To the Editor of the Otago- Witness. Secitur ad Astra.

Otago Witness, Issue 263, 13 December 1856, Page 5

To the Editor of the Otago- Witness. Sec itur ad Astra.

Oh ! Mr. Editor, — Do you remember when, upon the 6th April 1853, Ca.pt. Cargill remembered " a visit to York Cathedral ? The showman of 'the " Chapter House was a talkative man, and full of " reminiscences. Look, said he, at these walls, " these windows, and the seats all round, for — I " forget who he said,. It gave the idea of grave and " venerable personages. But never can I forget his " peroration. This king and that bishop, said he — " running over, a scale to Scottish ears like that of " Fergus the First to James the Last— did so and " so, and so and so, in, for, and about tbia noble *' Ghapter House ; but Oliver Cromwell made it a " stable for his troopers. Now it must be very " clear that, upon the recovery of this building, it " would have been mere idleness in its officials to " speculate upon the things that Oliver had sane- " tioned, or what had been done by his troopers on " their own account. To cleanse and restore to " proper uses was present and only duty. And even "so with our coming emancipation. Present duly " should be everything. Any loitering among the " exuviie of a bygone system, or referring to things " that are become the property of the historian in his " retirement, would be worse than useless. If your " property has been seized by troopers, English law " will bring it back, and that to the last shilling, " under existing and legitimate bonds. If you have " been maligned and misrepresented, the fruits of " your elections and genuine statistics will be the in- " siant and unmistaJiable cure. If your funds for " roads and bridges have been locked up in a five- " bagged Treasury, your Representatives will unlock "it and take out your own. And many an, Augean " stable will no doubt have to be swept and cleansed "by them ; such, for instance, as the Otago Bench, " with its adjuncts and associates, men of personal " violence, and such like— and truly there are no "other suches in the colony— an offence, to any " community, and an absolute nuisance in this." Now is the time to sweep out the v Augean Stable!!!" Oh ! Mr. Editor, under ' what influence must Capt. Cargill have been at dinner on the 21st November 1853, when he said " He could not but " allude to the important services rendered to Otago " by the Press, and the ability and energy displayed ; " by its representation in the person of Mr. Cutten, 1 " who, in their struggle against despotic govern- ; " ment, had averted much mischief. They had " started under a promise of a free Constitution, " and the gentleman he alluded to had ever' been "foremost in the endeavour to get and maintain " their political rights at the earliest possible date. " They had adverted to the power, energy, and | " talent with which their cause had been maintain- ■ "ed at the one end : it had been equally maintained ( "at tte other. The stand at this end had been , " equally determined, and perhaps made under " greater difficulties. To know Mr. Cutten once " was to know him thoroughly, as they might be " sure that there would be no compromise of prin- " ciple or vacillation on his part. He had fought " their with an undeviating adherence to "principle; there had been no shifting or chang- " ing, no serving of private interests, but, on the " contrary, he had sustained, at considerable " pecuniary sacrifice, a position the most pain- ' " ful, and duties the most onerous, and which, but 11 for his most remarkable cheerfulness pf disposi- " tion and good temper, niust^ have reudered him ' " miserable. He proposed ' Success to the Presß : " and the health of Mr. Cu't'teri/'' ' ' j Alas! Mr. Editor, for all this fine etilogium. • It> is now ", Success tb'the',Preds"andth'e : ; healUi'of iftr. ] Lambert." Now is the .time to call to your, aid your if remarkable cheerfulness of disposition \ and good j temper.?'. :.:>.!, < 1 ..- -On -•„ s..j tl „'nv.>. j -. Ohl-Mr. Editor, upon.'.the 14th November 1854,1 Mr. Macandre"W, one of the niembefs of 1 the; then ! Executive, concluded one of his high-flown speeches i at a meeting df.tlie'Provineial eouncilirithefolldwing^jthen , ! most. t:i pithy, bu^t nbw^nfortunately 1 ' most ' inappropriate, 'language, iflV- s far, ( as 'this present j proposed alterations of the, Land^llegiilation^ are j .concerned. ;He ■ then, s said-n" He ( mamtajned, ,that j " 'Responsible~Government.waß a : perfect. faic<vun-l " less there was a power to dissolve. -■ .Responsible j "to whom ? Why, ■to the -'people.; TherV, if so, "appeal to the people,* and ibide by the result, 'f He would sum up the. whole ' matter in a 'single "sentence.. 'A' faction in'theCouncil 'j who ( 'h'apjjens ," to comraand a majority, wish tp^seCtle tH ( e\tpnw W- of purchase of land within the largest Province

