Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

Open Column.

' ' '" : -sT<o i%eJ£dUoir of. iMlZdtbktfs Bag Herald. '. 'J Siy.^^nX^ptetbe^lettep wliieli,iiaß;;"pro r : , L^u^^^rVCpMso^^xnteiia^lbfaHe^'peiilii.: •"".■^SaßiweSf.'ifci Ksaidone, Bo'ib-'a ; iisaiittߥ- •-WMohi vhiJOulaiMff ft*nwmt^ki«aie^ic^aa >%mar, to my

! to ths v de2is : on of the court as represented by Mr." W.' Rolen-"©. . frdtbeing disposed to pursue\ this j conrssi I mast inn' tYuS risk; of ; brea^ngftbfc-lawv; while endeavouring^ fo"<&'jb&m'mei. what vthatvlaw^ fceaH&Wj, ai^,;.iii-s,o ,dq^g, t >#liat , generous ESngOsli feeling, on tho Vaf,t; of the public, which induces even a;iioaclon raob'iß exclaim "go-; it: young-' un." " .- ".- '" *• .". .'■■;•■ I plead guilty then to the charga of b?insr only 25 years of age. lam sorry for it! vcy! I as- ; sure Mr. Colenso, "that I di-'ln't go fo^.to do it on ! purpose," that it is quit?, an accident, an I one that Tarn daily endeivonring to repair: Mr. Colenso must admit, that had t bsen born in the same year as himself T should now be of the same: age. I submit th's opinion to him and io the public with all due.humility, for I have not yet proved that I have any right to express an opinion, not even a borrowed one. . It is this "havina: an opinion" which seems to have aroused the virtuous indignation of my Reverend opponent. . What is the world coming to when young men actually presume to differ from mra of twicfl their-agc, and of heaven knows how many times their experience? It is monstrous. Doasn't therr catechism tell them to submit them-* selves to their pastors and masters, and to order themselves lowly and reverently to all t!>eir betr ters. Oh ! young men of New Zealand, wliat scrapes you will get into ; the militia will drive you all into a corner for Mr. Colenso to skin you alive with his tremendous sarcasm, and then cru3h you to death with his ponderous sentences and heavy learning, and, emulating a certain Indian despot, Mr. Stafford will nail your flattened remains to the walls of the Houses of Assembly, as a warning to all future generations. I have gone too far to recede, and will now boldly declare that I am a believer in the heretical doctrine, that the value" of a man's opinion ongM. ; j not to be determined by his age, and that a mafe only 25 years of age is as fully entitled as a man of 50 to express, an .opinion on any subject that may come before him. 1^ this is not the case, will Mr. Cplenso condescend to" inform us at what aore.aman may begin, .to use his judgment? Can. Mr. Colenso determine, by any known theory of probabilities, how much oftener a man of 30 will be right, than a man of 21, and what is the general expression which will solve all questions of this kind. Will a solution be obtained by any application of the Binomial theorem, or can it be investigated by the method of Fluxions, or by any means which Mr. Colenso's "higher courses of study" may have taught him. ; The fact is, years do not necessarily bring wisdom, and it would be scarcely more absurd io state that all short men are fools and all tall men rosrnes, than to say that all young men are incapable of arriving at ajust conclusion, and that the attempt to do so indicates overweening conceit and vanity. Believing then £Lat lam as able as niy "middle-aged mentor" to