The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. SATURDAY, DEC. 3, 1892.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3190, 3 December 1892, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. SATURDAY, DEC. 3, 1892.

At the time iho telegraphic despatch was received from the Secretary for the Colonies, in. reply to the joint appeal of the Governor and the Ministry in reference to the Council appointments, we expressed the opinion that the despatch by mail, which the cablegram intimated would be forwarded, would very much modify the interpretation which was put upon the cablegram by the Ministry and their followers. We maintained then, and maintain now, that the cable desdatch only offered advice on the particular case referred to the Colonial Office, and in no sense established, or was meant to establish, the principle that Governors of colonies were henceforth to occupy the position of ornamental nonentities. This of course will be theirs if a Premier with a majority at his back is to have the right to have his advice acted upon by the Governor, regardless of his opinion as to its constitutional or utilitarian aspects. Mr Ballance maintained that he had this right, both before and after the receipt of the cablegram, and the Ministerial party and their organs have been at great

paina to impress the fact that a glorious victory had been gained, and that those who had held a contrary opinion tu that of tho Premier were tolerably ignorant of the constitution. The question of the number of appointees to the Council is of very small consequence indeed compared with the constitutional question which the Premier claims has been settled by the cable despatch. So important is this question that His Excellency and the Ministry should have given publicity to the full despatch immediately on its receipt. Surely to omit to do this is to treat the people with contempt. Of course the despatch will be forced from its obscurity when Parliament meets. It should, however, be before the public for consideration at the earliest moment in order to have consideration in all its bearings before Parliament assembles. It is to us inconceivable that the surmise of the London correspondent of our contemporary is correct, which is thus summarised in the leading columns of the Ist inst. : — " Our correspondent writing from London on the 14th October, and about a month after the receipt of the cable message in New Zealand, states that so far as he knew, the despatch had not left Downingstreet, and probably had not been written. He also stated that Lord Ripon up to that date had never heard of the matter at all, nor had the Under-Secretary, and that it had all been arranged between the Agent-General and a Colonial Office official named Meade." This is quite contrary to tho cablegrams which reached the colony accounting for delay in cabling acknowledging the despatch of the Governor and replying to it. It was to the effect that the delay was due to the absence of Lord Ripon from London. If the correspondent is correct his statement goes very far indeed towards establishing the probable correctness of our surmise that the cablegram was only intended to apply to the specißc case. We know that permanent officials are given to taking large responsibility upon their shoulders, but it would be straining this fact to the utmost to suppose that an official would undertake the initiation of a new principle without consulting the political head of his department. It is reasonable, however, to suppose that he might offer advice on his own account. The non-publication of the despatch gives colour to the surmise, for it only amounts to that, that the despatch had not been forwarded up to as late a date as the Hth October. Supposing that the detailed reply had been forwarded as promised iu the cablegram, it should have reached the Governor more than six v, soks back, and tho illness of

the Premier would have been no oxctise for omitting , so manifest a duty as giving it immediate publicity. There are only two possible suppositions—the one that there has been gross neglect at the Colonial Office, or the Ministry are unwilling to disabuse the minds of the public as to their superior knowledge of the constitutional questions involved. It often requires more courage to climb down than to climb up, and Mr Ballance has reached such an altitude of self congratulation that the descent will be particularly unpleasant and undignified if it has to be made. For our part we teel tolerably confident that this will be the case.