"of. New Zealand without consulting .the electors " in tiie iitif^f & T whicti iM'WtftitismtfP " atly dime. aU 'Honor the Supefiirt'encteiif is 'itc/i ' ," : tenmned to stand' b'etweeiiLthe '-people" and' this ! ," faction;" just as he has stood- Detweeti-'the people o J" and tKe usurpation of Sir George Grey,."and he f is; i" resolved, fJin, the exercise .of his constitutional! !'? rights, to. assent to no Land Regulations, fontilsmd j".«wfe«s the people axe, fytty,J 'airly, \.ans-ideliberr j" ately constUted. By their, decisipnh^fia^ ready to '".abide, and in,this course his present, advisers enf Mr. MACANDREWrwmds up by moving an amendjm'ent, consulting .of NosVl; 2J J and £ ? ihe ( second of 1 iwhich states "that there is no .call for' immediate '" andliasiy legislation on .'a subject of suchTitalim- !" pbftance iatfie future' interests of* this -Province^ j" especially !as the Regulations presently existing ." are sufficient' to meet present exigencies,'* &c. &c. ! < Has the Superintendent now, "resolved,' in the '! exercise of .his constitutional, rights, to assent to ' V new Landjßegulationa without, fully, fairly.,ahd: jj I.'1 .' deliberately consulting the, people,?''— ",ancl in !'.', this, course do, Vis present advisers entirely con- . If, thope, questions, are, affirmatively an-, Bwered,l cannot butf agree with jour _ correspondent '*^.^.who says— -" It is ibrtn'e. people now to proclaim Equal Laws ancl ftqtial 'Rights'; aria 4 lei there be but One La-w/ot Rich and Poor aKiie. If the wealthy are to obtain, unconditionally; great estates'' of the choicest of bur lands, let {he whole conditional system", as regards both rich and poor, be swept into. oblivion at once." , „ - The tendering for the Taieri Ferry, if the facts given by "A Lover of ( Justice" are true, (which I have no reason to dpubt) are only of a. piece in the Contract line, or rather in the Tendering line; with the Government, which have come under my own observation. — I am, &c. , An Old Settler. ■ 1b the Editor of ike Otago Witness. Sik, — Without, being censorious on, the motive that may have influenced your " Clutha " correspondent to attack Mr. Gillies respecting the advocacy of sound educational views in your columns by the latter gentleman, I wish to remark, that the production of your correspondent evinces a particular idiosyncrasy of character, which, though peculiar to some persons, is certainly not quite so common in Otago, as " Clutha" very complacently assumes. It is easy tp understand from your correspondent's remarks that the lower classed London journals, which pander to the morbid propensities of the lapsed masses, would about suit his not over fastidious palate ; still, if he could consult but a little the tastes of others, he would be aware that such literature is not the beau ideal of many of hi 3 fellow- colonists, and, like carrion, would be relished but by few. A .Sir, your journal is frequently filled with less useful and less instructive matter than are the letters of Mr. Gillies ; moreover, in the opinion of the writer, the general public appreciate such specimens of composition greatly more, and would much rather suffer such " unmerciful inflictions," thanthe illwritten scraps of so-called " original poetry I" which are so prominently introduced into your , columns. Nor am I aware that any leading article from the editorial pen treats the education question in so philosophical a manner as Mr. Gillies does ; for I feel persuaded that any discussion of the matter in which the editor of the Otago Witness has indulged is of a character wholly unworthy of so grave and important a topic, and whether or not calculated to damage the authority of the Government and advance the political interests of an opposing party, is all unbecoming and inconsistent with the responsible duty of a public journalist. — I am, &c, No Partisan. To the Editor of the Otago Witness. Mr. Editor,— l crave a small corner in-your paper for the following few remarks on Dr. Williams' statement published in your paper, of 15th November. It would be desirable to be more full, but at your desire I am short. Dr. Williams admits that he became personally responsible to me for £88 in terms of his contract with me, and that he has only paid me Jg2o. This explains the whole of this iniquitous business. Dr. Williams is personally responsible, but he 'does not choose .to fulfil his contract because some Jack-in-the-Box has not paid his subscription, and "Dr. Williams chooses rather to take advantage of my inability to prosecute him J at the Supreme Court than to prosecute tins Jack-in-the- Box. He submitted the matter to arbitration, but finding the decision of the arbiters' .deed against him, he takes advantage of the legal quibble" that there 'was no bond of arbitration signed, and "refuses to pay. ( He then, by a sort of illegal side-wind, tried to force meT)y an action at court" to pay' the penalty oifjß26 mentioned in L the' contract for its : non-ful-filment, and thus to get back ihe J jg!&o he paid me ank also 'to'clef five me of the'baiance'of^6B'diie to 'mcl ThTs failed'; the Court dismissed th ! e : 'ae*tibri, 'thus'fi.naiMg'that I had fulfilled' my cohtracV-'an.ii now' lie" screens "himself beiiiha'the Supr'emeequrV, believing that' I cannot follow' him 3 "there, ' but p^roj>abiy, th'rougK'th'e. h'efp of my friends, I r 'may*"yet T>e able to" drive him frbm'that _' refuge.* J> He cl^mi 'the credit of beinjlanxiou's to's^e the public money faithfully expenlfir Why'tfieh'aid hep ! nb't !tak'e care to see 1 that his specification wofild^cinVa proper 'expenditure of that money, «anil 'iio'fi'sfeei^to Vuin a poor man to bolster' 'up'hli^^wn'cre'Hit|^^' offered according Jo his specification, and'contracti e^accor'aih'giy. *'I fulfilled my ebntraeir, liotli%y'OTbitra : tion and before a court: 'oif'Taw^tlrl|^| more th'anYulfilled that'£on&^, v andp^^^ pay me. He admits that J he;wW .warned Keioi% J i'

