RATHER HOT ON THE lIEUALD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3228, 16 September 1879, Page 3

RATHER HOT ON THE HERALD.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, — As your correspondence column

is open to all, may I bo allowed through its medium to make a few comments upon tho loader in your Saturday's

evening issue ; — Tho article in question opens by informing us that tho Government and Opposition returns to Parliament being so equal in numbers, tho small bnlance of doubtfulß will bo incitative of eloquential leadership, or influenced by the more weighty consideration of tho publio weal. May I ask, sir, why not ? Can there be anything moro commendable in either case, should the only avenno open be tho extended palm, or should they follow blindly ? Tho writer regrets that tho returns aro not more decisive as to tho question at issue, yet follows with the admission that tho defeat of Fox and Whitaker, con pled by tho victory of Grey and his supporter at Christchurch, is most incisive in its action. Sir, these statements sadly jumblo ; blind, indeed, must bo the roader if he does nob sco the appeal to tho constituencies to havo beon signally triumphant for tho Ministry. But mark tho rambling ot the following : "Tho Bunny North returns, with ono or two exceptions, Government supporters ; tho bracing South returns Opposionists." Is Taranaki,or ftupier, in tho bracing South. Let

sloeply hollow in its ohagrin lie. Buc what I take most exception to is the twaddling nonsense that follows in respect to small constituencies being so much wiser than largo constituencies. The writer of your leader would appoar to bo bumptious enough to imagine himself beyond the collootivo wisdom of the whole of the constituencies. If I mistake not, his local dictum in tho matter of tho petitiou on the harbour question was in accordance with his wholesale denunciation of the Colony at large. The writer goes on to prognosfcioate the probable consequoncos, as a punishment, of tho action taken by the wine constituencies, not regarding the Jovinian utterances with favour, well knowing aa he does, or ought to, that it is an inevitable and a just result when small bodies of men set themselves up to coerce largo constituencies. He is suggestive of its own remedy, the ro-distribntion of power. In re. spect to tho miserable twaddle about the braciwj South, Canterbury, tho most intelligent Province of the South (without any invidious reference to Otago^, has returned two Grey supporters for one Opposttion. So far, (ho bracing South havo acted nobly. It is also remarkable that not one of the Ministry has been rejected by their constituents. This is strong contrast with tho treatment of the two leaders of the Opposition. Sir, it is in tho distribution of such rubbish as your loader of Saturday, and the absence of a paper to enable writers to controvert such stuff, and to onunciato the true principles of Government that has kept Taranaki in tho back-gronnd. Bank influence, and the dictation of a ring, has stifled its growth, and deprived it of valuable services freely offered by disinterested statesmen. Were it not for the caballing of place hunters and thoir satellites, tho present Ministry would have deprived your loader of its power of utterauce in its concluding passages. Only that the settlement of native affairs is essential to the progress of the Colony, it would be well that Taranaki should be punished by keeping the native question in abeyance for a few yoars in return for the base ingratitude and folly of rejeotiug the Liberal disposition of the present Ministry in her favour. — I am, &c., A Hater op Injustice, not a J.P.

September 15, 1879. [The above correspondent is wrong when ho speaks about tho absence of a paper to enable writers to controvert things that may appear. Our columns aro open to writers of all shad os of opinion. — Ed. T.H.]