The Press. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1865. POLITICAL MOUNTEBANKS.

Press, Volume VII, Issue 724, 23 February 1865, Page 3

The Press. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1865. POLITICAL MOUNTEBANKS.

When the contest for the Avon District, which takes place to-day, was first contemplated, we did our best to make it one of principle. The opposition to Government, however, made no sign. In neither of the papers which nominally oppose the Grovern-\ ment was a word put forward to justify any opposition principle. The attacks on| Grovernment were confined to the merest tittle-tattle, mostly untrue. When Mr. Moorhouse stood up yesterday on the hustings to propose his protege, then, for the first time, did the electors hear stated the grounds of the opposition to Grovernment. And what was Mr. Moorhouse's case ? He spoke well—never so well ; and if a country could be governed, or a party ruled by a keen racy humour, Mr. Moorhouse would be a distinguished man. But no educated or sensible man could have listened to him yesterday without pain ; because he was so evidently speaking merely for effect. "We would not insult his understanding "by believing that he was uttering his real sentimenfer full "five minutes this leading man of his party was engaged, in satirizing the members of the present Grovernment for— being scholars. He literally revelled in the idea of how utterly absurd it was that men who were Greek and Latin scholars could be fit to govern a " young and vigorous country " like Canterbury. Are we to forget that Mr. Gladstone, the ablest financier England has seen in this century, and Lord Derby, the Conservative leader, are two of the best Greek scholars of the age ? But England is an old country. In this advanced land in which we live, we require something more—we require bold and impudent ignorance to guide our infant steps. That is the fair inference from Mr. Moorhouse's remarks. But that was not the worst. There was a Jack Cade style about the promises of what he would haye 1 done, or would do, were he in power, together with a sinister silence about all that was said on the other side, which in any public man .was either very lamentable j or very unscrupulous. Mr. Moorhouse says— in terms in which the insinuation is not to be misunderstood—" Look at mc gentlemen, and look at those persons there. I am a great man; there's no mistake about that. Those poor creatures are simply scholars, highly educated poor wretches, with not a thing else to recommend them. Now I am a man of a different stamp. I am a great financial conjuror; I can make you pay a tax of sixpence which shall put half-a-crown into your pockets." We are not misrepresenting him at all; he actually said so. The Grovernment had been attacked for making taxes. They replied, "We did not introduce taxes; Mr. Moorhouse did." This is Mr. Moorhouse's answer—" Yes, my boys, I should have made you pay mc sixpence, but I would have made it worth half-a-crown to you." This is much the same language as was held by quite as great a man in his way aa Mr. Moorhouse, one Jack Cade, who wanted King of England, ever so long ago. He "was scroething of a mob orator too,and knew iowr to get votes. "There shall be in England," said he, " seven halfpenny loaves sold for a penny; the three hooped pot shall have ten hoops; and X will make it felony to drink small beer. AEtibfireabn shall be in common; and in | C%eapside my palfry shall go to grass." This is the language, of your true political j mountebank; he dares not face a fact or an

argument, but chalks up on bis back in the largest letters, " I am a great man" in the full knowledge that in this wise world of ours a large number will always be found to fall down before undaunted self-assurance. But we never have and never will allow this language to be used to the public of this community without exposing it as it deserves. Captain Anderson put the whole thing in a nutshell when he said that all he knew was, that whereever he went he found the same opinion, that when Mr. Moorhouse was Superintendent the province was going a-head, and since he left it it had been going to the dogs. That is, we fully believe, all Captain Anderson does know about it. But we know something more. We know that Mr. Moorhouse's popularity arose from his having a very large public income to spend. That income came from the Land Fund. He did not make it. He did all he could to prevent its being made. He tried hard to get land sold for five shillings an acre. He opposed the dear-land policy with all his might. When, in spite of his shallow predictions, our landed estates were saved, and a great public revenue was created, he came to the office of Superintendent with a fiill chest and a flourishing income. In eighteen months the Colony was in a severe crisis. Hehad spent all the money, and had to go on his knees tothe Banks for assistance to pull him through. Laboring men held indignation meetings, and the place was in a state of complete stagnation. "Where was the financial genius then that could stave off all distress from the community ? There was no war in America —no cotton famine—no money tightness in England—no war in the Northern Island. Why then did the province lie prostrate for eighteen months ? It recovered at last. Why ? -Not by any stroke of genius, but simply because all colonies do quickly recover from financial crisis, by influx of capital. Then came the discovery of gold in Otago, and Canterbury went forward with a bound. "We are really surprised not to be told that Mr. Moorhouse discovered the gold. Gaping worshippers may think it was their hero who was hatching golden eggß for them all the time; but rational men know that we were growing rich by a natural process which Mr. Moorhouse neither accelerated nor retarded. In the meantime the country was abominably governed in several of its principal departments, as Mr. Cowlishaw showed yesterday by some ugly and telling facts. Then came another commercial crisis. The gold fell off in Otago. There had been great over-speculation every where. No money was to be borrowed in England or the colonies. The war in the North pressed severely on us. Our own heavy engagements for which no provision had been made weighed us down. And yet Mr. Moorhouse gets up before a public audience, and without alluding to one of these patent causes of the dulness in trade, says, —" I could have got you through all this. These little men have brought all this on you. I could have got money in England. I could have carried on your railways. I could have made a loss of sixpence into a profit of half a crown." This is simply the language of the Laws, and the Hudsons, and the other financial mountebanks of whom the world has seen so many; and we are sorry to hear Mr. Moorhouse demean himself to use it. And of the same piece are the charges against the present Government. All the evils of the colony are due to them. Who kept the rate of discount high for nine months past—here as well as in London ? Who neglected to borrow money when nobody would lend it ? ; Who put the tollbar from one part of the road to another ?— Who makes the quartern loaf and Luddites rise ? Who fills the butcher's shop with large blue flies ? That is the sort of argument now in fashion, and by which intelligent men are sought to be guided. It was serviceable enough two centuries ago, as evidence to burn a witch, but we shall be very much surprised if it will serve in the present day as argument to return a member. Cobonkr's iNQtrEST. —An inquest was held last evening at the residence of Mr. Boss, Stanmore road, before the Coroner, Dr. Cowardfion the body of John Strange, whose death we mentioned yesterday. It appears the lad was playing with another named Daniel Turner at the time of the accident. The dray (a covered one) belonged to Mr. Brown's brewery; the driver, Daniel M'Guinness, being inside, knew nothing of the accident until he had proceeded a considerable distance from the spot. The jury returned a verdict of Accidental Death, no blame being attributed to the driver. Launch oh tbx Hbathootk.-- Yesterday an interesting occurrence took place on the River Heathcote, near the Ferry bridge, being no less than the launch of the first vessel built on this river. The vessel to be launched was a finely modelled boat, intended for the Peninsular trade, of about 28 tons burden, built by Mr. Joseph Dixon, of the Ferry, to the order of Mr. Stevens, The - dimensions. of the craft are as follows :—Length on keel, 36ft; over all, 42ft; breadth of beam, 12ft; and depth of hold, 4ft 9in. It is intended to rig her as a ketch, and from her light draught of water (only 2ft when laonched, and about 4ft 9in when laden), she will be a great acquisition to the trade for which she is designed. The whole of the timber used in the onstmetion of this vessel is the produce of this

