THE COMING ELECTION.

New Zealander, Volume 11, Issue 976, 22 August 1855, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE COMING ELECTION.

To the ; Eaitor of the New-Zealandek. r,luting in the “Southern Crops’’ of FridayTast dn the above subject- is devoid of argument, but as if to make up for this deficiency, it is replete with bombastic assertions; sophisms, feelers, doubts, and over-loaded egotism. Much as the Kditor talks about 4 ’Progress,”he neglects tc inform us of the various in.uks of beneficial progress which have been gained (iur ng die Brown dynasty. The tone of his at tide throughout betrays afo n well-grounded hint, and an inbcalion of tear, that both Ids patron and p.rty, iluring the last five months, have considerably lost ground. It also clearly implies that though the forces of himself and party have been nil-t-riully thinned ami Weakened, that the opposing party, in having been carefully organize!, and as he admits by having a very l.irge number I signatures to Mr. 'Whitaker's requisition, have been gaining stiength since the last elec iou--thai if the '• Progress Party’ ’ do not be«tir themselves, they stand a very good chance ol being defeated at the coming election. It sireh is no v really the case, that the true friends of the Province have at length been carefully organized, and that they have a large requisition list ready to call Oat one whom they believe to be a thoroughly Auckland man, and that “ a well-organized minority is capable of defeating a disorganised majority. 1 ’ \\ hat becomes of the empty bum e about the progress party being able to return their candidates by lerge majorities. Now I would beg to ask this sapient editor on what grounds ho expects to obtain these large majorities, in order to fortify the position of the present brow n and Campbell government party ? is it because some unthinking people, who supported that firm, have been once deluded that they should suffer themselves to be taken in a second time I Their is an obi political maxim recorded to the effect 4< flint the people are seldom wtoug, and even when they are so they never letnaiit wiong any great length of time.” I believe that the majority of the electors of this province we-e led wrong about five mouths back, and that they arc anxious o put themselves right again. Does the editor of the 44 Cross” expect more power to his elbow from the fact that the electors Ol this province have be n, and are over head anil ears in love with the 44 policy’’and c nduct of Mr. Brown? If he thinks so, Le not only is deceived himself, but he acts as it he wished to insult the discernment and common sense of ll e electors.

But, sir, he complains that Mr Brown was prevented from acting as he desired. Very true, and a good thing for the country that he was so prevented : and here we have to admire the cluck which the representative principle of our new Constitution places in our hands to en ibl" us to curb th ' arbitrary proceedings of such self-willed rulers as Mr. Brown. This very complai it is a sure exhibition of weakness on hj s part, as well as carrying with it a tacit acknowledgment of the political influence of that partv which is so capable of holding him inehtck, ami whom ho wishes his leaders to imagitiu are both impotent and contemptible. But the editor will perh qis excuse im- lor telling him that ho is nei her logical nor consistent. To a reasoner, Ins own assertions, when put in juxtaposition to one another, vcy fISUy contradict themselves. He labours hard to show that the em.my is very weak in one sentence, and yet in the next he exhibits symptoms of fear, ami admits the great probability of his fores being well beaten unless they at once begin, and continue to exert thein-elves to the last. If "they have only to take the power and to keep it," how is it that they have become so alarmed all at once at the rapid advance of the enemy, as to have come to the conclusion, in various circles, that neither grog, money, nor horseflesh shall bo wanting to secure the return of Mr. Campbell ? They certainly ;iave, most unfortunately lor tbis province, had the power, but again it is fortunate that they are not able lo keep it so lo ig as they are called upon to support the blundering capabilities and the stubborn whims of such a man as Mr. William Brown.

If Mr. Brown h:d done good to the province, and had shown himself fit to govern, J would have been very glad to have supported him, hut jadging from his ■public conduct since he obtained oliict*, I am more than ever inclined to oppose him. To have Jcppt the power, Mr. Browu ought to love conducted hi uself better, which would |jare been most likely to have strengthened instead of having weakened his own party. Alter such downright want of capability us lie has exhibited, it is really expecting ibat tltc party are bound, whether or not, to support h'm. 11' they think hj; has added to their forces du ing the short lime he tms hell oilice, all I can say is that ihey ai - e certainly very gullable and veiv easily s::ti>fied with the conduct of public4. 6i. Instead of Mr. Brown having made any aceetsicn to his strength, it will !)•! found on the closest ev&ieaße that a large number of his former most z-ialous a imirers have been completely disgusted at hh mismanagement and i.nMic conduct, declaring that they are sick and tired of his cj tibbling nonsense, cad out lustily torn change, admit candidly that they verv much over-rated the political qualitiiß cf Mr. Br<'n and very readily and willingly sign a requisition to iWr. Whitaker as an earnest of their sincerity The grand secret of the atl'uir seems to be designedly evaded and kept back by the Elitor of the " Ooss. It is not so much owing to those who oppose hi n being carefully organised that an atldi ional strength and probable success must be attribute I, as it is to the fact ot Mr. Brown's having so very recklessly destroyed himself by the "Old Hand ;"—committed political fdo disc, —to the fact,'admitted by even the f w of his own people, who are now'canvaciing for Mr. Brown's partner. Mr. Brown having proved himself so utterly incapable of fulfilling the duties of the office to which he nspiied, and cf the notorious fact of the Province having been injured in a variety of ways, iilstead of having been b> nefltted by his government. In then assumption of a name to designate their party, they have been vnd° of the mark—a designation the very opposite of what Mr. Brown's government his been.

