Correspondence.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 115, 26 November 1858, Page 2

Correspondence.

, To the Editor of tlie Colonist: . ... - Sir, —As your contemporary tells us that there are but two subjects worthy the study of a thoughtful man — namely, " Religion . and; Politics/ and as he, as well as yourself, 1 has - eschewed the first, I suppose we must be content . to ring the changes up the one string, •"'politics.''. Well, then, here goes for a touch of village tap-room politics:—Your contemporary tells us that during periods of depressionI—vxeamng thereby, I presume, when, owing to.a falling . off in the run of the tap, the beer gets hardmen (that is, the- club of the beer 'parlor) become not only dissatisfied with the then present state of the cellar, but despondent as to the future, that is to say, as to whether the landlord will start the old barrel, and tap a fresh cask for the club; and in order to induce him to do so, they appoint a special meeting of the club, and after bestowing, no small amount of abuse upon him and his sour beer," direct the ' committee to go and rummage his house and find fault with the beds and * furniture,'not because they ever slept in them, or ever entered any part of the premises but the club-room, but because the beer was sour; and these wise-acres thought that by meddling, with what did not concern them, they would be able to carry their point as to the fresh supply of beer. To drop metaphor, however, and to return, s to your contemporary.—He tells us when men find themselves in a fix, at such times they chiefly interest themselves in politics (politics being considered as opening the widest field for reasoning, foolery, and roguery), so that persons resorting to politics have three sources of study open *to them—■ first, in taking a reasonable view of things as. they present themselves for contemplation; second, in playing the fool or turning rogues; and third, in abusing the powers that be, and attributing all the causes of their depression and despondency to their want of management of their affairs. Here, again, I can discover nothing but a misapplication of terms. At the same time, in substance, the foregoing sentence fully bears out my interpretation of the general received notion of what some men ferin " politics," as explained in my letter of the 19th instant. What are we •to gather from the above if it is not thatin times of temporary depression or slackness of trade, the speculating portion of every community, when they find therriselves in a fix because they never will look an inch beyond their noses, set to work to abuse the Government of ft the, day. And. for why ? Because they have mismanaged the affairs ot the public ? Oh, no • but because, as they say, they have mismanagedtf/i«'r affairs. Andthisifor- - sooth*, is what■",'? we " of the Examiner, call taking an " interest; in politics," so that one would suppose that the business of these men was politics, not commerce. And because they have been so improvident as to overstock the market with goods, they turn round upon the Government and abuse them because they will not take their goods off their hands, or oblige them with a I rifling loan out of the public Treasury to enable them to meet their coming, acceptances. And this is what "we "of tlie.-. Examiner call " taking an interest,in politics." So much for these gentlemen's political princi-. pies and interest; and therefore I and others, who have no great faith in tlieir political honesty, must decline taking any shares,in their firm. If tbis is their version aoL .political economy, which they so earnestly recommend the study of to others, all I can > say is, much. good may it do those who follow it. But we f have something still more edifying in what follows—we are told a community will not bear to be worse off than it has been accustomed to be without asking Why! Well, leaving out the absurd bombastical "will n0.," who objects to such a question coming f*-*om any ! community under the circumstances stated? Of whom can they so properly ask it as of themselves? )'. In the .present I casey however, 1 demur to the justness of the assumption—l deny that the community-is in a worse condition than it has been accustomed to be. The trading portion of the community may not be just now perhaps so brisk as they may have been, but even that is hot so easily proved as asserted... But if such should be the case, that will not prove that it is worse than at any former period. But-if such should be the case I think if they will only apply to the proper quarter they might learn the cause; and probably hear of some means of remedying it. However, as I am not a member of our Chamber of Commerce, or the legal or confidential adviser, I shall not 'go out of my way to meddle with what does not concern me or to solve their problem; not that I think it would be a very difficult task. Plow a community can be said to be " worse off than it has been accustomed to be," with a steadily increasing revenue, and an expenditure of public money going on in every, occupied portion of the province in works which will benefit every branch of industry and facilitate the interchange of commoditie**, as well as promote the intercourse of society from one end of the province to the other, I confess, as Domine Sampson would \ say, " would puzzle a conjurer" to demonstrate. ! However, to proceed <: We are ,next told "our occasional murmurs and grumblings are less on account of any positive distress or reverses of fortune, than because our progress is not sufficient to satisfy us, or is less than that .of bur j neighbours," (no. wonder you - y?ttw'e" gehtleI men eschew all reference to religion, particuI larly the 10th commandment, to say nothing pf I some parts of the Liturgy); or because we think I; that those who have the power want the knowledge, or the inclination, or the energy, necessary to make the most of it for us; Make the most of what ? * Hear these modern money changers—these political dabblers! They tell us that their grumblings are not haseld upon 'any just grounds of complaint; but, " tell it not in Gath," upon our (say rather their) insatiable capacity for lucre (no matter at whose cost, so that it reaches their voracious maws) arid heart-burning, and jealousy, and envy of what they consider (in their benighted or wilful ignorance) the flourishing condition of some of our neighbouring provinces. Can any * sane man wonder that there should be. grumbling and discontent among people who can be led away- hy suoh-a blow-hot-and.-cold tissue of contradictions and false reasonings (if reasoning ij!,can be called) as the "he" pf the Examiner, professing to be the oldest branch of the public's best instructor-in New Zealand, have bodied forth in the" number now before me.- I find myself again at the end of my tether before I have half analysed half of this wonderful dissertation upon our pelitioal condition, and therefore for the present subscribe myself more consciously than ever, ~■ SRKEX ALBUS IGNORAMUS.