The action of the Ministry in demanding from the colonial Home authorities the names of the gentlemen from whom they purpose to select the successor to our present Governor we cannot support. So long as the colonies, one and all, claim the protection of the sovereignty of Great Britain, we hold they should be willing to accept of whomsoever the sovereign may deem it wise to send as her direct represent tative. TheColcnialOfficein Londonissurely better able to judge of the capabilities of the men fitted for the position of colonial Governor than the colonial Ministers can possibly be—let them be ever so able. We, therefore, deplore that they should have arrogated to themselves what, we are fully assured, would not be the voice of the people if a vote would be taken on it. Those who know us will, of the two, give us credit for our consistency in this matter, inasmuch as we have ever heM that where the Government subsidised, they should have the larger say in the appointment of officers. As, for example, our contention has always been in t e matter of the appointment of surgeons to our hospitals even we will go so low down the scale as wardsmen and nurses, the appointment should be with the Govern ment department through which all subsi dies come and all reports pass. That department has the control of its inspectors, and who so fitted to fill up vacancies in the hospital staff as the Government, depart ment, with the advice and assistance of its inspector. Under the present system it is a stabbin-i in the dark, and where one appointment is now good many are bad. The same argument holds good with the appointments to our local schools. Which of the two is the better able to know the capacities of teachers—the local commit tees, to whom only so many letters of ap plications are sent, or the Education Board assisted with their inspectors? We do not say anything about the fear of favouritism ; we have sufficient faith in the general honesty of man, tha: irrespective of friend or foe when called upon he docs his duty. One swallow with us does not constitute a summer.