pick out. the grams of truth, from the chaff' with which most political questions are aceomjianied, I shall give free ntteranceto my thoughts, cv.en though some, of them may hurt the inflame:! self-love of my Reverend nnd very modest antagonist. Mr. Colenso endeavours to do a little juggling with the aid of my remark "that a false analogy proves nothing except dishonesty or incapacity in the person who uses it," and by the ingenuity lie displays, shows that he -possesses a certain amount of capacity but remarkably little honesty, as I shall now prove. lie beirins by begging th? question in replying that "as to tyrannical conduct there is no difference, or if any, the tyrannical conduct of an elected lender is in every wny worse than that of an hereditary one" when the thing io be proved wa«, that Dr.* Featherston's conduct was tyrannical, and this the Eev. gentleman has entirely failed to All he does is to assert-that tyrannical coji--,duct;?s tyrannical conduct.; , fact, but one j I nwte as' well known before as after the Rev. •vriter asserted it.-. Ths pebple'are the sole judges , of political conduct-,, anri .by returning X)r. Feif"Trvrston th^y showed th?ir anwoval of his ; and it is now the Council that opposes the wish of the -vhole province. The quotation from Paley is s : m->V ir-e levant,1 evant, and a note about apple trees might be substituted with equal effect. The second false analogy which he says i 3 mine, happens Io be hit. . I merely repeated it and showed its fMsen?ss. His rem/vfk about the Superintendent being the "lowii Uvens" of a deputy slso^vs Mr. Colenso's profound ignorance of. our con-ti-tution. in a most rermrkohle manner ; or at .my ■ rate it shews how rarv-lly mistakes accumulate when any one is determined to be consistent inerrov. When superintendents are nom:nat?d by the G-ovemor and not till then, will they become ■ the mare "locum, tenens" to which Mr. Colenso-! rwould-gladly; s.ejs .them reduced. - ; .';;;;; . ;_ • : - In clause 3 of the Rev. gentleman's new reading of the constitution act, I find that, h.3 stiU^ndea-vours-to defend the clearly untenable position ; he at 'first took up, he is still ignorant of the meaning of the term representative institutions, hesfcill insists tipon looking at the eu!>erintendenfc ; and the council, not as -repTesautatives but as individuals, "oh.osen for one work by the same body" which: is contrary to the fact, Dr.'Featherston having bsen ; elected for the expresa purpose'ofe^ffeefcinga change in tie ''council ''(which no longer' represents the' majority) and in approval of -the apposition he i had shown to Mr.. Wakefield's, garty, .th,e repre- ; j spntstives of » section of the "community, as I before observed. ; " ' 1^;1 I '^;." ,*' "*" ; '.--'• • If, from some, o£ ; crrcumstances,' are not likely 'to occdt, the people of America : elected' "a^presidemV AaiiU *then ; ' elecfod 'members' cs*p£&^ f iSM t - WffiJS&a^higrelJbqund to i"v|eto r^eW^Jr,^*bthin^b€^a3BßtoJ» J^agSiibj ]t)\e(e s ;tiormal- state, but anotbar, 1 - BflfWßl^td^.tae. effajftyw* noWithstauding;*he /Jnaruig of ,;-the; seaj" skopWt .this . ciu*iqua ', natural ' phendmenou. take;; '|»i^.' idaa'ha'dWr. .'W^E^ei^le^S^^V.l^vliie-ai'e^' •haf &J M tfc£*ay^ ifoc-t^ .but .ar'ds^-Idek,; or resignatioi^;anlisi|t^ v fo?o|a^na|^ ; l^f^g|^^^|aW^fe

