LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 204, 16 August 1860, Page 2

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Wanganui, August 13, 1860

Sir, — The proposal of “ Rifleman ” in your last, though good in the main, seems objectionable in regard to the style and scale of prizes. Of course if the first prize be £IOO the 2nd and 3rd must be in proportion, and the company prizes on a similarly liberal scale. The subscriptions necessary to pay for all these might prevent some from joining. A prize too gives a mercenary character to what should be merely a matter of honour ; and as the winners would be apt to be thought mean unless they fooled the cash away on a ball or dinner, I think the chances are that, ho one except the publicans would really be. gainers, at any rate in a tangible form. I venture, therefore, to suggest as an amendment, that the prizes should be first-class rifles, with a small inscribed plate for Company prizes, stating the number of the Company and the prize,; the date and winner’s name; and for general prizes, the words “general practice” instead of Company’s number. These last might also be more highly finished, and all should be furnished with moulds, &c., complete. Trophies like these hanging on our walls would be a source of honest pride to our wives and families as well as to ourselves, and be valuable as additions to the defensive means of the district if needful.

I am, your obedient servant, A Member or No, 2 Company.

August 16. 1860.

Sir, —The community of JTanganui have never been backward in securing their own private individual interest,' but on the contrary have pnrsued it with praiseworthy 1 industry; how then can we account for the'perfect apathy which prevails amongst them in a matter which concerns the public welfare, their own and children’s, rights—and which may be secured to them by a mere expression of their wish? Surely some fatal charm, some fallacious spell, must blind us to our own and children’s interests—-which they may lose by our neglect. We have seen the magistrates, without any shadow of authority, make a request to the Superintendent, “ that the Reserve on the other si ie of the river should be

laid off and sold in small allotments,” without any reference to our claims or those of onr * rv children, which they would so trample upon andv annihilate without; onr sanction; in like manner they have given permission to Mr. Jones to build a house there, ’under some secret agreement that lie may purchase the land on which it stands; thus taking away our privileges without consulting us in the slightest degree. And may I ask, if, in granting him a.license, theyhav;e carried out.the Licensing act to the letter—or, was it a private affair?- We suppose it should have been the Sub-treasurer’s duty to collect the rent for the Ferry.; but that has not been done. Why this culpable partiality? If we do not stir ourselves I suppose their .next act .will be, to request the Superintendent to lay off the nice-course in small allotments, and sell that; and when the public mind has somewhat recovered;itself,;a similar application.may be, made for the sale ,of the Town Belt, or perhaps the Market-place, to. build upon—seeing as yet we have no use for them, and that, like the Reserve opposite, they remain unproductive. But if .JFanganni goes ahead as, it has done this last half-dozen years, our. children’s children may see a good market-house . built, and the farmers pitching their wheat therefor sale as in market towns in Great Britain. It is time, full time, that the people should secure these their rights and privileges, or there will be some reason in their losing all. I call upon every,, or any, respectable public spirited gentleman tp come forward and give the people an opportunity to claim and secure their own and children's rights. Do not let it be said that ,we are callous ,to our own and their privileges; that we look on calmly, and see them vanish before oiir eyes without one effort to save them, and that effort luefely. the ; lioldi.ng. up our hands. Auc.h. ~. inertness would be suicidal on our .part, aud our offspring will have great reason to : condemn our wicked want of even small energy, when all our “ample reserves for public purposes” are swept away. I am, sir, your obclt. servant, v J. Broughton.

August 16, 1850.

Sir, —A celebrated writer of the last century has said,-that, nothing is more favourable to despotism and corrupt governments than a rebellion or a civil war, as it gives them something to do which is admirably adapted to draw the public attention off from their own affairs, while a large majority are. ready to give all the support they can to restore peace and order, in hopes -that the government will reward their loyalty by ; .putting them, into some good office. with a salary, which of course foL lows to a certainty. On the other hand, it is fair to premise, that a just and honest Government, which has the real welfare of its subjects at heart, is above such unworthy ' motives as to sacrifice their interests for the sake of political capital. Now, whether we are at present involved in a civil war or a rebellion, is not of much consequence; but certain we are* that while the General Government are availing themselves of the general panic and confusion into which our country is so suddenly plunged,' they, instead .of doing what was accessary to. confine the war to where it broke out, have sent their emissaries into our province to create alarm, and got us into such a state of fear and excitement that nearly three-fourths of the population haye rushed to arms, without thinking what they were doing, except a few, who were rather farther seeing than their neighbours, and had an eye to office and pay ; in fact, this has been so very glaring, at least in our province, that’ the heads of departments-have endeavoured to hold on to their civil as well as military ap-'. pointments so tenaciously, that it has been found necessary to take the strong hand with them ; which our Superintendent has done by giving them notice to choose between the two,; and either retire from their official office,, or give up their military.one to some unfortunate settler, who has had to make great sacrifice to attend to his drill. But I regret to say that the spirit of avarice does not remain with the officials alone, for we have here in our own settlement men so greedy of gain and. office . both, that they are attempting to hold on to two or three appointments even where they have been conferred on them by their comrades. Now, what is the value of the services of such earthworms as these ? Are they worthy to hold office in a volunteer corps?— or what would the services of a regiment.be worth under such leaders ?-—men so thoroughly void of the least, spark of patriotism', that they’ are scarcely fit to be put in the balance against our friendly natives, iu whose fidelity-we have so little faith.

Now, sir, I will venture to flatter myself that the above remarks will astonish some of your readers, and ‘they will very' naturally wonder what has come over us that such a state of affairs can exist underfree institutions; but the fact is, the people are themselves solely to blame for submitting;to it, and it just shows how war paves the way for despotism and corruption, and throws people off their guard until it is too late, and they do not find their mistake out until it has gone so far that it must be a work of.:time to restore them to their original peace an.i power. In conclusion, I would just observe, that if we cannot get better tools to fight the natives with, we ought to try what diplomacy and-legislation, will do ; certain, we are; that while' we depended ;oii that source we were successful, and main- « tained peace and order; and had'-we continued to depend still on it, instead-of virtually aban- • doning it.for the sword, which I firmly assert Governor' Brown has * done; the course for his successor would have been much cleared than, he is likely to leave jt at present, ■ One of tiie Smith Family, .