THE NELSON EXAMINER. Wednesday, June 1, 1859.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 44, 1 June 1859, Page 2

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Wednesday, June 1, 1859.

Journals become more necessary as men become more equal and individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importance to suppose that they serve only to secure liberty: they maintain civilization. Db TOCO.UBVJLLII,

The answer given last Thursday night by the Provincial Secretary to the inquiry, "What course the Executive Government proposed to take with respect to the adverse vote of the Council on the tenth paragraph of the Superintendent's Speech," deserves to be noticed, not only for narrowing as it does the whole question to one single point ; but showing the view which the speaker, confessedly the most able member of the Executive, would wish us to take of his colleagues' misdoings.

Owing to the heterogeneous nature of the composition of our Executive, it does not of necessity follow that we are to take this announcement as a ministerial one ; it may so happen that the Provincial Solicitor will rise up and report the discovery of some new reason for their past conduct, which the discussion has suggested to his mind, or some thick and thin supporter of the Executive re-affirm, from his own authentic and exclusive sources of information, some already exploded calumny; but, treating the Secretary's reply as official, we are glad to call attention to it, both for what it says and what it leaves unsaid ; for the admissions it makes directly, as well as for those it implies ; and to remark on the course which it proposes to follow. In the first place, it refers to the future

policy of the Government in respect of mineral leases, as being substantially what had been recommended by the Council, and adopted in consequence of their suggestions; thus quietly and at once disposing of all those unfortunate individuals who thought that they were backing up the Government by deprecating all interference with the gold-fields as injurious to the working man's interests; and who insisted that the applications for leases had been refused, and rightly refused, upon their own merits ; or rather demerits, as bad in principle, and as tending to raise up an overgrown and dictatorial set of capitalists. Such an idea exists, and is prevalent to a much greater extent than perhaps some are aware of; but to those who encourage the Government in their course on such grounds, the Provincial Secretary declares that he cannot accept their offered support; as he cannot conceive how any reasonable persons can doubt of the advantage of granting leases ; or how they could ever think the Executive insane enough to discourage or oppose them. With a good humoured contempt for all the nonsensical reasons which have been alleged in their defence, for all their contradictions and afterthoughts, which is shown in the silence with which he passes them all by, he goes at once to the pith of the matter. The adverse resolution, says he, has two parts. On one, the granting of mineral leases, we are all agreed ; and that therefore needs no explanation : on the other, which " conveyed a sort of censure on the Government for a trifling inaccuracy," the Executive were perfectly willing to leave the matter to the public.

Mayna est reritas, et prevalehit. Since none of those really implicated will honestly come forward and avow it, after a month's expectation, and discussion, and public meetings where the original mis-satement has been repeated and re-affirmed ; a gentleman, who we all know had nothing to do with it, at last steps forward ; and whether from his own innate sense of truth and justice alone, or from his official information also, admits an "inaccuracy " in the very terms of the motion ; whether " trifling " or not will depend upon the intention which put it there ; and that we have still to find out. And first let us get rid of the idea that any private interests are involved in this discussion, or likely to be affected by it in the slightest degree. The applicant has received from the General Government all he asked and was refused by the Provincial one ; a statement of the terms and conditions on which they are prepared to grant a lease as soon as they are empowered to do so ; and two or three months will show whether the intention or power exists to take advantage of this concession.

The question still remains — Did the speech carelessly and unintentionally misstate a fact, not seeing at the momeut what erroneous conclusions it led to, in which case we might feel inclined to admit the Secretary's definition of it as a " trifling inaccuracy ; " or was it designedly put there ou purpose to mislead, and convey a false impression to those who heard or might afterwards read it ? That is the alternative ; one which has nothing to do with the meiits of the decision itself. It does not matter for our purpose what that was; whether they did or did not refuse the application ; whether they could or could not legally grant it; whether it was a bona fide application, made by persons prepared at all points to give effect to it, or a mere delusion and a sham ; but it does matter that our Executive should speak the truth. At present they have two stones — one for their friends and supporters out of doors, and another for the members of the Council within : which version are we to take as the true one ? Is the member for Motueka or the Provincial Secretary deepest in the confidence of the Executive Government, and which of them is entrusted with its real opinion? Is Mr. Parker, who boldly declares its statement to be a true and correct one ; or the Provincial Secretary, who pleads guilty to a trifling inaccuracy? We cannot believe both ; that is self-evident. We also have a great respect for the opinion of the public ; but what is the case to be laid before it — what is to be submitted to the judgment of the " many-headed ? " Not the policy of the Government, for that has been censured by the Council, and is now repudiated and altered by themselves ; who, having two courses before them — that of resigning when their policy was condemned, or changing it entirely, have very quietly and submissively adopted the latter alternative. Is it whether they have or have not misstated a fact ; whether they have knowingly and wilfully tried to mislead us, or have themselves been blind leaders of the blind ? Well ! what do they say themselves about it ? We confess ourselves unable at present to make out what it is they wish to go to the public upon, unless upon the question whether, upon the whole, they do not do right to keep in the receipt of their salaries as long as possible. That may be, and probably is, in their eyes the only question of any importance ; whilst to the rest of the world it is of no moment at all. II faut vivre, said the convicted libeller. Je rCen vois j)as la necessite, said the terrible Richelieu, who held the man's life in his hands. But if they wish to know the public opinion as to whether a deliberate

misstatement is to be called a trifling inaccu-

racy, is there any occasion to go beyond their own breasts for an answer? What majority will, in their opinion, be sufficient to make black white, or turn wrong into right ? Is truth a question of numbers, or the rule ot right to be got from the multiplication table? We respect the feeling of the Motueka meeting, which, on the direct assurances of their member, assumed the speech to be correct and the Executive blameless ; but not two, or twenty, or two hundred to one could " wash a blackamoor white," or make that true which is not the truth. There are some things, and this is one of them, which do not depend upon the opinion of majorities ; and if they ever came to think so, it would be only so much the worse for the majorities, as well as for those who ask from them a verdict on what they should never allow to go out of their own mental jurisdiction ; and which they alone are fully competent to decide — their own motives.