The Westport Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1872

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 1012, 11 October 1872, Page 2

The Westport Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1872

Mr Vogel having been " sent for " by the Governor on Wednesday last, and the House adjourned until to-day, to allow titno for the re-formation of his Cabinet, gives proof convincing that the hasty prognostications of the Staffordites as to an immediate dissolution, were but expressions of the wish that is father to the thought, and had little or no foundation in fact. The defeated Staffordites will no doubt raise a loud and prolonged howl of virtuous indiguatiou at what they term the wily insiduousness of the counter attack by the party so lately driven from office, and still struggle wildly and talk with much blatant fervour to assert themselves as the only saviours of the country; but the country generally will accept the present political position with comfortable resignation, with the idea that of two evils, the Stafford or Vogel administration, they have luckily escaped the greater. The Utopian idea of perfection in ministerial administration finds no abiding place in the public mind ; public confidence in Mr Vogel may have been but of an intermittent or even capricious nature, flickering and waning at times, and anon blazing up as if fanned by the breeze of most exuberant fealty and devotion ; but the public are weary of watching the game of cross purposes between adverse parties ,in the House. Month after mouth the only result of the gathering of legislative wisdom in the "Wellington Council Chambers, has been a succession of petty political'

quarrels,indecorous disputes, personal recrimination?, windy and exhaustive argumeut, tending to no direct purpose in the present, bearing little promise of good result hereafter. The public money has been wantouly wasted in proloHged sessional expenses, public patience exhausted, and contempt for legislative institutions engendered, rapidly culminating in a, feeling of bitter exasperation. Little wonder then that Mv Stafford's elevation to office was received as a doubtful blessing, tho constitution of his Cabinet viewed with suspicion, and their programme condemned. Admitting the existence of evils in the late administration of affairs, the public were not inclined to accept a change of rulers, unless the new aspirants were able to assert and maintain their position as radical but withal judicious reformers. In this the Stafford party have failed most egregiously, for their crude suggestions of reform bore no evidence of being other than mere retrogressive tactics. Place, pay, and power seemed more dear to Mr Stafford and his confreres in office, than the true advancement of the country, and hence it may be well understood that the few who conscientiously, but illadvisedly, voted against the Ministry on the first occasion, soon saw the error of their ways, and admitting discretion to be the better part, have since unobtrusively given in their allegiance, bowiug <to the power of outside public opinion, which if giving no proof of implicit faith in Mr Vogel, still asserts a greater confidence in him than in any of his adversaries. Of that small section in the House, the disreputable party hangers on who abuse the position in which they have been accidentally placed, and traffic and barter with their votes with as little compunction as they would feel in selling.the gravestones of their sires, Mr Yogel will doubtless ask and expect nothing. His position now should be too well assured to depend even in the slightest degree thereon. The selfish little dodges of these so called legislators, have been fully exposed, they have themselves gained nothing thereby but unenviable notoriety, and will return to their constituents more wise but certainly less respected than they departed.