To pass from the parent state to the youngest of
our Colonies, we have the same truth illustrated directly and inversely. Few Governors have been cleverer than Sir George Grey ; but, trying to govern without honesty or frankness, he embroiled the colony, reduced its political action to a chaos of petty squabbles, which threatened to be as discreditable to the liberal majority as to his own servile minority, and which would have exploded in destruc- tion for himself if he had not escaped in time. It is probable that the officer to whom he left the government is a man less clever; certainly he is not a man who has as yet received vouchers for capacity and character from the Colonial Office, which have been lavished upon Sir George Grey ; and yet, by an act of simplicity and straightforward honesty, Colonel Wynyard has attained an instant and a complete success, where the story of Sir George Grey's clever managementpresented nothing but acomplicated series of fail- ures. Sir George's strength was spent in putting off the completion of the constitution, in frustrating the political action of the colonists, in setting one province against another, and in a species of politibal kite-flying intended to defer the day of reckoning. At last, when he was gone, it was necessary that the colopists should meet in General Assembly. They did meet. They found themselves in an assembly where the Executive was quite unrepresented,—for even in the province created by the favouritism of the Government, Auckland, none of the members of Colonel Wynyard's Cabinet had found electors. A House of Commons with the Executive Minis- ters excluded, devoid of guidance in its legislation, presented that "corpus vile" which admirably exhibited the working of irre- sponsible government. Mr. Wakefield, who first defined the car- dinal principle of the modern British system, and taught colonies how to apply it, gave a clinical lecture upon the broken-down system in Auckland. His views secured something better than unanimity : one opponent attested them by resistance • a helpmate for that opponent was found to speculate in official favour by
seconding the objection in the House of Assembly; all the other members persevered in stating their wish to assimilate their go- vernment to that carried on in England. Colonel Wynyard took a short space of time to think about it ; "sent for" the most eligible leaders of the Opposition ; and "responsible government" was installed in New Zealand. The younger colony has secured the great boon with less labour than it cost Canada, the Cape, or even Australia. To obtain it, Canada had to endure, not only the rebellion, but a long series of civil conflicts, and an effort which may be said to have cost Lord Dur- ham his life. More than one Governor has sunk under the labours of carrying out the new system in the principal British colony. The Cape it cost a muffled rebellion ; for the African colony pro- fited by the experience of Canada. Australia did not need to go so far : she pointed to her flag, talked of independence, and realized such a form of representation as carries with it the British principle. But, facile as the achievement has been in New Zealand, it has had the same effects that have attended it everywhere else. The colony was agitated ; it is tranquil. The grand champion of irresponsible government in New Zea- land is transferred to another scene ; he goes to the Cape, strength- ened by the favour of the Colonial Office, and charged, it is sup- posed, with some new plan of Border policy. Revivals have been fashionable amongst Governors at the Cape : are we to have Caffre treaties on the frontier, and irresponsible government at head- quarters ? Both instruments would be dangerous, but if the latter did not cost the new performer on that scene his head, it might cost Great Britain a colony.
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