IS WELLINGTON TO COUNT FOR NOTHING IN-THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Wellington Independent, Volume X, Issue 1309, 24 July 1858, Page 3

IS WELLINGTON TO COUNT FOR NOTHING IN-THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

The question, that headed the anonymous placard of last Friday, may reasonably suggest topics which deserve serious thought, onsthe part of the Electors of Wellington at;the present juncture.

It is evidently, most .undesirable, and at the same time utterly-unworthy of the position .which. 'Wellington ought always to take, in relation to the Government of the colony, ihat Jier voice \should be unheard and her • influence unfelt in the colonial Parliament. If no representatives were sent, the people 'weuld shew themselves unfit for free institutions,, but au equally disadvantageous result will follow, if those who are sent should be of such opposing principles, that their votes, shall counteract each other. .But it is possible that Wellington may count for something less than nothing—a mere minus quan'i:y—if her representatives arc such as shall abandon her, true interests, and either through ignorance or the influence of party feelings and local jealousies, shall substitute other

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.ends for those which would really tend to the advancement of this Province; ~" The elections' tliatare about to'take s place involve principles of the most diametrically opposite character—such "as in their effect will either maintain in their in- f tegrity those rights of free subjects of* Great Bri am which the Constitution Act has recognised, or shall reduce self-govern-ment to " a sham and a delusion." ".Cen-. tralism" as it is styled, would denude the r : provinces—that is practically, thepeople— "!, of all hut the most inconsiderable of local powers, would place almost ailiherevenue of the colony at the disposal of partially elective body, meeting, at"rare and distant intervals, and leaving all the executive power in the hands of a ministry, with the almost unlimited cori'rol- of the public exchequer. Provincialism on. the other hand, while it recognizes the strength and necessity of a federative union of the colony, still urges, that'at least while means of transit are so limited and slow, while local wants are so various; and the men who can represent them so few, the provinces ought to have the entire control—both legislative and executive,--of all their estates and revenue,"of all matters affecting the social arid political' status of their inhabitants, with; the exception of the comparatively few subjects in respect of which uniformity of action is desirable throughout the whole colony. /' V , Which of these principles is to prevail, is the question which the electors of Wellington have now to decide. Are we to preserve to ourselves and our children those institutions which for fourteen years we struggled to obtain, or are we to allow all their highest advantages to be wrested from us, before they have had time to do more than indicate their nascent strength ? Wellington and Nelson—worthy- in this of the great names they bear-—contended earnestly for these institutions as the birthright of Britain, while Auckland opposed, Otago was indifferent, and Canterbury non-existent, and now to suffer the fruit to be taken away when if is actually within our grasp, would argue either that -we were insincere in our former efforts,; or that/we are so deficient in manliness of purpose as to treat the prize we have won as a child does his toy, coveting it and clamouring for it, that in the moment of possession it may be "broken and thrown

What provincialism has done for tins Province within the last five, years is patent- and astounding. Population, trade, revenue, flocks and herds, roads, bridges— all these supply landmarks to note our social progress. Above all we may point to the light-house which provincialism is now building, in spite of centralism and Auckland, the effect of which will' he to make our harbour what nature designed it to he, a safe and convenient calling place on "the great highway of nations." Let provincialism but prevail.and the question of the seat of government will' settle itself. ": be j increase of our population will so increase I onr strength in the House of Keprescnfa- ! tives that Auckland will be unable to maintam-iw... ;t ; n ere , , t] bers it can crowd.m;artne an•b»,-.-j_j i . House, and Wellington will thus'reap the~~ advantages which her geographical position has ever given her the right to expect. What centralism will do if it becomes paramount, the proceedings of the present Session of ; the Assembly :sho-,. with sufficient distinctness. The revenue a _ sorbed, the magistracy made independent 'of the' local authorities, a useful j ostal _ervice on the West Coast exchanged for one whose inconveniences in two weeks' trial ■ are found to be unbearable, the.head quarters of the inter-colonial steam- service fixed at Nelson—these things we already know, and much more may yet be learnt—-and if one session has done this—avid a similar course is still to he pursued, then all we shall have to say will ; be, , ~

Alas ! poor Wellington! But is it clear that the candidates on both sides in the present contest are not provincialists ? The inquiry is a reasonable one, and we will devote a brief space to its reply. That Dr. Feathers ton is the champion of provincialism is the boast of Wellington and the cause of the spite of Auckland That Capt. Rhodes will stand firmly and consistently by Dr.,Featherston all his past career shows, while the large stake he has in theprovince is sufficient to prove that he could, not be negleciful of its interests without being care-ess of his

own. Their opponents on the con<vary are men all of whose poliiical anteceden's' show.that theyare only now cundida'es that they may oppose Dr. Feathers .on and ihe constitutional party—the rarty/of the people—with which he is identified: All their acts as political men have.been mean and obstructive. As individuals, Mr. Bowler is well known to have such large and intimate business relaiions with Canterbury that his sympathies-"are" 'rather there than here, while as forJVlr.' Wakefield, no one does or can regard him but . as a man, ready lo grasp at power and 1 * profit from whatever quarter they may come and in whatever way they may be attained. His " traitorous " desertion.(the phrasa is that of his ally, Mr.; Ludlain) of the cause of this province just at the moment when success seemed certain, would of itself stamp .the man, but when in addition to this it is observed;with what yells of frantio exultation the Auckland papers triumph in every temporary success that he and his party have.gained, when it is perceived, ; howV secure' Auckland and its oreature the -.taU'ord. Sewell ministry appear, because ihey think tho " shtirp tongues",,/of 'the ~three Fs. will not luriher noo'test thetti,, ihe'l-conolusioa becomes inevitable that .these,!tooii are eci'iiralists of thie worst kind:4men. whoso

