ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1529, 22 April 1882, Page 3

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE.

The political crisis has, fortunately for the colony, been brought to a conclusion by the Governor sending for the Hon F. Whitaker for the purpose of re-construct-ing the Ministry. It must ,have been a sod blow to Sir George Grey to be told that he had been called to Wellington on a fool's errand, and that he was not to be allowed to form a Ministry. It is pretty generally believed that it had been ararranged months ago between Sir Arthur Gordon and Sir George Gray that, if the chapter of accidents should produce the opportunity, the former would give the latter the opportunity of being once more Premier of New Zealand. Fortunately, the intention was frustrated by the almost unanimous condemnation of the press of the colony. It was like a game of euchre, in which the two knights had a full hand of trumps, consisting of the royal prerogative, whereas their opponents held the right bower— the support of the press, the left bower— the support of the public opinion, and the turned-up card, the ace — the fact that they were in office, and should be allowed to continue until turned out by a hostile vote of the new Parliament. The result was the two knights, instead of getting a march or even, a point were euchred.

In «a number of Punch, which came out by the last English mail, there is a full-page cartoon, representing the Hon W. E. Gladstone holding in his hand a bowl containing his cloture proposals, while in front of him stands a gander, representing the Liberal Party, and a goose representing the Conservative Party, and in the back ground stands Mr Punch, who warns the Premier that what is sauce for the Conservative goose will be sauce for the Liberal gander. The members of Parliament, who are opposed to the Hall party, ought to lay this lesson to heart and apply it to the recent action of Sir Arthur Gordon. Both sides of the House should unite in condemning the action of the Governor, for, if his conduct in sending for Sir George Grey is condoned and defended by the Opposition, they may find that, with another Governor with different views, their party mat/ be the sufferers on .a future occasion. Much disgrace has been brought on the legal profession lately by the actions of some membeis of it. Some weeks ago an English solicitor was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for stealing a watch. The son of the senior partner of one of the leading firms of London solicitors, a brilliant future seemed assured to him. Unfortunately, lie fell into habits of intemperance. His friends did their utmost to reclaim him, and, as a last resource, sent him out to New Zealand, in the hope that, in a new country, with new associations, he would make a fresh start and regain his lost position. They were, unhappily, disappointed. Instead of setting to work and endeavouring to retrieve himself, he seems to have gone from one town to another, ' ' loafing ' on the profession and upon people who knew him or his family. While at Invercargill, being at the time under the influence of liquor, he went into a watchmaker's shop and asked to see some gold watches. Alter looking at several he said that he would call in again in a day or two and buy one. Before leaving the shop he managed to steal a watch, while the proprietor's back was turned. He took it to a pawnbroker's and pawned it for £7. The watchmaker speedily discovered his loss, placed the matter in the hands of the police, and the unfortunate man was arrested for the theft. He. was brought up at the Police Court and committed to take his trial at the next sitting of the District Court. There, though ably defended, he was found guilty, the jury, however, recommending him to mercy. Taking into consideration the recommendation of the jury, the judge sentenced the prisoner to three months' imprisonment. After the case was concluded, application was made to the judge for an order for the payment of £7, found on the prisoner, to the pawnbroker who had advanced that sum on the security of the stolen watch. I tarn happy to be able to say that the judge refused to make the order, on the ground that the pawnbroker had no right to lend money on a new watch presented to him by a man under the influence of drink. The proprietor ot Bradshaws Railway Guide deserves commendation for having issued to subscribers a sheet giring the new time table, which came into force on the Ist instant. A few years ago I was a resident of Sydney. One day I asked a fripnd to lend me his Bradshaw, as I was going out of town by rail and wished to bee at v hat time the train .started. He lent me the book, but warned me not to trust to it, as the railway time-table had been altered several times since that which appeared in Bradshaw had been in force, but that the proprietor said lie could not affoid to make alterations every month, and so the old time-table remained. I asked him of what use the book was if it did not contain the time-table then in force. He admitted that it was quite useless, and said that lie did not intend to renew his subscription. The Maovis evidently thought that the reign of Bryce was ended, and that his Native Policy would be reversed by Sir Arthur Gordon and Sir George Grey, or they would not have attempted to hold another meeting nt Parihaka. The natives are both shrewd and well-in-formed as to the opinions and feelings of prominent Europeans. They know that both Sir Aithur and Sir George arephiloMaoris, and, it is extremely probable that they are aware that the former told some of the European settlers at Fiji that Fiji was not a white man's country and that lie did not intend that it should be. However, their fond hone that they were to have a renewal of the Nati ; c Policy of the Grey Government was rudely dispelled—fortunately for the European settlers — by Col. Roberts, acting under the instructions of Mr Bryco, ordeiing his men to pull down some of the "vv hares. The Hon. F. Whitaker lost no time in obeying the summons of the Governor, but left for Wellington yesterday (Wednesday) morning. Unlike Sir George Grey, he did not delay for two or three days before starting, but, of course, it was not nece&sary for him to confer with John King, J. M. Shera, and the Queen-stieet barbers before he could go away. That very dalliance, which was doubtless intended to gain time, and to familiarise people with the idea that Sir George Grey was to be Premier, defeated its object, as it gave the press of the colony time to denouncp in the most forcible manner the attempt to revive the most impotent Ministry that the colony has probably ever seen, and which Sir Arthur Gordon intended to put in the place of one of the best Administrations that the colony has had. Talking about the political crisis to a friend who has not been very long in New Zealand, I asked him his opinion on the subject. He said that he had not been long enough in the colony to take any interest in .party, politics, but that as the Hall Ministry had taken offloe at a time when the colony was in a state of bankruptcy, as they had faced the unpleasant tasks of increasing the taxation and reducing the expenditure, and as they had proved themselves such excellent administrators, the Governor deserved the reprobation of everyone for his attempt to oust them f rom office. So much for the opinion?: a shrewd but impartial observer; ! St. Mu^'oo. ,