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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 1, Issue 48, 21 August 1858, Page 3

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To the Editor of the SawJce's Bay Herald,

Sir, — In. a long letter of Mr. W. Colenso's, published in your last week'B paper, — to the question of the. Wellington Indeperidetit, — what appears against him ( Dr. Featherston ) ? — he replies, — " Mis audacious trampling on the very first principles of responsible government by continually daring to set at nought the representatives of the people,'' and a great deal about Marius and Sylla, and Io Pceans, and the rights of man, with much more balderdash to the same effect.

Now this might do very well in a speech, but it is foolish to write bungling sophisms, because written words are more easily examined tban spoken ones.

The sophistry I refer to consists in comparing the elected head, of a government to an hereditary head, and concluding that what would be tyrannical conduct in the one would be the same in the other. Twenty two members of the council have passed certain bills, and the superintendent has vetoed all those that he considered to be injurious to the best interests of the Province. Mr. Colenso argues that this is one man's opinion over-ruling that of twenty two others.

Now the fallacy of this conclusion is obvious enough, when we consider what alone gives any political weight to the opinions of one man or of several, under a constitutional form of government. It is evident that the opinions of the representatives derive all their value from being the expression of the opinions of their constituents, so that, Dr. Peatherston having been elected by a large majority of the Provincial electors, is clearly right in opposing the representatives of a section of the Province, whom he believes to be in the wrong. So that it would seem that those admirers of the Westminster Review are not so very far wrong, after all. Without thinking themselves wiser than their fathers, they may without vanity think that they are more enlightened than Mr. Colenso, and possibly also a little more candid. The Reverend gentleman would do well to refer to an article on representative institutions in one of the numbers of the Westminster for last year, which may give him a Le tar notion of what that system really is, than he appears at present to possess. Mr. Wakefield originated the specious argument I have examined, and his supporters have repeatel it so often that it is quite possible that the less clear headed among them believe it to be perfectly sound. The false analogy between an hereditary and an elected head is constantly being urged against tho3e who may well be called the constitutional party ; and because Englishmen would not allow her most gracious ' Majesty to put her veto upon bills passed by the Houses of Parliament, we are told that by supporting a superintendent who declares his intention of exercising that power, we prove ourselves "degenerate sons of able sires," and are called all sorts of other fine names besides ; while Scotchmen are appealed to in a language which is neither Scotch nor English, and told that their moral vision squints, which will of course prevent them from singing "Auld lang syne" again. Air. Colenso ought to know that a false analogy proves nothing, except dishonesty or incapacity in the person who uses it. There is just sufficient likeness between the Emperor of Austria and a superintendent to make the analogy apparent ; both are heads of governments ; the assent of both is required to acts before they become law ; but the one at present represents the opinions of 890 electors as against 570, while the other very possibly represents the opinion of no one but himself and his army. Ifc is probably from my belonging to that party " whose intellectual faculties are so dreadfully obtuse" that I cannot see the force of Mr. Colenso' s arguments, and it may be from a similar cause that I am unable to believe in his extreme devotion to the " rights of man. " Nothing is more disgusting and perhaps more pernicious than the constant assertions of the Wakefield party that they are the liberals of this province, when we know that that party contains within it all those who opposed free institutions and supported a despotism ; and all those who as individuals have been noted for their narrowminded intolerance. To Mr. Colenso I shall only say in conclusion, — "Affect a candour which thou canst not feel, Clothe envy in the garb of honest zeal." And when "things are settled in accordance with truth," as, I trust, they will be, repent of having joined a party, not from a conviction that it was in the right, but because it was momentarily victorious. Tours &c., EOBEKT PHAEAZTN. July 31, 1858. "