THE NEW GOVERNOR AND SIR GEORGE GREY.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 8 December 1880, Page 2

THE NEW GOVERNOR AND SIR GEORGE GREY.

On the subject* the Timaru Herald aayg . — * There is one peculiar feature just now in the public afftirsof New Zealand which is not to be found >u any oftier colony. The leader of one of the political parties, and by far the most extreme of all the politicians in the country, is a gentleman who has himself been a distinguisbd Governor and earned a very high reputation in the service of the Empire. He stands towards any person who may come hpre aa Governor, in a totally different relation from any other public man ; Hitherto he baa chosen to assume an attUude of bitter pe^onal antagonism to every Governor who has held office since he entered politics ; and that antagonism, through very unpleasant and somewbnt embarrassing to the j Governors, has r>fevent?d his exoeptional position from affecting in any injurious way the course of event*. It happens, however, that Sir Arthur Gorfon and Sir George Grey, are friends, and that Sir A_uthur Gordon who is twenty years vonnger than Sir George Grey, has been in the habifc of consulting him and looking un to him as an oracle. Hense'itis anticipated that, on arriving in a new country amongst entire dangers and sur- j rounded by a wholly unaccustomed set of conditioqs, Sir Arthur Gordon way be disposed to seek advics from Sir George Grey, and to yield his judgment to him to a degree not compatible with the even tenor of constitutional government. Until be is throughly kuown, Sir George Grey ha«« an pxtraor binary .power over the mind of thosa who place themselves within its i flnenee ; and he has made a lifelong study of the art of using tnat j rower to the utmost. Nothing could be more natural than that Sir Athur Gordon should rely implicitly for^information and guidance upon his old *friend and revered counsellor, the celebrated person who has twice held for mnny years the office to which Sir Arthur now comas as a novico. No*b* ing can be more certain that, if he.does sorely upon him lie wiM, soon be a complete tool in his hands, a lump of clay in the hands of th« potter. Nature has wonderful compensations, tbou?b, and one of them is strikingly displayed in Sir Oeorge Prey's case. His influencd would be irresistibly powerful bub for one curious fact. He never agrees wihh. anybody for more than three months; and the first quarrel is a final breach. ' That w»y safety I'fts. There is no fear of Sir Arthur Gordon being under his control beyond the beg!an ; ng of next March if he comes uoder it assooaas he ar>« rives ;aLd when tha inevitable rupture comes, then everything will on go in the ordinary course, just as it did under Lord Normanhy and Sir Hercules Robiaeon. The Governor will keep Sir Oeorge Grey at arm's length and bepver on his guard against him. and Sir George Grey will never lose an opportunity of getting a blow ntthe Governor, be it far or foul Thus -it will all end pleasantly and comfortably, and if Sir George lives to see the end of Sir Athur Gmloa's Government., b«» will u'o doubt come up fresh and piniiing to try conclusions with '"his successor. 1