The New-Zealander. AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12, 1862. THE SUPERINTENDENCY.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1741, 12 November 1862, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12, 1862. THE SUPERINTENDENCY.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim’st at, be thy Country's, Thy God's, and Truth’s.

In the eyes of Messrs. Tadpole and Taper, the “ country,” at election time, is always of infinitely less importance than the “constituency,” and it is a cardinal point of faith with politicians of the Tadpole and the Taper school, that to “ manage” a constituency you must always have a good-“cry.” Some of the old opponents of Mr. Williamson, who have been consistent in their personal enmity to him, have, with singular infelicity, hit upon the “cry” of j-ibect purchase as being that whereby the constituency of this Province may be most conveniently “managed” at the Superintendency election on the 26th. An occasional writer in the columns of our contemporary the Cross, brayed out this terrible slogan on Saturday,—Graham and direct purchase^—and informed us at the same time of Mr. Joseph Newman’s “withdrawal from the candidature,” because “he perceived the “great question now at issue in this Province, and “ disinterestedly resolved to sacrifice his own “ hopes of success rather than stand in the way “ of its ultimate triumph.” Now it maybe presumed that Mr. Newman did not estimate very highly his chances of success in the contest, or Imagine that the “sacrifice” which he made in withdrawing was so great as to entitle him, even in his own opinion, “to the best thanks of the right thinking members of the community.” Ilis own account of the affair is frank and honest, lie seems to think he never had a chance, and, with straightforwardness he admits that fact. “When I offered myself,” says Mr. Newman, “ for the office of Superintendent, I stated that “unless a very general record of public feeling “was made in my favour, I had no wish to be “returned; seeing that this cannot now be “ accomplished, I beg leave to withdraw from the “contest.” To assert, therefore, that Mr. Newman withdrew because he “ perceived a principle,” is simply—shall we say —“ bosh.”

When we read the Native Lands Act as recently passed by the Assembly, and learned that Clause 73 of the Constitution Act had been repealed by the Imperial Parliament, we naturally concluded that “direct purchase,” or the “principle” of direct purchase, was no longer in issue; that to all Intents and purposes it was a law of the colony, which all are bound to recognize. We are now at a loss to understand how it has become essential for the salvation of the “ principle” of that Act, that Mr. Robert Graham shall be made Superintendent of the Province of Auckland. It is not probable, we think, that the Governor and his Ministers, to whom alone is entrusted the duty of administering the law, will or can delegate their powers to the Superintendent; and that being so, we confess ourselves unable to “perceive” the principle which our contemporary professes to be anxious to try by the remit ot the voting on the 26th. But supposing, for the sake of argument, that with the new “cry” anything like a reliable expression of opinion could be obtained, is it quite prudent, in the present state of our relations with the Natives, to put the great question of Native policy, or indeed any Native question whatever, to the test of a popular election ? Is it very prudent for any responsible adviser of His Excellency the Governor to endeavour to bring about an open conllict amongst Europeans in the poll booths on such a point as the mode of acquisition of Native lands. We venture to think that no course more likely to be mischievous could be pursued. It is not very long since, under the Stafford dynasty, that officers of the General Government were precluded from any active interference in Provincial elections; if reticence in such matters be considered becoming on the part of the subordinate officers, how much more incumbent is-it upon Ministers themselves to keep aloof in these matters. The Responsible Adviser (!) of the Governor, who is to be seen in person practising secretly in holes and corners the base tricks ot the electioneering agent, does no honor to his colleagues or himself, and violates, by his own example, a rule by which the subordinates of Government are expected to consider themselves bound. That in the coming scramble for the Native lands, the gentleman holding the office of Superintendent, if he were a “ smart” gentleman, might, for himself and his friends, obtain unfair advantages flY** wUq woqhi be bpbiuxed fraiq qfficifil

help and from sources of official information, we think very possible, and the only point upon which issue can be most fairly joined, is, whether Mr. Graham or Mr. Williamson would be the more likely, under existing circumstances, to seek the public interest which lies in the acquisition of Native land cheaply by the Crown, or the private interest, which lies in the acquisition of Native land cheaply by the individual. That is really the only point in connexion with the direct purchase question which can be fairly settled by the election, and it may be merged in the question of general fitness for the office, as between the candidates themselves. Giving to both equal credit for conscientiousness, it seems not improbable that the large majority of electors will be of opinion that the one who, during six years, has satisfactorily discharged the duties of office,’ »aid who in that time must have become master of the details of the work, is more likely to be a useful public servant, than the other who has had no acquaintance whatever with public business, and who has no distinguished talent or special aptitude which might compensate for his want of official knowledge or experience.