A PENSIONER TO MR. JOSEPH MAY.

New Zealander, Volume 12, Issue 1029, 27 February 1856, Page 3

A PENSIONER TO MR. JOSEPH MAY.

To Joskph May. M P. C, an I Commissioner of the Land Board, with £SOO per pear. Sin,—There is a trite saying, “ Set a beggar on horseback,” Ac. You, Sir, it seems, have been indulging yourself in the Provincial Council on Friday last, in denouncing the military ny wholes de, as men ‘■vviiu iiakf. tup. wort os Skttleus, imi’Rovint, NbIIUKR THE MORAL NCR THE POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE av the Province.” 1 shall not here enter into political discussion, having never been through a course ot political drill while serving in the army. But 1 will ask you, Sir, if you did not feel a little smarting, a little bn ning in the face, while standing on your f, et in a Leg i-hi live Assembly of this Produce denouncing the whole military body, the 58tb and 65ib Regiments. Pensioners included, as the “ wor-t of settlers” improving “ neither the moral nor the political a mo-pberc of the Province” I ! Wbv di l’i:t you say ‘* New Zealand J Why dii) you not go on ? “ Begone, you 68th and 65th Regiments. Why stay you hero to corrupt, to pollute and contain nW* t<? by your presence and bad morals, the wholtSS o,nt ’ a ' r nf this Province? Begone, l' sav and ‘-lake the Pensioners, excepting those Pensioners, pnii'Aps, who obliged me (Joseph .May) with their votes. iA"’ay with you ! yes, A tillery and Sappers too, for von ije military men. We have no need i f you, ami take yP ur hail morals with you. I can handle a tide, ami i'U fight to defend Mount Albeit, and my £SOO a-year, without anV ot your assistance ” . . So 11y, Joseph May, softly, Politician. J lie war is not over yet,—nor can you, Ji?*'h your political lore, tell us when it will bo over.; R very possible, and if there be any truth in la ,e rumours from home, that a more formidable c-uerny fyhan the Maories Lave yet proved lobe, may make bis oil this

cons'; and when once thus far, it is not likely he would l?o away again, without making an attempt to land. And then, Sir, ‘‘the worst of settlers/’ the contamiriators of the moral atmosphere of this Province would be found to be a very desirable acquisition to the “Civil Land Force’’—if such a Force could crrr effectively be established in this Province. By the way, I would advise you, Sir, as you sav you can hj mdle a rifle so well, to apply fora commission—say a Colonelcy. “Colonel Joseph May. commanding Mount Albert Rifles, 30 H. per annum,” will sound much belter than “Commissioner,” killing time in a Land Hoard Office, or in vour own hav fields, and traducing and vilifying the charactei of her Majesty’s military subjects in the Provincial Council. Hut let me tell you, “ Mr. Colonel May.” Ido net believe your fellow—colonists go quite so far with you, if they go at all, in stigmatizing the military as “the worst of settlers” :md that for two very good reasons ; Firstly,—There are eight divisions of Pensioner's in this Province—each division consisting of 75 men, more or less ; and the average amount of Pension to each man, is one shilling per diem. Now, let any school-boy take his slate and reckon, and he will find a product of not less than 10,950 pounds steiling money flowing annually into this one Province. I have not included in this the Auckland Divis on, which numbers, I believe about 30 men ; mr have 1 taken into account tbe live Staff Officers and two Doctors, contingent to this force. The pay and pension of these would amount to 2,500 pounds which added to the above will give a sum of 13,000 pounds sterling, finding its way annually into ibis Province from the Home Government to pay “ the worst of Settlers” their pensions ! ! What do you think of this “Colonel May' ? The other Provinces might well envy this Province its “ worst of Sutlers.”

Secondly, because Pensioners are not generally of that depraved and demoralized character which you, sir, would wish to maku the world believe they are. I'here are many, very manv, well-conducted, sober, and industrious men among them—men who have served their Queen and Country with honour and credit—m-n who left their b’ood on the battle-field, —and are now come here to make to themselves a home by honest industry—men who are yet able and willing to take up arms in tlefmce of the Colony. ' I regret to sav there are a few who are undeserving of that respect du“ to sobriety and industry. It cannot be denied. But tell me, sir, \vhat branch or class of society is there that is not open to exceptions'!—that has not got its share of had members infesting it ! And where do we get our men from to fill up our ranks! where but from that class of society—the agricultural labourer—which you are now endeavouring to creep out ot where good and bad of all sorts are always to be found. Let us hear no more from yon about soldiers corrupting the moral atmosphere of this Province —no more of your prating of demoralization in military bodies until you have washed the foul skin of the society you belong to free from every spot and stain of moral and p ditic 1 corruption. You, sir, are now, and have been walking knee-deep through a dee;j quagmire of political corruption. Endeavour to get out of it, and learn to do good to all men.—Yours, Sec,., J. Foy, Pensioner.