The Auckland Examiner. Thursday, July 16, 1857. "PUBLIC GOOD.” THE CRISIS.

Auckland Examiner, Volume 1, Issue 30, 16 July 1857, Page 2

The Auckland Examiner. Thursday, July 16, 1857. "PUBLIC GOOD.” THE CRISIS.

We are beginning to reap some of the fruits of a bitter and bastard policy. The situation is unprecedented. John Williamson fancies himself master of it. But events may show that, though a shrewd schemer who fails not in calculating to keep his eye pn number one, he has reckoned without his host. Notwithstanding the sharp practice, as well as cunning arithmetic, of our souplest politician, we should be sorry to stand in his shoes, or have to answer for his politics. Nominal master of every thing provincial, he sooner or later must render strict account of public money expended in furthering private designs, in adding corruption to corruption, in heaping fraud upon fraud, and in handing over the liberties of this Province to a mere mob of ultramontane political desperadoes. What have you done with the money, John Williamson? Much are we mistaken if that awkward question will not by and by be asked where to shuffle out of giving an answer will be difficult. Why he is in such haste for a diisolution, all but purblind followers can see without the assistance of glasses. The bag is nearly empty. Weeks ago it showed signs ofgaliopping consumption, and presently it was as empty and dead as a drum. Fresh life was infused into it by a windfall in shape of some £lOO from those sinners the publicans. But as matters now are managed that will not last long, for what is £lOO among so many. Nevertheless the wind-fall was a windfall ; and though John V illiamson like s

not publicans, he has no objection to raise the wind by a large issue of fresh licenses. Emperor Vespasian did the same tm trick by taxing urine, and found the money sweet though the thing taxed was offensively oderous. Superintendent Williamson think* the £lOO wind-fall does not smell of the publican. Any port in a storm, and all is fish that comes to net, are max ims failWl iar to our scheming rulers, who are not in a position to be nasty nice or boggle at any measures, any principles, or any persons who help to put money in the bag. Should the Geneial Government refuse a dissolution, it will be ail over with our magnanimous Superintendent who, in such case, must pay the political debt of nature. Nor is debt of nature the only dent he will Lave to pay. In his Circular he set forth as chief reason for not hurrying on a dissolution, that he wishe.l to give all qualified Auckland citizens a chance of putting their names upon the Roll. Cunning John ! He knew his Constitutional friends were putting on the Roll •hundreds of names that had no right to appear there. He knew they had taken measures to swamp the Suburbs with fictitious votes of leaseholders who never held a lease ; of householders who never had been guilty of owning a house; of broken down dodgers whose property consisted in other people’s property mortgaged deep as ruin ; of bush -located patriots wno take no stock of house or land simplj because they can better employ their cash than in the purchase or occupancy of either; of beardless boys, who should rather be whipped for their audacity than applauded for their patriotism ; of potty-perjury scamps convicted of personation at the last electioneering mockery; and of men known to be dead (warranted not only deachbut far advanced in decomposition) whose nominal appearance on th* Roll is excellent evidence, quite overpowering in fact, that magnanimous John and his liberal supporters are so anxious to get people on rhe Roll, that whether they be dead or alive is of no consequence. Many think the living ass better than the dead lion ; but our political Jack Cades have found out that the deadest of dead donkeys may be turned to politically better account than the liveliest lions in Auckland. Were we Heathen, or given to Heathen faith, we should borrow from Virgil, and say to John Williamson, —Ask pardon of the gods— Posce Deos veniam—for though no honest politician pan pardon him the Heathen Deities might. To him we owe our disgraceful position. By him Representative Principles have been foully abused, and Representative Government brought into contempt. That he should be in a hurry to escape the consequences of his own acts is natural. That his reasons for forcing oi> a dissolution are personally irrisistible we can well understand, An empty bag no Judas ivill care to carry. A defence of the actual policy, or pist doings, of our Provincial Government, none but the well paid (and therefore reckless) hireling will volunteer. A new lease of power is what John Williamson wants, because a new lease of power means monetary salvation. Out of cffice he would not be wor'h arap, and soon find his doors—Filled and dammed up with gaping creditors. In office he can go on feathering his own nest, and that of the many unclean, as well as dreadfully voracious, birds who flutter about him. What a reprieve is to the condemned criminal a dissolution would be to him, If Governor Browne refuse to dissolve, cheap John dies the death so well deserved by every scheming, shamming, and unprincipled politician. To Government House he flics as to his last city of refuge, and probably at Government House he will find sympathising spirits. A fellow feeling does make people wondrous kind, Help me, or I sink, is the cry of our deep-in-monet -political -mire Superintendent. When Caesar halfdrowned by the waves of iyber raised that cry, Cassius saved him from Iyber fishes. No doubt our General Government will be as generous to Cheap John as Cassius was to Great Caesar. But, Qh, Heavens, the difference between Cheap John and Great Cpesar ! Think of that ve Auckland citizens who incline to be as generous to Cheap John as Rome s last Roman was to Caesar. Should Governor Browne dissolve the Council at this crisis in order to save from ruin a man bankrupt alike in purse and character it will te under penalties no sane politician would like to incur. Governor Browne cannot desire to compromise the General Government. Auckland Progress members can at any time after the General Assembly meets, upset the General Government coach. Unless Stafford is ambitious to dissolve his own ministry, he will take care not to effend the Auckland members, of whom at least seven are so disgusted with John Williamson that any attempt by any minister to snatch him from well merited perdition, they will resent as political crime and personal insult.

Yes, Progress members Can at pleasure dispose of the Stafford, or any other now possible,Minisery. By according a dissolution, the General Government breaks with the Progress party. By refusing it they not only secure the support of that party bur. rid us of the Jack Cade principled politics for which the Province is mainly indebted to John Williamson, wlio unable to get along with an empty bag, or without another mock-election, feels that for him dissolution or non -dissolution is a question of life or death.