■" Wakefieli party are, now'thaV the decision- Has : been pronounced in pur favour, and we must have ; submitted, as they wjAl4iave to submii ' "' ," ; sM?- ' Q6IeHBO" ends .wiiat may by-:" courtesy- be caUs3 ; t4i9 argumentative'part of hia^etter-j byr one : of the most curious, pieces of political arithmetic I have ever s&ny alia'otigrn' tbefefiave lately been .son^.-Smgitlar 'exhibitions ia that .-line-; he says, " Dr. Featherston was elected by 834 electors, the ; 22 representatives about the same time polled 4980 : votes," -and he triumphantly asks "where now is Dr. -Featherston's large majority." The Rev. writer has actually addedtogethet 'the votes obtained by each candidate' and set them against those obtained by one candidate, for whom each person has but one vote. Just now we saw he was unable to apprehend the difference between an individualand a representative, and now he confounds votes -with. men. If tins does. not show some. slight "confusion of mind" I give Mr. Colenso leave to : "write me down an ass" from henceforth and for ever. , Really an extension of the principle advocated, by Mr.' Colenso might be of. great, practical „ utSfty ; for instance, a person owing 20 men a P<?&id.£H£h-m'gHi?ay-o J Bfhis debts with a single pound by giving it first to one and -then toanother and then keeping it himself, leaving all perfectly satisfied. / Of course this is nonsense, but so is Mr. Oolenso's political arithmetic. Mr. Colenso ought, not to be surprised at my "vanity," when I, -','aii inexperienced colonial youth," a literary babe and suckling, can so easily pull to pieces the writing of a man who has "passed through higher studies than I have ever known" ; but in truth I <nn far from thinking as liighly of Mr. Colenso's abilities as he appears to do him?elf; in some special studies I believe him to excel, but his writings by no means display that high mental cultivation he was once supposed to possess. T can .assure him that the opinion very generally , entertained of his letters is that they are farragoes of disgusting egotism and pompons inanity, and I-jshall take liis.adyice.4n part, and keep one as a specimen of a style tolje avoided. -\VI asiree with ray Rev; 'opponent that- '-'situated : 3s we. are, politicil matters, are- looked at from a field of ,view,?'.but how I can be "interested personally in keeping away a numerous, free, and thriving population from" this district" I am at a loss to conceive. Although Mr. Colenso evidently refers to my being arunholder, it is just one of those appeals to the "envy, hatred and malice" of human nature, so liberally made use of by the p:irty to which hs belongs. I am convinced that the runholders, as a body, are a3 anxious to see a thriving population settled in this risfrict. as any. class.of men can possibly be. This pretended ill feeling between runholders and small farmers either docs not exist, or if at any time such bad feelings, have arisen, they have been caused by the arts of those unprincipled politieiaias," who, caring for the inter e'sta of neither class, hope to -gain something by th^ir dissensions. I ;; ecVuld enlarge "much upon this topic but my letter is already too long. - . ■ . ... . Mr Colenso attempts to tarn soma remarks lately made concerning his own ambition against .mys-'lf, but though his arrows are vary nicely ? p6isonel, he has d'-awn his how at a venture and . hit — nothing. The fact is I have no very strong inducement to ba personally ambitious ; I have no lost. position to regain, and no personal interests to forward, and I find it an eaay vivtu3 not to covet what would be of no great service to me. I cams forward as a candidate for a seat in the council because a considerable number of persons of similar political opinions to my own, wished me to dc so ; and there is not one sentence that I%rote at that time which I regret. I openly expressed my opinions, and they have turnpd out to be tolerably correct; I rlid nothing which an honourable man nee'l bs ashamed of,-and if I hive •iriadca few enemies I have retained the frendship of men whose good opinion I value. ; ' ' ,; I am sbrrythat T"h:ive.^Bgefi. obliged to speak g9 'much' of my"spj^-b-at the. nature of '.mj subject reqwired it, and in ahs^ei-jngTMr: Colenso I have ."been forced to adopt a style which may displease ( ?eine,p arsons, who, like Mr. .Colenso, think that ase ought to bf, h^ld sacrerl, hut, in my humblj opinion, though age may justly inspire respect, where it is smer-a-lderl to good and high quilit: c?, yet when these are wanting, increase of years can- but make a man more ridiculous and mor=> contemptible. Men, like wines, only improve by age when th^ original article is of a superior mvl'ty. If this Wts- 1 do°s not cure the cacadkes t.~r»hendi with which Mr. Colenso is afflicted he is ■welcome to writ," on; for by so doing he will but show the really .illiberal Iras of his mind, arH T eh-«ll continue toanswei' him ui=t so lon^aal and -it necessary to do so, in order to maintain truth an^- to expose error. All I request is that Mr. C^lensO'wilL condense his statements as much, as--p6s?ible, f<jr I do not likewritms: lonffletts^s; an 3 l-n'teje fallacies are? so. numerous', it. "is .difficult to ; sljocten areply as much-as I rould wish. If Mr. Colenso prefers retiring to the Ruahine j-angss, , a.course I Ktrongly ; advi "c . him to adopt, h&. might, employ himself in. wii'ting a history of "his KFe for Uie "25 years during which he has been workirjghard for the benefit of hi 3" fellow men." The last six or eighf. jayr% might hi omitted, as with tlierathe public are trad itionally acquainted,' hut. should"they insist upon readivg that part of his Tifstory, I shall be hapny to write it for him, as "my wish to see my mmc in print" is : so 'strong that"! would even^ allow it, so far, to be associated with that of ; 'tlre R^v. W. Colenso. • lam, &c^ jifif*.^';-*- 'i <^' "'■; '■< ■■■' •, SpBEBTPBCiJBAZTiI. ■f^l^ miior'bxW^taw^e t f§&f'^falk j -'. gi^ JLf rfs "-#elf feidwn^thtr' tn^|ale of land f&;jn j^9;ieasi^;^n|i^^oE t i^;na.£iye|^ was'ferpfc -out <jjt the-hattda bf ' otl^r^&t^o^te?^j^^e-;M^Ta:; ■Jjat^b^-iobtainea^aWhw^^^^