In wbat'particular point have we progressed since the trio obtained power ? Mr. Brown asked the Pensioners if tl ey thought they would be worse looked after if bo were returned ? The Pensioners con ask themselves what has been done towards bettering tb.ir condiiioa during the last five months. Has there been more or le3s money in circulation in theit settlements? Have tliey h:ifl plenty of wo'k to keep them constantly employ, d? 1 i:• ve their wages been raised in order to n.a'<e good the vaunting of pro gress ? Have they got all ths promised improvement's! liave they better roads, &e.,-&c,'or b.ive they received better tteatment at the hands bT the powers' that be, than they did under the former Sup-riu'endent 1 Again, What advances have tliere been made in the t it v* to justify the term "progress patty. 7 " Is it the hreaking up of the City Council, the stopping of the Harbour works, the shutting the mouths of the members of the Provincial Council, ibe abuse of tbeße hollies through bis own organ, the " Cross," the offering to supplant a body of men; elected by the voice of the citizens, by his own nominees, th at entitle him to the honour ul being the b ader of the progress He always professed ?n earnest i-me to open up the! country. Wh, t progress has be made towards this desirable object? Let any one procure a list of the numbers that bar*' arrived here from the adjoining colonies, with plenty of ready ea-h, to purchase land with a viewto become settler?, who, alter having used every effort to aecornj lirb this purpose, but whs. hav ng failed, have become disgusted, It ft the colony again, carrying away with them th tißinds upon thousands of p< u ,ds, which, under a judicious management of the land regulations would have been spent-in the Province, and inus assisted to swell the amount of the citculaling inediiim, and improve the revenue of the Province, and he will find a fair solution of the question ns to the amount of progress we. have received un !er the government of Mr. Jjrown, Can the labouring classes bear testimony to the progress which has been .made in their prospects in the attempt that was maJe to reduce their wages from ei ht shillings to live shillings and sixpence per day ? Js it for the bright imaginings, the far gras, ing conceptions, the superior natural endowments, or the trauscendent library attainments exhibited in Mr. Brown that he assumes to himself the representation of progress. The [roper interpretation stilish the City Council will give t<> the term "progress," as applied to Mr, Brown's government is dead-lock, stand-still, gloom, dissatisfaction, and confusion. No would, I think, more appropriately answer to the cognomen of the Leader of the dog in the manger party. The man whose conduct has thrown everything into confusion,'and righted nothing. His budg-t and line of policy, as expressed in his address, contained perfect castles in the air, that would not stand to be tested by science, calculation, truth, facts, and figures. Has he short u himself to be an able politician, a correct financier, or a wise general ? Has he not been fairly tried, and found wanting ? Where is hii part} ? Was lie not unable to find an intelligent Executive to assist to carry out the machinery of his government! Did he not admit (hat there were no fewer than twenty-two out of the twenty-four members of the Provineial Com. cil against him and his policy ? Where is bis political strength to be found, when it is notorious that be has not been:able to select a Chief Clerk ? What kind of wisdom did he display when ho mentioned, the dillerent undertakings bo would commence for which he net down a given sum-which sum it has been pirofi d ny 'scientific men won! 1 not behtjlfthe amount necessary to perilnn one of them? Do the

shopkeepers, tradesmen, dealers, ami property holders declare Umt the Uhihs have improved under Mr, Brown's dynasty > Do their bills, punctual payment, and oilier business regulations indicate clear and unliiitstaliciihle Works of progress I We, the minority, who have every reason to be proud of our conduct alter the wretched blunder the majority made, aay to the majority, you called upon us to give the man of your choice a fair triaj. We had no faith in your man. ami voted against you. You succeeded, ami you now see what has been the result. Why, just what we pointed out to you, namely, that instead of us now enjoying a still higher stale of prosperity that appeared m prospect lor us if we, the minority, had been able 10 re urn our candidate, and who would have set the various plans of the Provincial Council in operation, we have had li'tie more than e npty sound in the shape of law opiuiou , till tlvG'PnJvince is fast hasleiiing to gloom, ] oveity, andruin. . You, the miijoiity, have seen what your own conduct and the man of your choice have done, anil by way of candour and fair play, we now call upon you in your o.wi words at the last election—"Give the old man a trial." Give our candidate and his measures a trial, and if he and his measures do not benefit the Province hj ttt r than the measures of Mr. Brown, it wi 1 he wise lo turo him o it and get a better man in his place. Mr. Whi taker was the supporter oi a number of very excellent measures of the Provincial Council, that Mr. Ur.own has evinced a dogged determination should not have a trial at all good or had. We ask you to give our candidate just as good a trial as Mr. Brown has bad.

