The Waikato Times. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1879.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1040, 22 February 1879, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1879.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever «tate or persuasion, religious oi" tjolicieal. ***** Here shall the Press tb.G People's right maintain, Unawed by iuftivonefi and unbribed hy gain.

The Marquis of Norman Oy, when taking leuve of tlio Colouy at Dunediu, uotwithsttwdiug the bonhomie for which he is celebrated, could not resist the temptation of tn king a Parthian shot afc certain Rieinlters of the Ministry. Hi'y last .speech m the colony will bo long reinemberuil, for il pulK a weapon, which it appsara is being already

freoly used, into I lie hands of the Opposition journals at a liuio whou alieged-cliscoiirtesy to the Governor ljas : prbvokeel much bitter feoling throughout' New Zealand, if we may judge from the tone oi telegrams published from all important centres of population. At another lime, perhaps, the question of making the office of Governor elective by the people would nob have elicited niuch feeling or discussion. Ifc certainly, with all but a very small school of politicians m the ;olony, was not a burning question of tho day, but rather one of the many abstract ideas and theories which have, will-o'-the-whisp like, lead: public and legislators alike from roal work into the regions of theory, and for no useful purpose. With the oolo- ! nists the proposal had little or no support, aud if, as tho Marquis of Normauby puts it, and we ueliovo ho has argument and reason on his side, elective Governors .' of necessity means cutting tho painter, the proposal will have still less. If thero is one feeling more ••than another which lies deep down aud is cherished m the hearts of New Zealand Colonists, it is tho love and reverence for the houio of thoir birth, and atieutiou and respect for the grand old constitution on which the greatuess of Britain has been built and by which it is still maintained. We can well understand that there are good reasons why the British Government would look on the election of the Governor by the , colonistsas tantamount to separation. ' It is tho only practical legal tie between the colony and the mother country, and how indeed could we ask the British Government to acknowledge as its representative whatever man the colonists might choose to elect as such. He would represent the Colony, not the Crown, aud we should thus be practically ignoring the first estate of the realm — m plain words, cutting the painter. But the colonists thbinselves desiro nothing which would t«nd to sever present connection with the mothev State. They have no grievance to complaiu of on the part of their Governor, no attempt at ruling roughshod over Joustitutional Government to protest against at bis hands. Then indeed the case might be a different one. On the contrary, they know full well that they owe much to their connection with the mother country— that it is her fleets which protect their commerce, her name which gives credit to the colonial draft whensoever and upon whomsoever it may be drawn, that the knowledge that we live under British laws, and have the guarantee of British interference if called upon, that these laws shall be as purely administered here as m \ the High Courts at home, renders settlement m theso colonies . more desirable thon ever m richer and more prosperous' countries. All this the colonists know, and while duty, affection, and self-interest pull together there is little fear that any advocacy of the Elective Governorship theory will have any weight or be productive of real harm.