ONE OF THE MEMBERS FOR WANGANUI,

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 154, 20 August 1881, Page 3

ONE OF THE MEMBERS FOR WANGANUI,

Mr Ballance is any anomaly. Like Abraham Lincoln, President Garfield, Sir Samuel Parkes, and many otber colonial celebrities, Mr Ballance is a self-made man; Poof m purse and education, on his arrival m New Zealand he worked as a day rlaborer. . With laudable perseverance lie _ set to work, educated himself. arid achieved a leading position m the colony. Knowing well that brains, not muscles, rule the world, Mr Ballance coon changed his method of earning a living. He took to vending a variety of wares among the Maoris, m which occupation he clashed severely with the Superintendent of Wellington, who righteoulsy condemned Mr Ballance, thereby incurring his undying hatred. Finding unprofitable bis vending transactions with the Maori- 0 , he began to hawk about equally: trashy wares m the shape of Brummagem politics and tawdy theorites of finance m a newspaper which fell under his control. Mr Ballance then became a cornet m the Wanganui Cavalry, but finding that even a gallant and thoroughly skilful officer like the famous Whitmore knew les3of war than did he, an amateur. Mr Ballance, as war correspondent of a Wanganui paper, severely criticised his commanding officer. For this conduct Colonel Wbifmore called a courtm^rtia] and Mr Ballance then gave up the sword for the pen. IJotlbng after, Mr. Ballance entered the House, where he attracted notice by his speeches; j. He spoke seldom during each session, and then only on great occasions. Clever, well read, though selfeduoated, he never spoke without the most careful deliberation, and each of his speeches was an oration — the result of weeks of careful preparation. This ■oon brought him fame, and gave bint a position that could not be overlooked by any leader of a party j he was so powerful that he had a right to any vacancy m a Ministry. His future seemed most prosperous, and his many frieuds were confident that he would be the legitmate successor, of Stafford and Yogel. Then Came the crowning folly of Mr.Ballance's life, followed by folly after folly. In their hours of utmost need, admitted, as he had, been, to their council, and on the «ye of a no-confidence division, he most astonishingly changed opinions and took the opposite side. This was a seveie shock to bis warmest friends ; but it was rewarded at once by Sir George Grey offering this political Judas Iscarot the keepership of the colonial bag. A life of political honesty and straightforwardnessmight have expiated his former deception, and he might even yet hive lived it do wu and gained a higher post; but the old inbred changeableness reappeared. The amateur cavalary officer anononiouuly writing down his Comman-der-in-Chiefj when changed into a professional politican, did not scruple to stigmatize, or at :. 11 events, did not check a paper over which he had control, from stigmatising his . political leader, Sir George Grey, a coward shrinking to his island home m the hour of peril. Sir George Grey, after many and careful inquires, convinced himself, rightly or wrongly, that his lieutenant had written this : arid, flaming with justifiable wrath, •bowed his bitter hatred; but the insensate Ballance, the Colonial Treasurer, no-moredreamt' of sending m his resignation than did, years before the cornet of the Wanganui Horse. Grey, unalilc. like Whitmore to summon a court-martial rang the bell for a policeman to eject Mr. Ballance from the Cabinet chamber. The man who. had fought fiorce savages m Western Australia, and unflinching faced appalling dangers, was not the man to fajrnlv brook h,\s subordinate's attacks,

and introduced this method of dismissing a colleague for which no president can be found m May or Tod. Now Mr Ballancc has lost all political influeucein the House, and no leader would for a moment ch-eam of offering him a portfolio. la our polif::l history no greater paradox can be ■Msco'-fred than Mr.Balauce's career ; even I>r Morgan never unearthed a more marvellous. Ballance has worked his way U"'v:ird so far, against so many difficulties and drawbacks, hxd achieved so much, and seemed capable of achiev'ug so mncli more, that he might reasonably have aspi red »ftor the laps of a fpw years to tlip l?reuaursaip and a li.U.M.Q-. AU thus bright future, for which he had struggled so Irird, vii.l P_>r which hu had cadurcu so much, he utterly destroyed by two of *he grossest pieces of folly which any man could have committed. H e gained nothing by them — on the contrary, he lost everything. The public caunot understand, thuy can only greatify wouder, and be full of pity.