THE NELSON EXAMINER. Wednesday, December 4, 1861.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XX, Issue 104, 4 December 1861, Page 2

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Wednesday, December 4, 1861.

Journals become more neceaiary as men become more equal »nd individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importance to suppose that they serve only to secure liherty: tney maintain civilization.

DX TopaVBVILLE. Of Democracy in America, vol. T., 330.

We suppose Aye must say a feAV Avords upon last Saturday's proceedings at the Provincial Hall, Avheu the candidates for the office of Superintendent were put in nomination.

We would rather have avoided the task, for they AA r ere not of a nature to do us much credit; they neither impress us Avith any exalted ideas of the ability Aye are able to command in the public service, nor Avill they raise our reputation in the eyes of others. But we do not hold the opinion of the old

Greek historian who maintained that concealment and perversion of facts were commendable and patriotic when the character of his countrymen would be injured by telling the truth ; nor do we think that pub lie journals or public men .should conform to Sir Henry "Wotton's punning definition of ambassadors, as " Worthy men, sent to lie abroad for the good of their country." We must, therefore, give our own impressions of what took place on this occasion ; not regardless, indeed, of its effect upon others, which must be rather humiliating to our self-love, but not without hopes that it may lead the Avay to .some improvement, and tend to protect us from such unblushing defamation in future.

The candidates were three in number : Mr. Robinson, the late Superintendent, Mr. W. Long Wrey, and Mr. Barnicoat. The first named gentleman was proposed by Mr. Saunders, whose speech was, as usual, fluent and well expressed; and, also as usual, marked by its thorough disregard of common decency in its vituperation, its total absence of good feeling or common fairness towards those who oppose him, aud its virulent abuse of all who decline the honour of Mr. Saunders's intimacy, as robbers of the public and enemies of the people. Even the almost solitary exception, his near neighbour, Mr. Barnicoat, whose kindly nature induced him, as it always does, to put the most favourable construction possible upon his conduct under very peculiar circumstances, did not escape from the "poisonous distillation" which he poured into our ears, lleciting Cowper's beautiful little apologue upon the slave trade, evidently got up for the occasion, he applied it to the man Avhose generous testimony he was so largely indebted to, as being only the least guilty of these said robbers and plunderers, because, although he knew he was doing wrong, he had compunctions in doing it, and was rather less wicked than weak. "He joined in the plunder, but pitied the man." Not for all he is worth, would we have sat in his seat, when Mr. Barnicoat, with Hashing eye and an indignant energy, which showed how much laid hid beneath his usually staid and quiet demeanour, turned upon his accuser, and dared him to the proof. As he spoke, our thoughts involuntarily recurred to the noble challenge of Samuel ; " Behold ! here I am ; witness against me ; whose ox or whose ass have 1 taken ; or Avhom have I defrauded ? Whom have I oppressed ? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes withal ? " "It is false to say that I have robbed any man or body of men " Mr. Barnicoat exclaimed, "and I had not expected such an accusation, even from Mr. Saunders." As lie said this his accuser's eye sank before his, and sought the ground, and the deep red blush of shame for once mounted to his forehead under the just rebuke of the man he had calumniated. Even then he had one last chance of retrieving himself. Before all those there present he might have recalled his words, as hastily and thoughtlessly spoken, or as not meaning all that they seemed to do. But he could not ; the attack was prepared, the slander was premeditated ; and, perhaps, so obtuse are his perceptions, and so strong his prejudices, he still believes them to be true. If so, Aye must look to the electors of Waimea for the answer. They know both ; they know Mr. Saunders's manner of life, and they know Mr. Barnicoat's for the last twenty years, they can tell whethei this latter has ever refused any call made upon him for his public services ; they can testify to his thorough conscientious and unwearied performance of all the duties he has ever undertaken, and they have now the opportunity of showing in what light they regard them ; for the majority of those present, ignorant of the facts, as we may suppose, or of the characters of those who addressed them, cheered most loudly when the speaker was most violent and reckless, and applauded those most who were the most unscrupulous in their denunciations. They could not be the electors of Nelson ; or we should look to a speedy change in our present constitution of Government. Of this indeed Mr. Saunders pronounced the condemnation, when he made the damaging assertion that Nelson was the only province Avhere the Superintendent had not exceeded his powers. On this point however Mr. llobiuson himself put him right, when he justified himself for not doing what was necessary on the ground that the Council had not voted the money, and, in the next sentence, acknowledged he had spent thousands of pounds without any authority whatever. Mr. Eobinson also repeated one of those " inaccuracies as to matters of fact " which have become connected with his public character, by reaffirming his belief in what is demonstrably untrue ; namely, that when the application was made on behalf of the Metallurgic Company, it was not in existence ; which, even if it had been true, he at the time had no right or reason to doubt ; and which was as much an afterthought as his other reason, that the two applications were in reality one, and therefore beyond the limit fixed by law ; although it did not prevent him from receiving ten or a dozen different applications from another mining Company, confessedly on one account and extending to between twenty and thirty square miles. And he said this after he had deprecated reviving old grievances ; this it seems he thought would be best effected by making unfounded accusations and having no answer returned. "We had certainly expected that Mr. ltobinson would have referred to the promises lie made at his last election, aud challenged all present to show how he had fulfilled them ; how he had lessened the expenses of Government; how he had set an example of punctuality, diligence, and promptitude, and required them from all those around him ; and have entered into a detail of the other measures which he had originated and carried out for our good.

