The Waikato Times. SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 1878.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 897, 23 March 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 1878.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. ***** Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

His Excellency has passed through Hamilton and Cambridge on a previous occasion, bat his visit to Waikato on Monday will be the first made to the district in his official capacity as Governor of tfyj

Colouy. As such he comes to us the Representative of the Q ice n, and it is our pleasure and privilege, as well as our duty, to receive hini with a larire measure of that warmth and loyalty we would accord to Her Gracious Majesty herself. Our welcome, in fact, wil not be to the Marquis of Normanby but to the august and beloved lady whose person he represents, and who has no more loyal or devoted subjects in her realm than the colonists of New Zealand; and though the people of the Waikato settlements may be few in number they canatleast makeup in heartiness and warmth of welcome. for the want of thut effect which numbers themselves often give to a popular demonstration.

His Excellency comes np on no official business. Indeed, as Governor of a Colony, the affairs of which are administered under a purely constitutional form of Government, the Governor has neither political power nor real political influence. The action of the Governor of Victoria during the present crisis, and there is little doubt but that throughout he has acted under direct private instruction from Downingstreet, would, indeed, lead us almost to ask what really is the use of a Governor at all, except to remind us of the tie of kindred and affection which stil binds us together, and may i t long continue to do so, as one of the peoples which make up the grandest ,iud mightiesj Empires in the world. The visit of his Excellency next week to the Waikato, can therefore have no political significence whatever, but is simply the opportunity for a kindly and affectionate expression of sympathy between Queen and subject. The principal, indeed the only official business associated with the visit is in connection with the pre sence of the Colonial Secretary and Defence Minister, Col. Whitmore, who accompanies His Excellency, and who will inspect during his stay the several military posts held by the A rmed Constabulary. The review ot the Waikato Volunteer Cavalry on Tuesday, to be held in Mr A. A. Fanthams paddocks, near Cambridge, will form part of the inspection and we trust for the credit of the corps and of the district that every member of the force will, however pressing his private engagements may be, turn out on that occasion. There has been much talk in the Assembly and out of it, of late, about fancy soldiering" amongst the colonists of New Zealand, and the Government has very properly set its face against the continuation of that waste of public money on fancy volunteering which, necessary perhaps at one time, has not unnaturally been carried on when the occasion itself has passed away. The Waikato Cavalry Volunteers are, just however one of the very few exceptions to which the sarcastic terms of ' fancy soldiers' will not apply, and therefore we hope they will take the opportunity of showing what they really are, on so notable an occasion as a review in presence of the Pefence Minister himself and of the Governor, and give personal evidence that as a body of men capable of affording efficient defence to the country when called upon, they are deserving of that special consideration which they have claimed and the final granting of which has been postponed until after some such promised visit of inspection »s the present one.