tne^cpt\tract'. wasTfisimed that €attle"iriiglif "knock " the mOjUnds dp^n, ,yet,.he made .no, pro^isio,^ against such .an, t occurrence. , ,-> I j deny , that j J "guaranteed . that it.jwovild be .impossible for . cattle itp, knock, earthen mounds, do wft., Such aiiguarantee,. would only.begiven;by a fool; and it is>;strange thaf.-tliis is: the first time suchira guarantee « has* ibe'en'.mentioned. • 'I.deny.'that' -he gave direct^instructions'as'' to- the line, dndjt is<rein"arkable that he never aver- ' red'this'm'theGbiirtV'^'He^atlmits havingf;geen.-the' work after^ll 1 flie^mbtra'ds" We're erected^excepVtwo^' and now says he then objected' to the^lirie°andtne work, while Lpro,ved iliat neUher'^ihen^.japr'wnen, lie afterwards paid me the" jg2j6j.did .ne' niake'any; , objectionsto the line or the wprlL , jHe ,appears t to, . have expected that I would not only ,'cqrnplete the, work according to my. contract, -but uphold it for. at least ten . .weeks * thereafter, -.as ,that'- ; time had- , elapsed before ,he visitedvit after . it ,was. finished; ' and then, finding. some of tile-mounds. down, (not fallen,'. a'she>states, : but 1 knocked ddwn'-by 'cattle>as I proved) he refuses 'to pay me forgoing "the work".' There is 'one curious facti.' J Dr. Williams; paid' me the 1 £-20 after the work ; was finished ;' J afterwards he alleged that 'he.'could,npt pay me, as Mr/M'Glashan would, not pay him the sg2s subscribed by. the Government. .1 called^ on Mr. 31'Glaslian, and found that. Dr., Williams- got. from hiqithe aboutjthree weeks after the work was finished, and that he, the Doctor, told^Mr. M'Glashan that the work was finished to his satisfaction. I found also that* the Doctor has -received several other subscriptions, and that he now- holds -that money in his hands. He tells a cock-and-bull story about^a small hammer being broken as a reason why I had not built the mounds of stone ;' this" is new to me, and in itself ludicrous. If I could not or did not build the mounds of stone because I had broken my hammer the first day, as he insinuates, how did it happen thai I built many of them of that material ? Sortie.' were built of stone almost everyday I was engaged in 1 the work, and I proved that I built them of stone wherev.er I cquld" get it ; it was obviously to my advantage to build them of 'stone, as I could build three for every two I could' build of turf, and surely, if I broke my hammer ' and required another., 'it would be worth" my while to spend half a day in sending for a new hammer rather than spend half a week or more additional in erecting' turf mounds. He says the chimney of the But was nearly down when he visited it, while the arbiters, who had inspected it after he was there, swore that there was only a small piece of- the clay washed down. A.nd did he expect me to build a hut for £8 to keep the rain from washing the clay away? He says he was informed that the rain poured through the roof in" consequence of the unworkmanshiplike way it was thatched, but he failed to get the arbiters who inspected it to say so ; and when they were pressed to say if they saw any holes in the roof, they answered that they saw none but rat holes. " Oh," says the Doctor, " I don't want you to say anything about these." But I have said enough. The public have read the evidence, and they can judge of the Doctor's veracity, and whether he is anxious to save the public money, his own credit, or his own and his friends' pockets, at my expense. It is reported that his friends wish to appoint him general Sheep Inspector, at a salary of about £400. The public will look to the evidence in my case, and judge whether he is a person likely to exercise that important trust judiciously and impartially to friends and foes — rich and poor alike. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, David Millar. Sawyers' Bay, Ist Dec, 1856.