THE SUPERINATENDENCY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 918, 25 September 1869, Page 3

THE SUPERINATENDENCY.

2b the Editor of the Taranaki Herald. Sib,— There are three graduates in the Taranaki arena combating with all their might for the honor and profit of the Saperintendenoy, tii., Mr. C., Mr. 8., and Mr. E. I will in as few words as I am able, state facts and give my opinion upon each. First, Mr. C.~ Nearly thirty years ago the New Zealand Company aeleofced Mr. C. from the engineer surveyors in Great Britain and Ireland to select and form a settlement and township in the Taranaki country of New Zealand. He ohose the site this town now stands on for the ohief town . There is a difference of opinion respecting such choice, but every engineer who has surveyed our roadstead and examined the coast north and south, have deoided that our roadstead or the Sugar Loaves are the only locality where a harbour oan be advantageously oonstruoted. The Waitara roadstead was not so much as even named by them, and had it not been for the unparalleled trial and difficulties we as a Frovinoe have had to contend against, wo should long ago have oonstruoted a harbour. If Mr. C k 's advice had been taken respecting oertain native reserves, there is every reason to believe there would have been a splendid harbour now. Mr. C. forewarned and predicted to others in office what disasters would ensue if faith was not kept with the natives, but he was outvoted—hence the disasters that have ensued. It certainly was only the thin end of the wedge, but it was the commencement of the split between European and Maori. What did the Rev. Mr. Bullor say hod and would be the fearful consequenoe of breaches of faith with the natives. There is one advantage Mr. C. has over his opponents which cannot be well over estimated, that is, he was the founder of this Frovinoe. His oponents will often have to go to blue books and hearsay while he will have it all at his fingers ends } in faot, he will be an oracle. Mr. C. still feels the dignity of being the first, and has an ardent desire to raise this Province to the proud position of being in reality (aot in name only) the garden of New Zealand; also, what wisdom and foresight he exhibited in the selection of his own and others land. His opponents are astonished, and acknowledge it to a man, that a man who has acted with so muoh judgment and foresight in his own affairs, is the very man we need at the present juncture— in faot, according to the fitness of things (as Thomas Carlyle says) he is the Man. He also has the largest amount of property here, or next to the largest. He is not a political aspirant) here to»day and gone to-morrow. I believe when he is elected Superintendent he will surpass the most sanguine wishes of all, but he will require an intelligent, go-ahead far-seeing Council •—not muff's, because they would be a clog to his wheels. If I were possessed of large properties, I would rather leave Mr. C. guardian over my fatherless children's property than any of his opponents. A word to those who are not fully up in the history of this Frovinoe at its first formation, don't be gulled by a few of the old settlers (I am one of near 27 years), some of them got 'splendid picking out of Mr. C, and would have got more if they could, and now they have got the audacity to blame him for doing it. I would say muoh more, but Mr. Editor would use his soissors. A few words will suffice for Mr. R. and Mr. X., because what they have done stands before us, and shows us that they are the most unfit men wo oould well select, with the exception of Mr. C.'s capacity of being well paid for seeing borrowed money spent. In opposing the harbor committee in their endeavour to commence the construction of a harbor Mr. R. and Mr. K. went hand in glovo, with the exception of one instance, that was respecting sending military aid to Colonel Whitmore, and the dispute was on this wise Mr. K. thought with Colonel Whittnore, th&t the wild birds had been driven into a swamp by the latter, and were unable to get out, and the authorities of New Plymouth had only to take some salt and put on their (the wild birds) tails and then they oould be able to oatch them with the greatest ease ; but Mr. R., prompted by the old veteran known better as Mr. Commissioner P ■ ■■■-, differed with Mr. X., and did not believe that the old sagacious wide-awake wild birds, who knew every inoh of the ground, would be caught in euch an humiliating position as that (at least it seems so), because they disapproved of sending men on that wild goose chase, but as it turned out it was Colonel Whitmore who was gulled and swamped by the said birds, who were crowing some miles off at the opposite point of the compass. The grand question is, oan a man bo a fit and proper person for Superintendent of a Province, where is so very much of the native element, who is so profoundly ignorant of Maori tactics and cautious manners.— Yours, &c, A. B.C.