and thus ;the very Ministry who were, put into office for the express purpose of abstaining from giving responsible advice, are now holdiug their seats in the identical capacity for which the Fox ; Ministry, was turned out. How long they are going to hold them thus is.what thewhole colony wishes to know. It is reported that the Assembly will be called together directly ; but we cannot .help: wondering . whether , they- ; would have called it together until next year, if it had not been for the lucky accident of the publication ; of the Duke’s despatch in England. Our readers will notice the dates. The Duke’s, despatch was dated 26th, February ; it probably reached New Zealand in April. The responsibility of; the .Ministry commenced, : at tlfat date, and it is n,ot until two months afterwards, when the .despatch, unexpectedly to Ministers, finds its way into Colonial daylight, that we. hear of any ; intention .to c ill the Assembly together), > The proclamatipn,.relative, to..the abandonment of the Waitara was evidently a firstfruit of the new .position in, which the Duke’s despatch placed the relations. of Sir Geo. Grey and the, Ministry. I hat proclamation was. issued on the ;llth; of May, with the advice and.consent of, the-Exr ecutive Council,” evidently showing that 'Ministers had assumed the' position of responsible advisers in native matters. As this question, -is ..the. one on .which the fate of the Ministry; hangs.. and that

Jv-hicli \ iiiustsi enter into' the fifstV'cAnSidei*ation of the oui\ readers will be glad to have' this precis to enable them to understand the "exact' state in which the matter at present reposes. They will watch with all the more interest the proceedings of the Assembly. To our minds the position is an exceedingly curious oneand as the House of Representatives has already blown both hot aiid cold,'we look With* very considerable avidity to wliat they will do iiext. ' ?

. The .proceedings at: Auckland clearly indicate the invasion of the,W ; aikato>, on, tlie: first ..favorable .opportunity.We Ought to keep -tliis fact .before j our .eyes, "aiid be • .prepared, for whatever,, conse-quences;-may follow. We, have. . always looked upon the operation of probing the source of, the disease, as sure to cause a quivering to the farthest extremities. Iu all probability, long,before this the Avon, has found her way into the Waikato river. Very soon the king, natives everywhere will be in a state of great excitement. It is.scarcely reasonable to suppose that they will sit quietly, down, as mere spectators. - The' settlers in the various districts, between : Manawatu and this ought to be on the alert. The very, least they can dp is to concert measures for the safety of the women .and children, in case of an emergency, alarm, panic,—call it wliat they please., - Tlie sooner stockades are erected the better, as tlie fact of , all such arrangements having been carefully made beforehand, is the very best pre veiltative of panic. To be prepared for any emergency that niay arise is now the first duty of every settler, and ; should . be the principal object to .which his attention is turned. With tlie, information; now before us, to neglect all reasonable precautions Would be most criminal.

Tli q Blorm Bird’s arrival on Thursday was the first result of the riew arrangement for communication with tlie North, alluded to in our last. The news we have by her of the raising of the Defence. •Force has been coiifiniied. We believe it - rests with the GefieraL Government Authorities in Wcllihgtou when and how the Force is to be raised, although Ave .find it said : in an Otago Times that “Mr. Leatliam is : appointed Inspector of tlio Dcfeuce'Force at Wellington, and that Air. Branigiin is co-operating in the raising of fifty men for the force from Otago.” We trust that tlie command will be given to some local gentlenVan, and that as many of the district settlers as will Voluu teer for fclie service, will liave preferfeuee. All tlie Provincial Council Acts assented to by the Superintendent have beeu confirmed by the Governoi'. Nothing lias yet been’ Notified relative to the Bridge Bill, to which’ the Superintendent could not assent on the Governor’s behaif.

All quiet at Hawkes Bay tip to the 11 tli inst.

George Waters has been committed by Mr. St. Hill to take his trial for selling powder. Bail was refused. Nine of the Soldiers concerned iu the riot at Wellington on the 6th inst. have also been committed.

By tli Q Zephyr we have Taranaki news to the 23rd inst. There laid been no more fighting there ; though the friendly natives reported that an engagement of some kind had taken place at Waikato, with wliat result was unknown.

The Albatross had arrived from Sydney, aiid a report was current that the Duke of Newcastle liad either spoken in the House, or sent despatches to Sir G. Grey, condemning? the past policy, and insisting on the king movement being put down at once.