Province; and Mr. Dixon, the builder, informs us that the wood is peculiarly adapted for the purpose of ship building. The time of launching had been fixed for half-past two, and shortly after that time the stay shores having been knocked away, the vessel glided into the water, and was christened the Quiver by Miss Dixon, the daughter of the builder, amidst the oheers of the spectators. The Quiver was then moored alongside a vessel off the jetty, when the company assembled on board of her to wish success to the new undertaking, and her proprietors and builders. A dingy race then took place between the following boats, viz .—Mr. Ray's Hawshead, Mr. Newton's ffry-for-it, and Mr. SimmondV Catch-me-if-you-can, the course being from the Quiver round the starboard side of the bridge piles back to the place of starting. Catch-me-if-you-can got away with the lead, but was passed, however, about half-way to the bridge by Try-for-it, which boat kept the lead till the finish. A hard struggle ensued between the other two boats foi second place, which was eventually gained by Hawkßhead. The winning boat in this race was built bj Mr. Dixon. Two foot races of 100 yards each we« then ran in a paddock, close to the river ; for the first of which six started, and was won by Mr. Sim' monds. In the second race, a Mr. Ballantine gave bif six opponents .five yards start, and won the ract easily. Quoits, jumping, &c., then ensued, and thes( sports were continued until the departure of the lasi train for town, when the company dispersed wel pleased with their afternoon's amusement. Pbesbttbry of Caitxkbbxtbt. — This Churcl Court met on Tuesday last to dispose of a call to th< Rev. G. Barclay from the Presbyterians of Timaru U. be their Minister. The call was numerously signed and there were no dissentients to it. It was accom panied by a resolution to provide an income of £30( per annum, which was explained as being intendec to be the minimum aimed at. The Presbytery unani mously sustained the call, and thereafter placed it ii the hands of Mr. Barclay, who mtimated his accept ance of it. It was resolved, as soon as Mr. Barclay' trials for ordination should be concluded, to procee< with his induction without delay. The memben then adjourned to the Vestry to proceed with Mr Barclay's examination, and also with that of Mr. 3 D. Ferguson preparatory to license. Tea Meeting.—A tea meeting was held in the new chapel, Addington, on Tuesday evening, to welcome the Rev. J. Tyerman, late of Chesterfield, to that district. After the tea had been removed, Dr. Foster took the chair, prayers were offered, and several rev. gentlemen addressed the meeting. The Doxology having been sung the meeting separated. The White Swans. —We cannot tell whether the white swans have been anxious to see fair play at the election, or have felt a laudable desire for a more extensive acquaintance with the country,but they have lately wandered from their accustomed abode, and have been taking bird's eye views of the town and neighborhood. One has been secured, the other is still on the wing, and some anxiety is caused lest his wanderings should come to grief. Any tidings would be gladly received by Mr. Johnson, at the Acclimatisation Society's Gardens. Mbs. Evebbstb's Ltotitb-. —We would remind our readers that Mrs. Evereste delivers her final lecture in Christchurah this-evening, at the new Town Hall, entitled " Love, Comic and Sentimental." Total Abstinence Society.—The quarterly tea meeting of this society willta*e;;place, this evening, at the Oddfellows' Hall, Dr. Florence will preside, and a full meeting is expected. Pbjngbss' Theatbe.—A very poor attendance assembled at the theatre last evening to witness the performance of " The Cricket on the Hearth." This play is well known, and we have noticed it before on several occasions. Last night it was well put upon the stage, and certainly deserved a better house. The farce of " The Gentleman in Black " concluded the performance.