The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, JULY 8, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 204, 8 July 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, JULY 8, 1879.

The Ministerial organ in Dunedin of the Grey Ministry lias hitherto been the Otago Daily Times. That journal has reaped its reward by having been the chosen medium of Government advertisements, but however valuable advertising support may be to any paper, tho good opinion of its subscribers is still more important, and we are glad to notice that the Otago Daily Times has had the courage to'condemn its patrons, and at the preserit crisis to express an independent opinion on the political outlook. In an article published last week it makes a decided change of front. .While it regrets that the late personal dispute between the Premier and Mr Ballanee should have been published, it holds that there are strong grounds for believing that Sir George Grey has displayed far too much of the autocratic spirit—a desire to control everything by his own per-

sonal will—to leave much room to hope that any Government nnder his presidency will hold long together. It believes that before long Mr Macandrew will be compelled to leave the Cabinet, and that then the last link which binds Otago to the Government will' be broken, It regards Sir George Grey as an impracticable man on whom no reliance can be placed, and anticipates that the House failing him he will endeavor to retain power by an appeal to the electors on abstract questions. "We quite agree with our contemporary that the present' is no time for discussing such subjects when a Native war is imminent, and the Treasury is empty, If at any period in the history of the Colony men and not

measures were' necessities, it is now. "What the Colony wants is a strong and united administration. Give us this, and it matters little whether a single measure is placed on the Statute book of the Colony in the coming session, excepting the formal enactment necessary tor raising another loan. When the Native question no longer agitates colonists, and money is available for carrying on the Government of the Colon} 1 ", the Assembly and the country will have time and inclination to discuss liberal measures, "We want no red herrings dragged across the scent as matters now stand, and we advise the Premier to put up his fiddle till we are more at liberty to listen to his favorite tunes. Sir George Grey is the Nestor of the Colony, and if, when he travelled round the Colony prior to last session, he had told us we were likely to have not only a Native war but also financial disaster, we might have had faith in his sagacity, and venerated his wisdom, As far, however, as we can judge he neither anticipated nor prepared for the evils which have lately fallen upon us, He now, we believe, is willing to offer us manhood suffrage and a reformed Upper Houso as a panacea for all existing difficulties, but the country is in no humor for such doubtful remedies, and has lost all faith in the doctor who, when wo arc crying for bread, proposes to offer us a stone. We scarcely belive that Sir George Grey's colleagues will stick to him a moment longer than they are compelled to, and that after the opening of the session more than seat in the Cabinet will be vacated. By ' a curious idiosyncracy the Premier is wont to treat a Minister like a menial, and a menial like a Minister. It is impossible to run Cabinets successfully on such a system.