MR. CARLETON'S OPINIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4372, 17 November 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

MR. CARLETON'S OPINIONS.

To the Editor of the Herald. Sib, —You -would confer a favour by permitting me, to " set' forth my own views on matters political, without assistance; as I feel capable of making them quite plain to' all except yourself. Comment as severely as you please; that is your -right; but do not allege that I say ."what I do not say. You say that you have " often crossed pens with Mr. Carleton;" I regret being obliged to add, —seldom without misrepresenting his words. - You say that I am- "beset-with the idea, that a governing class is an absolute necessity." Yet you are fully aware of my dictum,—that in a colony we cannot have a real aristocracy, i.e., in the usual sease of the word ; and that nothing is more detestable than a sham aristocracy. Possibly, by " governing class," you mean, —an educated class. If so, you should have said so; if not, we may assume that in the opinion of the Hebald the" difficult science of government can be acquired without education. You state that " Mr. Carleton has no faith in the election of chiefs by the people. He has perfect faith in their appointment by the Ministry of the day, though none ought to be more sensible of the manner in which such patronage would get abused." My' proposal was, to revert to what we had before, —a Governor and a Lieutenant-Gover-nor for the two provinces. I had supposed, in my ignorance, that Governors ana Lieu-tenant-Governors were nominated by the Crown; and not by a Colonial Minister. But the Herald knows better. I have only to bow, and kiss the rod. You say that " Mr. Carleton abandons the Abolition Act, but proposes the adoption of the nominee system in the creation of two Provinces instead."

I had indeed supposed that we had to abolish first, and then to create: if the Herald deems me wrong, of course I must be bo. But when you cast " nomineeisms" at me, you are quite aware that as a member, in earlier days, of the old Constitutional Association, I was a persistent opponent of Governor Grey's nomineeism. You are also aware that although I do not, with the audacity of ignorance, hazard a _ slap-dash opinion on so serious a matter, I incline, on conservative grounds, to election of a colonial Upper House. My desire is, to strengthen the Upper House ; to make it an effective check upon the Lower House. The true remaining question is, whether strength would or would not be gained. This would, so far as I can judge, depend upon the manner of election. You wish the Upper House to represent Provincial Councils j I prefer that they should represent the people,—a very different matter. The fallacy arising from the creation of electoral colleges has been already adverted to. You say that "Mr. Carleton'e proposals indicate a grave change in the policy of some of the more thoughtful Centralists," —the nick-name you are pleased to bestow on the supporters of local government, to cover your own disregard of the out-districts. Now you are perfectly aware,—no one better, that my proposals do not indicate a change. Do not charge me with discourtesy; I have right to make a simple statement of fact. You know it, because I have said so in the columns of your own newspaper, and that is enough.'. But you also know my v6tes : 'upon the question; and that while others; may have changed, I am exactly where I was.

With a curious confusion of ideas, you ' jamblfcf tpgethWT'what -yonrfTare; pletaefrito •all nrV" remedies,*'—" equalising th««£re- •_ :Fund to go to ih« Geaeral QoTemmant; naitire toNew Uletir." [ Now I h»d carefully kept the firstllietinctr from -the rest "Thefirrtandbeet : inov«,:'l urged was, equalisationdf the representation?; faUing tiunf, fiaancialjeparation of 1 'the 1 Is-' lands ;—to. speak more precisely,, in the ; matter of Customs duties, not of the Land fond..,. , ... 7".".,"~,, The fact is| that my.sober and moderate • proposal, going back-to old times, is not sen■sational enough to attract much notice. You may make yourself easy about it, for it will not be carried. But donbt suppose that, for the sake of the word "separation," I am likely to join in with any of the crude and extreme proposals' that seem'to'be y finding ' favour, now. • I neither go back nor advance; I take my stand: where. I always was.: If out-reasoned, I wUT: confess':;"' but ask for reason, and not forrpefyersien'ofmy own opinions and arguments; "■- ;•. '■■■'~'. .: • ;••, ' Yon. say, with truth, that my proppsals •will commend. tHeniselves to neither party'.' I. have not sought >to win favour from' either party; ;but ; only to go straight. have,;&c., '''■ ■"■ L " ! '•'•'■ ;'.:■','. ~. Huqh'O abletok. : ' Salona, Bay of. Islands, ... ; :"November llj 1875. , • •'', :-i ~■; :.'. ••■'.' .' —■ —■'' '''.".'''"' "■' * ■ )■:■: '. ■..■.;,■■ MORE LIGHT. ;.'-,; .■■■ : -.:..' .• To the Editor of the Herald. Sib,—l beg to' cqmplaiii of an' injustice which has long been inflicted on the reaidentg of Union-street. I refer to'the matter of their being deprived of a gas-lampV of which they havelong- been- in want,- and: while less'impc*tarit.-. streets are,, favoured], ynth. '; one. W[e have tppay. heavy taxes,Vahd.vre have as good a right to 'fair play in the matter of gas as other less important 'streets; , /' Complaints are loud and deep frpin,th'e residents of this street , against the, authorities, - and they are determined to move pretty-strongly in this matter, .shortly. , lideed, with the state of the streetj. which is : i : crying disgrace, we shall soon:hear of broken lunhsj unless we have a lamp placed, about, say, the coiperOof .Union, and'iNapier-streets.A-1 am, &c., .ii •,/..:>;j)/> - A KsarDUNT in thb Stskbt.- - Z ','. O I T.'. "'" ' »'■' ■'' —: vj. '.■'.':-. <;.;■'"