The miuority have suffered through the conduct of the majority. It is therefore but simple justice for tinlatter To yield to the former, and say Wo have returned oui man—we ha re been deceived in him—we have proved him to be neither more nor less than a complete muff—we will now try your man, and trust that, for the good of the Province, he will do better. Do this, and lam pretty sure you will have no reason to repent. Though the numbers were against us, to a small degree, at the last election, the intelligence was decidedly with us. We require numbers and intelligence in order to proveto both parties which is the best man to serve the Province satisfactorily. You, the majority, wanted your man to have a lair trial —we now claim, on the grcund of equality, the same privilege. But we ask the more confidently because the mail of your choice has failed in his task. Will you again vote in the dai k ? Will you not do ao if you vote tor Dr. Campbell? Mr. Brown was known amongst you as "a politician for thirteen or fourteen years,and by the general find-fault stylehe exhibited to-tvrry Governor arid every measure which did nut emanate from himself or party. This smashing system deceived many of us. We were inclined to believe that because he proved himself such a tlab hand—such a clever hand ai breaking down —he would doubtless, when ho gut the chance, prove himself equally successful in building up a.am. But you now see that ho cauiot change any more than thj leopard can change nis?S| ots, 'Now you see that Mr. Brown cannot change or refrain from the indulgence and gra'ificaiiou of hj s destructive propensity. Everything must be ciusbed nothing to be raised in lieu then of. Breaking d'<Wn has proved to be his particular forte, whether in or out of diiee. The solution of this question has been accomplished by experiment, which, though the r adiest method of arriving at the truth for some minds -yet it has been a very expensive experiment to this Province. 1 have said that you have known Mr. Brown .s a public man and as a politician ; but you cannot say that you lave known Mr. Campbell as such. As a private gentleman, citizen, colonist, merchant, &e., he may be very good ; but these are not the inuVpensible qualities of which we ate in search. It is poasil le fur him to possess the whole of the above qualities in an eminent degree, and yet at the same time be very do icient in those which would of c urse subject him to the risk of being a very unfair Governor c-r legislator. What evidence have we of the capabilities of Air. Campbell being able lo fulfil the duties of the olfice if returned? We ought'to have some data to guide us, or otherwise we shall perhsps prove again, to our sorrow, that we have been as foolish a-t we were before, and that former experience had been of little service to us. All wc'iit well with the lae Superintendent, with Mr. Whitaker as his law adviser, because in those times of coinm m sense and u'ility, to do good, arid thereby benefit the Province, were legal and allowable. But under the present Superintendent and his Law Adviser, everything that would advance the interests of this Province is illegal, and therefore inadmissible. The friends of .Mr. Camp'.ell, the progress party, assure us that he would carry out the policy of hipirtner— that i", the dead-lock stand-still policy. If so, to return lMr. Campbell would be jumping out of the frying-pan into the fire. X must confess that I was amazed when informed that Mr. Campbell was about to play second fiddle to Mr. Urown. The latter having the affairs of the Province into a state of utter confusion —si much so that he no doubi is ufraid to rv another contest —and then by way of scr suing himself from the shame of his downfall Mr. Campbell is brought forward as the Scape gum*. Were there no other gentleman—except such aa we-o connected with the firm of Brown and Campbell in the estimation of the progres- party as well adapted for the office of Superintendaiit ? Has that fitin any prior ri^ht —or claim to the Siiperintendency ? If so, it would have been far better if the British Government had made those by the Constitution Act—which would have prevented altogether (he excitement and turmoil of ah election.

The firm clings to the Superintendence as pertinaciously as if it were possible to make it hereditary. I'er■haps it will not be out of place to speculate who is to lie brought forward next out of the linn. There hi no doubt whatever that Robert Mtchell's claim would be next on the list, as best entitled tor services rendered, But as he is away, and may he at the lime we would require a successor to Mr Campbell, wc shall beat a loss for a certainty to know whether it will be the " Old [[anil,'' Mr. Fanner, Mr. Clark, or one of the clerks or shop bo}S about the othces—and oth>r establishments of the firm. Simple as this may appear to some, none will deny the advao'age of its .being generally known, for the best of reasons, viz., it will be afforded the electors an opportunity of keeping Up a w-.tchful and close examination of the character that m\y be in training for the Superintendency—so as if possible to enable us to discover those essential natural endowments, and literary attainments, so necessary fur the proper and creditable sustjnmetit of the chief office of the Province. It apperrs pretty evident, that it must be •' the firm'' and its party — versus all other parties, that feels most inclined to oppose them. It' they do now retain the Superintendency they ought to at least to give us some information as to the time they would he willing for it to pass into other bauds. If the electors generally s'.udy their own interests—and the interest of the Province at large—they will tell the firm that the Superintendency was in better hands before it fell into those of Mr. Brown. That it cannot be well in worse than it is now. And they will try if the coming man Mr. Whitnker, (hacked as he will be, by the greatest amount of intelligence in the Piovinoe,) will not bring forward bet er measures and more poli ical strength to carry them into successful opperation—than Mr. Brown has done, or Mr. Campbell is likely to do. Yours, tic, Wh. GftiFMN. August Oth, 1855.