"Been In use. Waimarama Is ndfyeF&cquirediV la fa«t the inconveniences and difficulties thrown i& the way of government, and the native secretary by such a system are. Beywid; ; coinplßif.tiQn; and is, t is system to beputittpract^eatAhuriti? Jo-e---the evils wliich have already rei^Vte3jfroni ~.ifc;iipfc^ enough? A party has lately niWefaH: agreement with the natives for renting land froni them on; the banks of the Ngarororo. Who knows when the? land will fall into the hands of government if such, a course is not prevented ? Can the native secretary achieve impossibilities, and persuade the na* tivcs to sell land when they are receiving high. rents ? There are several runholders in the district desirous of taking sheep on terms, men who would guarantee fifty cent increase to ; the ovr* ncr and half the wool. Such then being the case it is inexcusable to le->se lands from the natives, and if people act so unnecessarily in flagrant opposition to the law, what other cours3 is left than to put the law in force againßt them in its utmost rigor. .'■•".. lam,-&n»i -.••■- " •■ • _■ _ObSEBT33jB«' *. ; To tlie Editor of the Sawkis 2?ay Herald. Sir, — As there are runholders in the district of Napier who are ready to give fifty per cent in* crease per annum on ewes, and half the wool to the owner, tlißi*e certainly is no excuse for leasinglands from the natives. The mischievous effects arising from an agree* merit made lately by certain parties with the natives for renting land on the banka of the Ngaru« i*oro are even already manifesting themselves. A party of four natives the other day (the 23rd ult.,) hsaded by Karaitiana, went to the house of Mr. Lowry, a distant and unobtrusive settler on Olcawa. Karaitiana lost no time in unfolding theobject of bis mission.. lie said that they (the Maories) had just leased lands on the Ngaruroro to-certain persons for six pounds ten shillings .pc month for the first year, and -for -seven pounds, ten shillings per month for the two subsequent years, and that Sir. Lowry must, pay^at the same rate for the four years during which he' had occupied the run, for his sheep and cattle had-tres-passed on native land. Renata, who was one of the party, and it would appear the most reasonable, knowing the ways of his wily companion, interposed, and said that the land was not fenced, and added, we, (the Maor~ ies) must fence our land. Karaitiana well knew that in the eye of the law r nay of equity itself, they were not entitled to any thing from Mr. Lowi-y for trespass. In the course of a few hours ha procaedeJ quietly to quit Mr. Lowry' s house, all the time professing great friendship and regard, taking the very blankets off the bed, and begging the coat off his back. The coat he did not get. He. then laid hold of the .'.gun, and insisted upon having it, but Mr. Lowry buc- , cscded in, keeping- it. . A little before -the ."departure of the party he became very earnest, -in his enquiries as to what rent Mr. Lowry meant- to pay, but Benat.i again interposed, much fo the eharg ; n of the artful dodger, saying that the-mat-ter must be left to the Pakeha, that it was not in his power to keep the stock off their land unless it was fenced, and that their claims must bs prospectire not retrospective. Give me such men to deal with as Held te Rangibaeata , Te Mamaku, nay, any on?, aye, any one rather than that quiet plausible Karaitiana. 'Notv, Mr. Editor, prevention is better than cure. Let the parties who have made the agreement be prevented, by those in authority, from entering uion the land. They will thus escape the fines which they richly de3erve ; and annoyances inm> meraMe will be saved to the Government, the Native Secretary, and the community at large. I am, &c, Faer Pxat. Sept. 28, ISSB. . ..--.-■

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HBH18581002.2.10

Bibliographic details

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 2, Issue 54, 2 October 1858, Page 3

Word Count
2,764

Open Column. Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 2, Issue 54, 2 October 1858, Page 3

Open Column. Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 2, Issue 54, 2 October 1858, Page 3

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert