Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 308, 7 November 1864, Page 7

AY"f. are surprised to find the Sotil/teni Cr0.1.1. which docs not wilfully endeavour to lower Auckland in the eyes of the Colony, although its careless style of writing 011 important subjects is continually placing whips in the hands ol Auckland's enemies wherewith to scourge her--weare surprised, we say, to find our colemporary asserting that the people of Auckland have cause to envy the Southern Provinces the possession of so many public men. who serve to guide them in any emergency. AVe denv that '• our " members have been chosen not for their energy " and abilitv; not, because they possessed the " education of mind and the weight of iutellect •' which would command respect for their " opinions, and serve as a guarantee for the wis- " dom of those opinions but because they " chanced fo have morn money than their neigh- " bonrs, and to have that influence which is " contained between the covers of a banker's •' book." AY'hat are we to esteem as ability aud energy r' not frothy talk and empty declamation. In this the South unquestionably has the advantage of us. If, however, on the other hand, we refer to the past Governments we shall find thai the really hard working members of the several Ministries, the practical business men, have been Auckland citizens; that nearly every .Act in Now Zealand has been drafted by Auckland men. Such men as AY'hitaker, who has drafted almost every Act on the Statute Book of the General Assembly. Pollen. Hwainson. Gilfillan. AY r ood. Carleton. O'Horko. Pussell. .lohnAVilliamson. anil others, whom discussions in the Legislature have brought prominently forward, will compare favorably with the best men of any two Southern Provinces put together. AYho for a moment would pay so II a compliment fo the practical. toiling, administrative Ivussell as to compare him. as a statesman, with the classical, elegant minded, but enervated politician Domett. Take Mr. .lolm AYilliamsoii apart from the suicidal mistaken notions on Native matters, which besot an otherwise shr« wd mind, and which of themselves totally disqualify him lor the position of an Auckland representative. and who would not say that he is worth a dozen such as Ihe Canterbury star, the empty Chri.-f church dcclaimcr. AYe could draw other parallels, even perhaps more f-triking. but have no need to do so. If we take the full average of Auckland members and compare them with the same number of average Southern members, we shall find that. Auckland bus no cause to envy the South. "The reason why." says the Croxs. " with all " our advantages we are not politically powerful "111 New Zealand, is simply our want of " leading men. It is useless, it is worse than " useless, to attempt to disguise the fact from "ourselves, for unhappily, we cannot disguise it " from c.lir neighbours, we have scarcely any '"public men of mark in the province." is it a fact then that Auckland is not politically powerful in A'cw Zealand!- 1 Past M ini.'-t ries and measures point to a very large share, of power enjoyed by Auckland, so large a one. indeed, as actually to have rendered combination necessary in the opinion of Southern men for the purpose of curbing the Auckland element. Of course Auckland cannot contend against combination such as this, and must go to the wall 011 such a question as that of the seat of Government. Would any amount of clever tidkinghavealtcred the determination of the Assembly " J Unless Auckland men bad bad a double power of voting as well as of talking they would not have carried the point. Hut the Ci-oxx goes a step further, and declares, not only that our legislators are below par, but that we have scarcely any public men of mark in the province." This is reallv too bad —we have many such men in the Province. Men of mark in their own Province, if not men of mark in New Zealand as a whole. Those who have watched Auckland meetings, political and otherwise for the last twelve or fifteen years, will bear us out in the assertion. ]t is not because we have not " men of mark" that Auckland men sit quietly by while great political quesf ions perhaps demand that, they should speak, but it is because our men of mark are just now so very many of tliem disqualified from taking the lead in political agitations that, at thopresent moment. we have not perhaps so ready a rush to, the platform. Three of our leading men are members of the 'Ministry. How many more are there not, whom their Government appointments shackle from coming prominently forward? Mow many are there not. whose busy avocations in stirring, bustling. Auckland and the country, do not equally hinder them The truth is that we have no lack of public men and 110 lack of exciting political subjects to watch, but we are at present (In; capital of the country, and the correcting influence of the press is not without its immediate effect upon our rulers, and thus renders unnecessary declamation of another kind. Kven now we hear that Sir George Grey, unable to bear the (aunts and scoffs of honest men. contemplates leaving the Colony. The people have spoken llirongh their represent at i ves the independent press of Auckland, and their voice has hail its effect. It is easy for any man to say thai he values the opinion of those he lives amongst, respecting himself, as nothing, but it is useless, for no one believes him. and lie is forced at last to acknowledge it by his conduct.—November :!.