Dunedin, Saturday, January 17, 1852.

Otago Witness, Issue 35, 17 January 1852, Page 2

Dunedin, Saturday, January 17, 1852.

Maoaulay, in his History of England, speaking of James the Second's endeavour to enforce his despotic will upon

the Scottish nation, but which its ' Parliament had resolutely resisted^ says, — " If James had not been proof to all warning, these events would have sufficed to warn him. A few months before this time the most obsequious of English Parliaments had refused to submit to his pleasure. Eut the most obsequious of English Parliaments might be regarded as an independent and high, spirited assembly when compared with any Parliament which ever sate in Scotland ; and the servile spirit of Scottish Parliaments was always to be found in the highest perfection, extracted and condensed, among the Lords of Articles." Sir George Grey appears to have remarked the fact of how much these colonies, in their political circumstances, resemble this sketch of Great Uritain in the seventeenth century, and would seem to imagine that the similarity of the political condition of this country has a parallel in the moral character of its inhabitants, and seeks to govern in his own despotic i way by moans of a sei'vile section of the community. Every mail fromAVellington brings us new instances of his reliance upon his power of patronage to stifle the cry of the people for the right to manage their own affairs in their own inexpensive way. Thus we have a despatch from the Colonial Secretary, addressed to the Chairman of the Settlers' Association, from which it would appear that His Excellency has been listening to and putting forward the secret opinion of a few Government officials and placehunting Justices of the Peace as the most worthy source of information upon subjects of which the body of the public are alone iho proper judges ; — we mean the most judicious means of applying the taxes levied upon the people. ! The conviction -must now be upon the mind of every man in the settlement that he has only to be a supporter of His Excellency's policy to purchase an indemnity for any misdeed within I the pale of the law. Thus we have four magistrates out of a Bench of twelve or thirteen deciding a most important case, and obstinately refusing to review ilicir decision with a fuller Bench ; and the same gentlemen being desirous of the Bench giving a decision in a matter of public importance, and not caring to run the risk of a defeat by consultingthc whole body, meeting tccretlv, and summoning only those known to be favourable to j the object in view — a view, no doubt, which they well knew would suit His j Excellency. That liis Excellency should ask the opinion of the Bench of Magistrates on the subject of the police force is reasonable enough ; but that the chief of that force should be allowed to summon only his " friends" to give that opinion, and to keep the affair perfectly secret. from the rest of the Justices, is such a tricky proceeding as would never be tolerated or practised, unless the actors were pretty sure that j their known support of His Excellency's measures would bear them harmless. What then may the public expect ? His Excellency asked for the opinion of the Otago settlers on the subject of Local Self-government, and received some suggestions that did not suit his purpose : he will next apply to these would-be Lords of the Articles for their assistance ; and we shall not now be the least surprised to find that a secret assemblage of those Justices known to be favourable to His Excellency's policy — the Provincial Councils' and Land Claimants' Ordinances — has been held, and a decision come to to meet His Excellency's views, which His Excellency will pat forward, even in the face of the Petitions unanimously adopted at a public meeting, as the decision of the Otago public ; but we trust that the public will not allow themselves to be cheated of their undoubted right to express their sentiments on all occasions by the secret machinations of this magisterial clique of place-hunters. How long this secret committee of public safety have been exercising their function we do not know ; but we doubt not that the Resident Magistrate's office ! has for a long time exercised the functions of the lion's mouth at the Venetian Palace of Saint Mark, and secretly re- 1

ported, the conspiracies and conspirators against the government. These practices are altogether so un-English, that we hope our settlers will mark their detestation of them ; for who can say what amount of falsehood may not be charged upon them by this self-elected inquisition ?