Has His Excellency the Marquis of Normanby yet recognised or respected this important constitutional doctrine ? Has he held himself aloof, for instance, from the late AtkiilSQU Ministry, and left contending parties —- '.c Grey party, the Atkinson party, tho Middle party, and the Jump-Jim-OroAV party, who float oetween tho middle and the two extremes —to fight out their owu toatUea ? These

questions will be discussed at length when we come to revie.v the Governor's action in the recent correspondence regarding the elevation of Mr J. N. Wilson to the Legislative Council, the advice tendered by his responsible advisers to dissolve parliament, and more recently still, his point blank refusal to veto the Land Bill— in Avhich the Canterbury clique, by per sistent ng log-rolli and corruption, had contrived to insert clauses reneAving the leases, and preventing the operation of the deferred payment system in that Provincial district, in direct opposition to the policy of the Grey administration. Apparently the Marquis of Normanby, in common with the other members of the Colonial-Vice- Regal - Self - aggrandisement - and ultra-Constitutional Company (with branch offices in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and New Zea laud, and limited liability), have ignored the maxim laid down •in "Todd's Parliamentary Government," that "In the colonies where Responsible Government has been established the direct authority of the Governor is A*ery limited aud circumscribed." These high and mighty agents of DoAvning-street, in the plenitude of certain Royal instructions (Avhicli, as Sir George Grey has riroved, are defunct, obsolete, and absurd), aa-ouM exercise "direct authority" as wide aud unfettered as that of the Shah of Persia, instead of submitting to the direction and control of that machinery which more or less adequately represents the existing sentiments of the people. The Governor of Nevv Zealand, in frater nal alliance with the other grandees over the water, have, according to Sir George t \ ve j —and we should take it as a personal favour, if someone would name a more ex perienced and competent judge—during the past feAV years been attempting to set up a kind of bastard prerogative, a monster alike unknoAvn to the Constitution, andrepugnant to every idea of British liberty ; and the practically undisputed use of these ursurped powers and privileges, unless timely checked by the sovereign will of the people, threatens to grow into hard and. 