THE Wellington Independent Saturday, November 28, 1857. THE SUPERINTENDENT'S ABSENCE.

Wellington Independent, Volume X, Issue 1247, 28 November 1857, Page 3

THE Wellington Independent Saturday, November 28, 1857. THE SUPERINTENDENT'S ABSENCE.

Nothing can show raoro clearly the personal character of the Wukefield movement against Dr. Featherston than the utlaek upon him in hist Wednesday's Spectator, evidently from Mr. E. J. Walcefieki'i pen, on account of his visit to Ahuriri and the East Coast. His Honor is charged with all sorts of offences because lie has chosen to go to Napier, and that too at tlio time when the Radical Reformers imiy be wishing to have a " little talk " with him. This is truly modest.

We Rclmii-e extremely that theory of these gentlemen which supposes that the Superintendent of the Province is always to be tied to a desk in Wellington Bench. Is Aliuriri not a part of the Province as well as Latnbton quay ? is Dr. Featherston not as much Superintendent of Aliuriri as he is of Tβ Aro or Thorn don Flat ? Is he never to quit the "metropolitan " precincts without the permission of Messrs. Wakefield, Atcheson, Howler, McLaggan, & Co. It seems these Wellington Beach Statesmen, are not contented with having got more than two thirds of the legislmivo power of the province into their hands, but they alone must have the benefit of the Superintendent's continued presence and the opportunity at all times of a "little talk" with him. Government by Wellington Bench begins to dcvelopo itself. How long the Province wilt be dictated to by these small hucksters remains to be seen. Wo are certain of one thing — namely, that Dr. Featherston will continue to visit any part of his Province without asking their consent. But the impartiality of this attack is as remarkable as its modesty. There is a public officer whose very title implies his residence in Wellington, namely, the Resident Magistrate (if that place, Mr. Henry St. Hill. Will the Spectator tell us where this functionary is at present ? We have heard that he is at his sheep station at Aliuriri, beyond Ike limits of his jurisdiction, and perhaps doing a little bit of canvassing on account of a certain " old English Gentleman," whose health was drunk at tho Radical banquet the other day. Of course nobody wants a " little talk " with Ann—no forlorn suitors visit the Police Omoe with a case to be heard and find do Resident Magistrate to hear it '. Perhaps the Spectator will favour us in its next number with nn article on the Resident Magistrate's absence at Ahuriri. and the impropriety of bis absenting himself from his official duties lo look after actual sheep ami possible constituents. Englishman aro fond of fair play—what is sauce for tltc female bird is sauce for the male.

What makes Mr. St. Hill's absence tho more noticeable and we should have thought would have tho more attracted the vigilant observation of the very patriotic Spectator, is that at this moment ihoro is absolutely no legal redress to he had in Wellington except iv his Court. Sinco Mi. Wnkefield's uncle was required to resign his seat the Supreme Court has been at n stand still—not a Writ can be issued, not a step tuken iv any proooedi

ing, all sorts of large rogues, " plunderers I of dead men's estutes" and such like, swagger about with impunity and snap their fingers nt the shackles and red shirts that await them. Mr. St. Hill's übseuce gives a like immunity to the small rogues, and certainly could not havo been worse timed than at tho prosent moment.

For our part we think tho more a Superintendent knows about his Province the better. The more he does so tho better he will bo able to understand its wants ami the less likely to bo misled by interested representations. One of the chief disqualifications of tho Wakofiekl party to ml minister tho affairs of tho Province is their almost utter ignorance of its various localities. Till n month ago, when Mr. Wakefiehl made a flying electioneering visit to Otaki we are informed ho had not been farther into the Province than tho Mutt valley, during some seven years which have elapsed since his last arrival in the Colony—and that ho has never set eyes on by far tho larger part of the settled districts. His tail are nearly all Wellington Cits, knowing about as much of the country and its affairs, as they do of Timbuctoo or Abysynia. They may be very passable authorities on invoices, bills of lading, dock warrants, and retail trade, but independently of tho general want of ability and Education for which they are notorious, their utter ignorance of the character and condiiion <if every part of the Pro vince except their own daily walk from their mansions in tho suburbs to their shops in the Town, makes us shudder for those rural interests on which they are about to inflict the calamity of their legislative wisdom.