Correspondence.

Colonist, Issue 6, 10 November 1857, Page 3

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Colonist. Sir, —The name of Swift has become of late as " familiar as household words." The productions of that extraordinary man have supplied subjects to the large and cultivated mind of one amongst us, who with all his strong tendencies to a privileged class, yet labours honestly, and with zeal, to elevate all to that point. The works of the same great man have supplied a catalogue of sobriquets for his opponents to one of meaner capacity, with an impulsive, eccentric mind. The same Swift, in one of his letters describes party feeling prevailing in his time so graphically, aad so characteristic of a state of things recently existing amongst us, that the quotation of the pas-1 sage may not be inappropriate : — " The reign of party was so warm and high, and so universal, that the dogs in the streets were much more contumlious and quarrelsome than usual; and at night a committee of.Whig and Tory cats had a very warm and loud debate upon the roof of the house. But why should we wonder at that, when the very ladies are split asunder into high church and low, and, out of zeal of religion, have hardly time to say their prayers." The speeches at the gathering of the great actors on our small political stage brought the above passage to mind; and surely if a Swift were living among us, his prolific pen would find food enough in satirising the sayings and doings of our little legislators. . .. Dr. Munro's speech was " lerigthy" to a painful degree, and somewhat contradictory. He repudiated overmuch legislation (in which every com-mon-sense man will agree with him) in one place, and, with the help of his satillites, belabours the Executive for not entering on a variety of schemes, practicable and impracticable. Dr. Munro when confident of success can put on his best manners, and then he gains jgolden opinions from all. A man is required who can suffer defeat with calmness, and who will not become drunk with success. Of Dr. Renwick's heavy labors in his old vocation of Was c Lands, little need be said. They are the worn-out utterances " clobbered" up for the occasion. But Dr. Renwick surely cannot suppose for a moment that the proceedings of the little knot at the head of the Council table can be easily forgotten by those who witnessed the scene; such twistings, such turnings, such accurate calculations made how long it would take to purchase the runs of one, how little the hills at the back of the section of another could be got for, or how cheaply mineral lands could be procured by a third, and how careful—indeed the carefulness of a parent could not exceed it—all these were, that the poor man should not be precipitated into inextricable difficulties by getting liis fifty or hundred acres on credit; although they demanded seventeen years' credit for their ten or twenty thousand acres. This scene was enacted night after night, to the disgust of the public, and detriment of the general service. At last Dr. Mimro returned from his southern tour, and immediately, with his usual sagacity saw that it was altogether " too bad." The proceedings were stopped; the senators, like Cs&sar at his death, folded their arms and assumed a dignity though they had it not; and threw the blame of the loss of time and defects of the bill on the Government. Such were our legislators, and such was-their legislation in the Council last session, and the public will not soon forget it. The testimony of Dr. Renwick, however, to the benefits likely to accrue to the Province by the adoption ef a careful credit system is something, and we thank him for it. The only reference that can be made to another principal actor is, that it will remind the public strongly of the old saying concerning a certain personage quoting scripture; and that one who has tried all sides should be capable of pronouncing which is the " right side," were his judgment and honesty to be trusted. The minor, parts may be passed over with the simple remark that it is. hoped that the gentle coquetting between the brother runholders was as affecting to the spectators as it appears ludicrous to the outsiders. ANTI-FACTUM. Motueka, Oct. 27th, 1857.

To the Editor of the Colonist, SrR, —Yourcontemporary's leading article of Wednesday last was, I think, one on the best of the many clever written articles which has appeared in that paper; and I am glad to find that they have obtained the services of such a gentleman as the present editor. A gentleman who has kept aloof from any political squabbles, and who has, neither thrown any political filth himself, nor has any been thrown at him by those who haA Te been so liberal in its distribution; one of these geniuses has thought the best thing he could do after failing in setting the public against the Superintendent, was to- fall back on the more profitable, and perhaps a little more creditable position, of purveyor to the luxuries of the lower orders, which, if it does not elevate their minds to a Grecian or Roman standard, very often brings them before their superiors in the Forum. It would be presumptious in me to gainsay any part of that. article ; but I will,. Mr. Editor, with your permission try my hand in finding a parallel to it, by comparing Nelson to Rome. Our settlement, it is well known, was peopled by adventurers from all parts of the world, and if it did not come up to Rome in the number of out-laws, we had our share of them. We likewise had a small admixture of Partrician blood in the shape of original land purchasers, and I am sure you will agree to the simile when I say that we had a Romulus in our first elected Superintendent, whose woolfish disposition was early developed in the great appetite he displayed for sheep and sheep runs, and the same woolfish propensities were inherent in his political brother Remus, who, it has been said, was very materially assisted by the patronage of Romulus, in obtaining for him large grants of land for a number of years at a nominal rent, besides having the great privilege conferred on him of being the public recorder of the sayings and doings of his august brother, and hi 3 satellites, and for which he was handsomely rewarded. Then we have the Sabines in the shape of Wellington merchants who, if they do not stoal our virgins, cirtainly contrive to abstract our virgin gold from this Province, and which seems to be tacitly agreed to by our merchants, rather than lower their prie«*s^till stern necessity compels them. We need not go m Wellington for an example of Sparta, we have it (n the Wairau, the Partricians of which would very scion make Helots of the rest of the community, and would upon an election, or any other great occasion,

