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Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1827, 23 December 1875, Page 2

Mb Hugh Carletox is out for Eden. He comes forth in "response" to requisition. He does not publish the names of the requisitionists, only two, that of Mr Robert Graham and Mr Richard Seccombs. There are " others," but Mr Carleton does not deem it proper to publish their names. We should like to see those names, and who they are that deem Mr Hugh Carleton a fitting representative of a constituency of the nineteenth century. Mr Graham kindly signs it in fulfilment, we believe, of an old promise, and because Mr Carleton was once his subordinate in official life. Mr Richard Seccombe signs it because, we presume, Mr Graham had signed it. "Obhers" are said to have signed it, so the newspaper says, and we always believe what the newspaper says. On principle we do so because we think it is right. We are aware that for some time the requisition has been going around. So we learned from quizzical remarks. It had no names then. It had no names till recently. It has now the names of Mr Graham and Mr Seccombe and " others." As the Cross says occasionally about candidates, Mr Carleton is " certain to be returned." His extreme diffidence and distrust of his own ability, his profound knowledge of the Greek Testament, his amiable temperament and genial disposition commend him so to general acceptance, j while the frankness and guilelessnegs of his ways in Parliament are the theme of general remark. Mr Carleton is Vice Chancellor of the New Zealand University, on which he sheds the brilliancy of his own former academic career, and his colonial fame for his knowledge of the Greek Testament. Mr Carleton was once connected with a university at home, but with that contempt for small things, which is characteristic of allgreat minds, he did not think it worth his while to take his degree away with him ; no doubtactuated by the same proper and sensitive feelings which prompted him not to publish the names of the " others " who have signed his requisition. Being thus superior to the vanity of wearing a degree,' he came to the colony, bringing his Greek Testament with :him, by the perusal of which in public places and in thoroughfares where people moat resort, he impressed the simple hinds jof those primeval times with such a sensation of awe as that which usually invests a projfessor of the Black A.rt. On the fame thus ibnilt up, which was increased by the sensitive modesty with which he always endearvoured to conceal his Teaming, Mr Carleton, an due time, became Vice Chancellor of the

.University of New Zealand, in which office the omission of his early, year, in leaving his degree behind him, was repaired by a degree of Master of Arts we think, manufactured by his own hand, aided by the hands of hia equally learned colleagues, who proceeded to mutually invest one another with the'various badges of literary distinction. It is largely owing to the new candidate for jEden and such as he, connected with its governance, that the New Zealand Univerjaity holds fe ji high rank which it has in the esteem of colonists, and that.its fame has spread over the whole world. Surrounded as Mr Carletonhas been generally by colonists in blank ignorance of liberal education, but who, from having raised themselves from dirt ito competence and even luxury, arid who can (therefore, in -virtue of their possession of ;wealth, pass as. educated and wise and iscientific and even philosophers or anything [else that they desire. Mr Carleton, through ihis Greek Testament, has preserved the prestige of early years, and those surrounding him feeling themselves illuminated in the

rays of his literary splendour, have felt a personal pride in thrusting honor on him, his own extreme self-abasement, being the only difficulty in tho way of his attaining the highest honors. As a politician, Mr Carleton, as we have said, has been always artless, open-hearted, guileless and straightforward, rather unsophisticated if anything, which has left him often a prey to designing men ; the simplicity and openness of his own disposition being no protection against such. Should the intelligent and progressive people of Eden be honored with having him as their representative, which the large number of the ' others' desiring his services makes a certainty, their representative in the house will be invested to the eyes of modern men, with that dignity and awe which would be accorded the Moa if it came stalking into the House to tell the stories of the ancient inhabitants of the land. And should it please the electors to not submit him to contact with rude and forward men, who perchance might be guilty of anachronism in importing rough modern usage in presence of this emblem of antiquity, we would suggest that they place him in a glass case, and deposit him in the Museum, to tell to our posterity what manner of legislators and literati stood by when the cradle of the colony was rocked.