THE PAST AND PRESENT MINISTRIES.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 550, 4 September 1869, Page 2

THE PAST AND PRESENT MINISTRIES.

The "Wanganui Chronicle criticizes severely the results of the Stafford Ministry's period of office. Never hefore, says our contemporary, had colonial ministers such a chance of establishing themselves in office as Mr Stafford and his colleagues had. When they assumed the reins of government the country, if not avowedly for them on the self-reliant policy of internal warfare, was content to give them a fair and even lenient trial. Mr Stafford promised to become a second Joseph Hume in the matter of public expenditure. His position was thus strong, and it had the prospect of being more so, through the advancement of those organic changes of government which the whole country was ripe to receive. But the Stafford ministry failed to improve its opportunity. His pledge to economise was not redeemed. It is true he saved the washing bill for office towels and was unmercifully hard upon porters and poorly paid clerks, but he created new offices for tools and toadies of his own, and otherwise was penny-wise and pound-foolish. He deserted the local government cause whenever it became a testing question and was likely to endanger his tenure of office. Of his war policy we need not speak ; wo have only to look around us for its condemnation. Settlers in this quarter were not only pillaged, but laughed at in their misfortune. "We need hardly wonder therefore that when Mr Stafford's time to turn out came, he was allowed to go not only without regret, but with positive pleasure, and now it is not Mr Fox's majority, and certainly not his administrative "capability, that keeps hira in office, but because the members of the House decline to take any overt step to reinstate Mr Stafford in a position turned to such poor account when he previously occupied it. If things must be muddled, they evidently prefer a gentleman to do it who wiil give them a civil answer to one who would snarl and snub them.