The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 1889. The Ward-Hislop Scandal.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3280, 12 August 1889, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 1889. The Ward-Hislop Scandal.

In the House ou Friday last the Colonial Secretary, Mr Hislop, took a somewhat extraordinary courso in thja debate that ensued on the WardHislop scandal. He admitted that he had been indiscreet in his interference with the judge, be confessed to having displayed an undue warmth in his correspondence over the affair, and pledged himself to take no further part in any future discussion relating to Judge Ward which might arise in Cabinet consultations. This is tantamount to a plea of guilty, and after such a statement it would be an idle task for the Ministry to attempt to excuse his conduct. We may possibly respect the candor with' which h,e has confessed his sip, but it is extremely unsatisfactory for a Minister of the Crown to hay® to incite admissions of such a character. On a repent occasion Sir Harry Atkinson declared that Mr George Fisher must retire from office because he had been guilty of conduct which his colleagues were not prepared to deiend. It

wouj/l appear that Mr Hislop is in'a precisely similar pjtiou, hut in his case the Premier 'stands by'him. Why he should make fish of Mr Fjsj&er an,4 jlesh of Mr Hislop we do not lmojy, fyit the fiioji jpiaiuß that he applied one rule pf conduct towards Mr Fisher and another rule pf conduct towards Mr iliglop. The indiscrotion of the fttl»l Secretary has most assuredly damagei} the position of the Ministry, ajid in the House on Friday tho division list showed that the Government majority had sustained a serious defection, Some credit may be given to Sir Harry Atjsinson for his loyalty to a colleague who hstl compromised himself, but then whyw&jj he not equally loyal to Mr Fisher ? The continuance of Mr Hislop in office is an obvious source of weakness to the Government, and if the Colonial Secretary is animated hy th.at sentiment of honor which is usually expected from men in high public positions, he will volunt.ai'ily resign his seat in the Ministry, pd so relieve his colleagues from the difficulty in which they are placed. The request of the Opposition to set up a committee of investigation is a reasonable one, whether it proceeds from a desire to harass tho Ministry or from an anxiety to maintain the the purity of the Cabinet and Bench. The Government is placed in a dilemma, because the result of such m investigation may be a grave reflection upon its administration, but as the conduct of q, Judge is also called in question. Ministers cannot with a good grace openly oppose an inquiry. We do not suppose that Judge Ward will follow the example pf jlr Hislop by admitting that he has be.e)) if),decreet, and the doubt whieii hA3 M requires to be cleared up;. ij rarely that, in this colony at least, $ Minister of the Crown and aiiigii judical functionary como into

collision, and the issue of tbe lato diaputo between Mr Hislop and Judgo Ward will form a precedent and determine the relations that are to subsist between tbe Cabinet and tbe Bench. Had Mr Hislop gone a step further and exonerated Judgo Ward from tho charge lie virtually brought against him, the matter might have dropped, but wo do not gather that be has done this,' and if the Judge's friends consider that bis integrity should be vindicated by a parliamentary investigation,, they - havo a perfect right to a committee of inquiry.