THE SOUTHERN CROSS'S OPINION OF LIEUT.-COL. WYNYARD.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 733, 23 April 1853, Page 2

THE SOUTHERN CROSS'S OPINION OF LIEUT.-COL. WYNYARD.

In looking through the files of the Southern Cross Soy. the Inst two years, the reader must lie struck by the "elevated" style of commendation in which nearly all the movements of the late Lieutenant-Governor were chronicled and eulogized. We-have thought it worth while to string a few of the passages together, —not, we scarcely need say, for any such purpose as to prove the eligibility of Col. Wynyard for the Superintendency by the testimony of the Southern Cross, but to show in another aspect the overweenimg vanity of Mr. Brown in thrusting himself forward as a more suitable person to occupy the first position in the Province than the gentleman whose conduct in the LieutenantGovernorship his own paper so frequently and warmly praised. The appointment of Colonel Wynyard to the office of Lieutenant-Governor was hailed by the Southern Cross with a lively welcome. On the 21st of April, 4851, the fact was thus announced: — " A Government Gazette was issued yesterday evening, It intimates Hie appointment of Lieut. Colonel Wynyard as Lieutenant Governor of New Ulster until the pleasure of Her Majesty shall be known. We congratulate ourselves upon his appointment, bidding his new-made. Excellency cordially All Hail!" On the 291h of that month, the following tribute of confidence and approval was embodied in our contemporary's report of His Excellency's swearing into office: "We have every reasonable confidence in the administration of a man fettered as Colonel Wynyard politically and financially is. We therefore, not only for his own sake, but for that of the Province confided to his sway, do most sincerely hope that when the hour of surrendering his trust shall arrive, he may experience the proud satisfaction of having deserved success, and of being greeted with as flattering a tribute of grateful acknowledgment then, as of eager and hopeful anticipation now." It must be admitted that the Southern Cross did ml " greet" the Lieutenant-Go-vernor with "as flattering a tribute" on his retirement from office as on his accession to it. Vet judging from the testimonies borne by our contemporary to his conduct at various stages of his official career, this omission can scarcely have been merited by any failure on his part. We do not advert to such eulogies as the next in chronological order which we notice in the file, —viz. the glowing panegyric on the Birth Day Hall of May, 4 851, as in that,—although our contemporary does declare that the Ball "was the mosisumptuouseverseenin New Zealand," and that it "reflected the greatest honour on the liberal hospitality of Lieutenant-Gover-

nor Wvnyard,"—yet the praise is so equally divided" between his Excellency and Mrs. Martin's supper, with '-the good wine—no horrid ball-room black-strap—which assisted its mastication," that it is not easy to determine which—the hospitable host, or "the vivandicre of the 58th regiment"— stood pre-eminent in his estimation. \y e refer to graver matters, and matters perhaps, after all, of no less interest to the public. The file of the Southern Cross affords many attestations of the Lieutenant-Governor's attention to local wants and grievances, and his solicitude, so far as circumstances permitted, to remedy them. Taking up the numbers almost at random, we read of his "anxious interest" and "unwearied assiduity" in connection with the origination and completion of the Pier in Official Bay, which therefore should "receive the appropriate and well-merited name of 'The Wynyard Pier;'" of his "cordiality," "liberality," etc., in relation to the construction of a Pathway near the Barrack Wall, "as an agreeable and healthful p ro _ menade for the citizens of Auckland ;"— o f his "most gracious consideration of the prayer of the inhabitants of the Mount Eden district," as to the state of their road; and many similar laudatory references which it would be tedious to quote in detail, but which show the high opinion entertained by our contemporary of the Lieutenant-Go-vernor's zeal in such matters. Passing on to the days and exploits of our Common Council, and particularly to the memorable Petition for Impossibilities presented to the Government, we find the Southern Cross (May 4, 1852) warmly eulogizing the Lieutenant-Governor's reply t 0 the Deputation—as evincing a "manly and straightforward spirit," a "rational "desire to consult the interests" of the Borough, "an honest wish to govern in a faithful j spirit of truth and justice,"—as " precise and pertinent," "fair and frank," "not only explicit, but satisfactory," etc. Again, (May 14,) we have the following, with reference to what the Cross stigmatizes as "unjust and ungenerous strictures passed on the Lieutenant-Governor's reply to the Deputation" by certain Members of the Cornmoo Council, — " When we first published that reply, we gave it as our unbiassed opinion that that reply was framed in a manly and straightforward spirit; and the more we consider it, Ihe more firmly we feel persuaded of its sincerity, integrity, and good faith. We feel confident that the Lieutenant-Governor is the friend of the people and district of auckland ; and that he will be found ever anxious to the utmost of his ability to promote the nappiness of the one, and the prosperity of the other." The discovery of Gold at Coromandel was a most important feature in the history of Colonel Wynyard's Lieutenant-Governorship. Our readers do not need to be reminded of the unqualified approbation with which the Cross at first supported all the steps taken by him on this subject. "Lieutenant-Go- i vernor Wynyard has evinced the most commendable desire to cause this gold discovery to work well for the prosperity of natives and colonists, aud in advancement of (fie best interests of New Ulster." Subsequently, " His Evccllcncy presented a precis of the very successful and judicious arrangements into which he has so far been enabled to enter. Of these arrangements we think every right-minded person must approve." Again, "with respect to the amount of the license fee, we can discover nothing at all unfair or illiberal in that." These are only specimens of the eulogies iterated and reiterated by the Southern Cross on the original Regulations, issued by the Lieutenant-Governor, with the concurrence of the elected Members of the late Provincial Council. It is quite true that afterwards our contemporary (when, without his aid, the Regulations had been amended and liberalized) took a different course, the palpable and glaring inconsistency of which we not long since had occasion to expose. It would lead us' fiom our present line of observation to enter afresh here on that part of the question; we need now only point attention to the f;>ct that at first, and until for other reasons, an altered tone was assumed, all that the Lieutenant-Governor did in relation to the Gold Field had the- warmest approbation of the Southern Cross. We might multiply quotations like the above ; but it is unnecessary. Even upon the showing of the Southern Cross itself, the late Lieutenant-Governor administered the functions of his office in a manner that would justify high expectations of his efficiency and impartiality in the Superinlendency. The electors need be at little loss lo decide which candidate should obtain their suffrages, LIEUT.-CQL. WYNYARD or Mr. Brown.