THE Otaga Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 365, 20 February 1863, Page 4

THE Otaga Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam."

DUNEDIN, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20,

Has Major Richardson no friends to advise him when his personal prejudices warp his judgment? If he had, surely he would not have committed himself to the address which he has presented to the electors. He has already shown himself regardless of all consideration of consistency, so that we have no reason to be surprised at a similar tone pervading his address, but we did not anticipate that he would at the same time show himself so indifferent to the cauons of good taste. It seems to be Major Richardson's fate to himself afford the proof for the most uncharitable surmises conceived concerning him. Whilst some thought that his coquetting concerning his intention to offer himself for re-election, was part of a deeply laid system of intrigue we inclined to the belief that it was only an excess of vanity that was at fault. But now it appears from the address before us, that all the miserable pretexts about desiring to retire, not coming forward without a requisition and so on, had for their object the entrapping the other candidate into first expressing his opinions. We should be sorry to be uncharitable, but we ask is any other explanation compatible with the indelicate course pursued by the Major ot making the whole subject of his address a criticism of that of his opponent? Supposing that it was only the desire to satisfy his vanity by excitinga pressing demonstration in his favor that induced him on the Dun9tan to state his intention of not coming forward; supposing that it was the same feeling that led to his evasive reply to the deputation, and afterwards inspired the circular entreating the electbrs to send him a requisition —-supposing we say that vanity was the only main spring, good taste should surely -have dictated to him not to take advantage of his own circuitous manoeuvres to injure, an opponent whom that tortuous conduct' entrapped into coming forward. The least amend he could make to Mr Harris, for his indecision was not to take advantage of it; but when he attempts to do so by shirking the usual address to the electors, and substituting in its place a criticism on the address of his opponent, it is fair to believe that the desire to draw Mr. Harris out first had not a little to do with his singular proceedings. . From the Major's own lips, and from his own pen, let' us glance at those proceedings. At the Dunstan he declared his intention not to offer himself for re-election in consequence of his earnest desire for retirement. Xo necessity for his coming foi*ward arose in the meanwhile, yet in reply to a deputation which waited upon him not to entreat, but simply to ask him his intentions he so far modified his views as to imply, that if the electors."wanted him he would sacrifice his own personal convenience. No response to this was made, and the Major then selected " a " new line of country." He, himself, addressed the electors, and told them that he-could not come forward " unless the public voice is " so distinct, unequivocal, and general that it " would be dishonorable in me, having taken " the part I have taken to .hold aloof while a " fair portion of health and strength remain." This language seemed definite enough, yet the " public voice so distinct, unequivocal, and " general" resolves itself into a requisition, signed by 108 persons out of a-population of 45,000 —the signers of the requisition not being confined to those who are entitled to vote. Indeed, as if conscious of the hollow mockery, of a requisition which circulated far and,--wide for a lengthened period only attracted 108 signatures, the Major not very courteously and quite regardless of what he had previously written, replied to his requisitionists that he intended to come'forward whether they invited him or not. Let us now leave the wretched details of the opening of the Major's campaign, and look to his address as^ it.stands. But first we should say that whilst we have argued that the criticism of Mr Harris' address was meant to prejudice his chance, we by no means admit that it' has done so. On the contrary, Major Richardson ia singularly weak and inconclusive in the exception he takes to his opponent's address, whilst he cannot but injure himself with the electors, in venturing to shirk almost entirely tbe expression of his own opinions. The stale pretence that the electors already know his sentiments, is surely a transparent one seeing that the Electoral Roll is more than half filled with the names of those who cannot by possibility be cognisant of them. But, although candidates do occasionally evadegiving their views, by assuming that those! they address, are aware of them, we

challenge the whole range of precedent to pro- i duce an address filled- only with a hostile i criticism of a rival candidate. It is not a s rare thing for members of a Government, i cither at home or in the colonies to present i themselves for re-election: Neither is it an un- * frequent occurrence that candidates oppose i them unfavorable to their administration. 1 -Tit the Ministerial candidate is supposed to 1 stand on vantage ground,—he claims support, i .not on the negative basis of rebutting hos- i tile accusations, but on the affirmative one of proclaiming the nature of his policy.— "Qui i s.xcuse .accuse" —and Major Richardson forgets that, whilst he is defending himself, he ; admits the accusation. Fancy Lord Palmerston issuing an address to his constituency, in < which scarcely referring to the policy of his i Government, he sets himself to replying to the address of an opposition candidate, and you have an analagous instance, on a small scale, of the undignified course pursued by Major Richardson. In the flow of his unreasoning wrath, he has not even had the discre-r tion to abstain from attacking the Press. We, as the newspaper which he assails, will teach him a lesson in the dignity of which he seems deficient. If he cannot abstain from imputing impurity to a journal that honestly opposes his administration, that journal will at least have the magnanimity to overlook the peevish outpourings of his indiscreet recrimination. The circumstances under which the address has come before the electors, and its extraordinary nature, have occupied so much of our remarks that. we have not space to criticise the details it embodies. But we should warn Major Richardson that it will not hold water. His opinions on the land question are not, as he assumes, known, and people are anxious and have long been so that" he should descend from generalities to particulars. They know that his suggestions to the two last Councils have been treated with supreme contempt, — 'they know that the first thing the late Committee of the Council appointed to examine into the land regulations did, was to decide to put his Message, embodying his suggestions on one side altogether,—they know that he is constantly proposing new experiments, and they require to learn what are the specific, not the abstract, details of his policy. In short, they want to know, in so many words, how he would alter or amend the present regulations; or whether he would continue them as they are. No amount of generalising will save him from the necessity of categorically . enunciating his views. Again, Major Richardson will find that in mis representing MrHarris, whether he has done so intentionally or othcrwiso, he has not served his cause. In saying that he would not make the declaration of hundreds depend upon the caprice of any one individual, Mr Harris did not, as the Major pretends, profess himself opposed to the extensitm of Hundreds. He meant that he would not allow the power of declaring Hundreds to be used as a political weapon. He would not permit an irate Superintendent or a smarting Provincial Secretary to retaliate on an offending Member of the Provincial Council by depriving him of his "country." There are other points Jof Mr Harris' address which Major Richardson does not seem to understand, but on. which on another occasion we will endeavor to enlighten him.