allow them to get intoxicated, so that they migh exhibit-them to their children, and learn them to detest that soul-depressing and a avion, vice Intemperance. When the late Superintendent first came into office he found the Treasury lull enough, for the purpose of carrying on his Government and the majority of the people' satisfied with him. After three years' tenure of office he deserted them, having made them, the ladder of his ambition, by which he gained a higher situation. -He left them with an empty Treasury, and discontent sown broadcast over the Province. Jealousy and distrust of.our leading men sprung up in the. minds of the masses, and which was kept alive by political mountebanks and their agents, itinerating the Province, making great promises towards reform and extensive improvements. One of the would-be Superintendents declared he would borrow fifty thousand pounds and make a road to the Wairau, but how that would benefit the Province at large I cannot see—it certainly would improve the great properties there, so that the owners of them could return- to the Old Country and become tliat which is considered the curse of any country, an absentee. Tha very sensible remark made by your contemporary, (that the" great majority prefer peace to war, and good order to confusion and. anarchy,; and would, if fairly called upon, always marshal on the side of authority) will, I am sure, find a response in the breast of every man in the Province of Nelson, whether that authority was established by the many or the few. In conclusion, Nelson is not Athens, or Rome, nor have many (if our senators (if we may judge from their speeches) drank deep at the fountains of Grecian or Roman lore. With every respect Mr. Erlitor, for such inestimable advantages,' I cannot' believe that any man being deficient in these great qualities, but otherwise, intelligent and clever, should be incapable of governing the Province of Nelson. I am pleased that the editorship of the Nelson Examiner, is placed in such liberal hands, and that fair play; and no favor is to be given, which, I am sorry to say for some time.back has been the exception; not the rule, and which,.despairing of, was the means of bringing an opposition press to this settlement. Hoping, ]\lr. Editor, that the present Superintendent will be able to carry out a tithe of what is expected of him, I beg to remaiu, . Yours, &c, &c, AN. OLD SETTLER: Nelso:i, November stli, 1857. To the Editor of the Colonist. • Sir,—Allow me through the medium of your paper to call the attention of the public to the disgraceful state in which one of our principal'drains is allowed to remain.. The one I allude to is the one commencing, on the foot of the Church Hill, and running through Trafalgar-street to Bush's Mill. The state in which it is in calls for immediate attention. Open the who c length, except where necessaiily crossed by bridgesj and half choked by weeds, it is the cbnimon receptacle for all kinds of animal filth and decaying ye'getaVe matter. Running through one of the principal streets, and fronting some of the best business situation's in Nelson, it is offensive alike to the eye and nostril, and must cause that part of the towii to be extremely unhealthy. If something is not done very shortly, we shall have the same, complaints made this summer that were made last—of the badnsss of the water and of the prevalence of diarrhoea. Gould not something be done as well toward.-) more efiiji-.sUi.ly draining' the swamp at the back of.Bridge-strest, fronting the Odd Fellows' Hall. It is almost impossible to cross on foot after a shower of rain, and anything like a continuaiico of wet weather, speedily converts it-into.alakcofm.ud. The evil consequences of this may not be feit very seriously at present, but as the town becomes more dendy populated, and the free play of the land arid sea breezes intercepted, we shall find disease rampant in our midst. These things are too serious to be lightly passed over. The sooner good sanatory measures are adopted the better. I am, Sir, WHO YOU LIKE.