THE SUPERINTENDENCY.

Press, Volume XVI, Issue 2185, 20 April 1870, Page 3

THE SUPERINTENDENCY.

(From the " Timaru Herald.") " Get place and wealth, if possible with grace : If not, by any means get wealth and place." Thiß appears to be the motto of Mr William Sefton Moorhouse, who, not content with that " cool shade of respectability" into which he has been consigned by public opinion, must again push himself into an invidious and disagreeable position by coming forward to contest tho Superintendency of Canterbury. Tho proceedings at the nomination on Monday last were of a lively and animated nature, and judging from these preliminaries, the contest will produce a great deal of personality and bitter feeling. The simple fact is that the candidature of Mr Moorhouse is a piece of illadvised policy on the part of the opponents to Mr Rolleston, which they will realise on the day of the election, when it is too late to retract or withdraw.

Of Mr Rolleston it is not necessary to say much, for he is known by every ono to be an honest and industrious Superintendent, and as careful in the administration of the public funds as any one could possibly be. He has fought down jobbery and put an end to the reckless expenditure which was going on when he took office. And his policy for the future is one which the people of the outlying districts must cordially endorse. Immigration and publio works Mr Rolleston will carry on to the utmost extent which the resources of the province will permit, and no doubt he will endeavor to give to the south some small modicum of justice until it shall be completely severed from Canterbury. Of course it will be expected that we should oppose Mr Moorhouse, as his past career was consistently condemned by us as wild and reckless, and we have considerable satisfaction, moreover, in believing that the opposition of the South virtually drove him from office on his last retirement. The South haa never trusted or {confided in Mr Moorhouse as a leader, and of late we have seen nothing but & series of confirmations that thie mistruat

was really deserved. But now Mr Moorhouse, as we gather from his speech on the nomination day, has been urged to come 1 forward to contest the office again, because bis services are really required, tor what . To plunge tho province into hopeless bankruptcy, or to guide it to prosperity r Let Mr Moorhousc's part career point an answrr to the question ! There was no policy enunciated at tiie hunting*, and what Mr Alourhouse's principles are is a mystery. He told tlie electors that he was a better man than Mr Rolleston! This is exactly characteristic of Mr Mon-houso, ar.d the wont of it is he really makes these statements as though he really believed in tlie truth of them himself. * But in what is he a bettor man than Mr Rolleston? lie is essentiilly a "faster " man in the widest, sense of the term, but we think he is a trifle too fast to be the guide of Canterbury. We really have scarcely the necessary patience to read carefully tiie egotism and bombast contained in his speech. But another ground on which he cltims to be Superintendent is his eminent financial abilities. The statement is a sorry jest, surely, nnd could not havo been seriously meant. A man who is continually getting into what is politely called financial " difficulties," and extricating himself without paying his debts, is not ono to be trusted with tbe control of public funds, or to bo placed at tbe bead of n province. To have got i id of £30,000 liabilities seems a feat of legerdemain of which Mr Moorhouse is very proud. This is a fine school of morality truly, and Mr Moorhouso glories in his shame. There, however, remains one other claim to notice yot. The tunnel! Mr Moorhouse originated this work. Well, we admit ho did so, and that he spent on it just about twice the cum it should havo cost, or that any other man would have spent. Every ono is heartily sick of hearing of Mr Moorhouse and the tunnel. Ho squandered thousands of southern money on this work, and made the fortunes of the contractors thereby. The tunnel is a hobbyhorse which has been ridden to death. There can be no doubt that tho contractors for the tunnel would be glad to sco Mr Moorhouse in office ag .in, and to see railway works progress at the cost of the country districts.

Mr Moorhouse has, with offensive parade, brought hia private affairs before tho public, and we think it is a great misfortune for him that he should have been placed in a position where it is necessary to refer to them, and to dr-tw a*i 1*» the veil. Let us hopo that his friends will see tho wiedom of withdrawing him from the contest.