But there was nothing of the kind ; instead of it we had a string of excuses for doing nothing addressed to the prejudicies of his hearers. Thus he would not encourage immigration, lest it should lower the rate of wages ; but would bring out as many as people would engage to keep for two years ; as if the current rate of wages was not the best guide and index to the Avants of the settlement, or as if any one in his senses would enter into such a contract. But nonsense of this kind is always sure of sympathizers ; and it was applauded accordingly. Mr. W. Long "Wrey exposed several of his mis-statements, but did not enter at any length upon the subject of his own intended line of conduct.

Mr. Baruicoat spolce sensibly and well ; although his voice was scarcely loud enough to be distinctly heard in the body of the Hall. He referred, as he might justly do, to his whole previous career. No one can say of him that he has neglected, put off, mismanaged, or failed in anything he has yet undertaken. His character stands high for integrity, impartiality, assiduity, and an entire absence of all party feeling. We believe it would be as difficult for him to go beyond the line of his duty, as it apparently is for others to keep within it ; and that with him at our head, we should hear no more of those interminable delays which give a great appearance of business without the reality, because nothing is ever really decided or cleared off ; and, for these and similar reasons, he has our best wishes for his success.

If Aye Avere to believe the assertions of our last correspondent from Motueka, whose letter Aye insert to-day, as to the effect of some observations Aye lately made, *we should be tempted to form a much loAver estimate of the good sense and right feeling of the electors there than Aye trust they are entitled to. According to his version, Aye have, by our remarks on a few facts of common notoriety, given to Mr. Eobinson twenty or thirty additional votes. It is Avorth while asking lioay such a result Avas brought about, and what argument of ours convinced the Motueka electors of his superior qualifications and fitness for his post.

We observed that a memorial from the inhabitants, a representation from the Eesident Magistrate of Collingvvood, and the observations of the Coroner in a late case, all showed that some better arrangements for the preservation of peace and order there were required ; and that possibly some such arrangements might have prevented manslaughter in one case, and a Avanton midnight destruction of valuable property in another ; and we thought that to allow matters to go on in the old way, after having good reasons given for some alteration, betokened great neglect and carelessness on the part of those whose duty it was to watch the first indications of these social maladies and to find the remedy. jS"ow, if what Aye stated as facts are not facts, let them be contradicted ; but if they are, they seem odd reasons for swelling the ranks of Mr. Robinson's supporters, except among rioters and drunkards. But we see the number which our non-voter mentions exactly coincides with that of the turbulent Maoris we spoke of; and, for the credit of Motueka, we will hope that these are the parties referred to, always supposing our correspondent to speak of what he knows, and not what lie wishes to be the truth ; and that they have qualified on pui'pose to support one who allows them such unrestricted liberty, even to the pitch of furious drunkenness, or homicide. This view obtains some support from the fact that, the look-up erected some years ago on private property as a temporary accommodation, has been removed by the owner of the land, after giving due notice of his intention to our Executive, and their doing nothing in consequence. Whether he pulled it down or no Aye cannot say, though we are told be threatened to do so ; but, if this has been done, it looks very like a gentle hint that all such old fashioned restraints on the liberties of the people are at a discount Avith those at head quarters ; and are discountenanced accordingly, and quietly alloAved to drop.

As to his contradictions of our earlier correspondent, " A A r oter," we should think more of them if they dealt less in assertion and more in facts ; and if he were less abusive. To say that a man tells a falsehood proves nothing but the ill-breeding of the speaker, without he can adduce good grounds for his assertions. We rather suspect that our non-voting friend is fonder of special pleading than is altogether commendable. l r or example, it is within our own knowledge that a holder of land on both sides of the river has paid rates two or three times for his Motueka property, but has never been called upon by the Hiwaka Road Board for any contribution ; though we have heard that some time ago a sort of understanding existed there that each person liable should lay out something in the form of an equivalent wherever he liked best ; in some cases not a bad arrangement, perhaps. Let our correspondent, if he wants to prove his case, give dates and facts ; an extract pr two, for example, from the Board minutes ; or the report of their auditor ; unless they should have neglected to keep any record of their proceedings for the original reason we once heard assigned by a member of one of those bodies, that roads were not mended or made with pens and ink, but with pick and shovel.

We say thus much in explanation of our observations ; our correspondents must fight out their own battles for themselves. We inserted the first letter because it gave specific instances of mismanagement and neglect, which did not seem in themselves very improbable or unlikely ; and which derived some confirmation from facts we knew personally to be true, as well as from the general do-nothing character of our Executive ; we shall be equally ready to give publicity to any temperate contradiction. As to what we ought or ought not further to do, we imagine ourselves quite as capable of' judging as our correspondent, who somewhat conceitedly takes upon himself the office of censor*