parly says" ;You did" and the olhor sdys " f didn't," whet, you can believe whichever you like. It is a tact proved by the Blue Book of the Assembly, and admitted by Jerninghara Wakefield himself. It is a fact for which their new ally Speaket Luillam, in 1854, deuonnoed the two Wakefields as " Traitors lo Wellingtoi)." Yes this was what Ludlam said of them; Lv .lam who bow eats of the crumbs which (ail from the Wakefield table. Traitors they were, no doubt about it; but wha is he who joins traitors and tries to put them into power ? And yet this is the man whom his friends cull''honest Ludlam !!" Ludlam who denounces the Witkefields as traitors to Wellington, in 1854, and in 1858 is hand aud glove with the same traitors, and do .s all he can to make one of them Governor of Wellington. Its a curious kind of honesty that is; to be' in the detective police force one day and the next day " pal" with the thieves. Oh Ludlam, Ludlam who is the traitor ?

The excuses that Wakefield makes for walking out ofthe House, ore about the most miserable that ever were invented. It really seems as if he had talked nonsense to these pudding-headed men so long that he expected it to go down with other people. If he had been talking to a small tea-party of Harrises and Gamps, or addressing the marines, it might have done. But that sort of talk won't do with the Wellington electors, who have heads on their shoulders, and can think for themselves.- His excuses are—first, that the resolution moved by Fitzgerald that the next meeting of the Assembly should be at Wellington, was brought forward in a great hurry, and on the last day but one of the Session; and secondly that voting for Wellington would have very much offended the Auckland people and might have made enemies of them.

Now just let us look at this small teaparty talk. The resolution was brought forward without .much notice—true, hut was not the question one which had formed the fighting ground of the northern and southern colonists for fourteen years and upwards ? Hadn't every southern man long made up his mind about it, and every northern man the same? If the Assembly bad" coffee ground" for fourteen years more, would you have got a bit nearer being agreed upon it P But then it-was the.last duy but one of the Session. Well, what time could be more proper, what time more.'usual, than the time just before the .Assembly was prorogued, to decide where it should meet next? If you adjourn a public meeting do you do it at , the beginning or at the end ? No, no, Mr. Wakefield that excuse won't help you over the style. But.lliun lie says, passing the rooolution.insuch a hurry would have very much offended the Auckland people. Oh indeed; and so to avoid offending the Aucklandpeople this conciliatory young gentleman who would'nt hurt anybody's feelings, walks out of the House and prevents Wellington being the seat of Government. Nice young man indeed— very thoughtful for his Auckland friends ! But he seems to have altogether forgotten the feelings of his Wellington friends. Would it'have offended Fitzgerald's resolution had been carriedin a hurry ? Would they have grumbled because it was passed in the last day but one of the session ? Would they have felt very sore that an opportunity for coffee-grinding over it for three months was not afforded to the representatives ?

Now if you send Wnkefield ugain what, security have you that his kind consideration for Auckland feelings won't induce him to sell you again ? If the motion he not made at. exactly the right time, or not worded in exactly the right manner, lie will ho afraid of offending the Auckland men, and holt out of the houso as he did before'"' We want men who will think a little more of pleasing Wellington and a little less of displeasing Auckland. We want the sent of Government, and not excuses for having prevented our getting it. The opportunity was once within your reach. You lost it hy the treachery of the Wakefields. Fitzgerald and Sewell both said so at n Wellington public din ncr; and Ludlam, Speaker Ludlani, Honest Ludlam, Wakefields new chum Ludlam ! denounced the Wakefields us traitors for sacrificing your interests. You will never have so good a'chance again. All the Auckland members were present. They could not have complained, as Wakeficld pretends,'that they were taken by surprise. ]f he end his father liad stuck to their colors, Aucklandwould have been defeated in a fair trial of strength. There was no talk then of Nelson or any other plaoe. That was not thought of till Wellington had let the chance slip, and the Wakefiolds had taught the opponents of Wellington that by dividing Wellington votes, thoy might have a ohance of it elsewhere.' It was their treachery which set the examplo for Xiudlam's, Bell's, and Valentine Smith's treachery when they joined Soivell after he had declared for Nelson, and it is to the treachery of the five, .the iwo -Wakefields, Smith, Bell and Ludlam, that Wellington owes it that the Assembly is not sitting here now, that a Wellington Ministry is not : in power, that the Waste Lands are unbought'from the Natives, that the prospect of getting the seat of Government is aVfar off,' if not farther than ever it. was, and thai (he troops are about to be t rembved ; "tp Auckland because it is the seat of Government.:, >p ,"" •Sfevef'triist anion who has once betrayed your interests. He will do it again £nd : invent new excuses for doing it. Those who are good at exoases are eel-

dom good «t anything else, and the faoility with which E. J." Wakefieltl invents excuses in this case, wretched ones though they are, is little indicative of his ability to serve you in this mutter. Dapeud upon it he is not the man to do you any good in fhe Assembly. Don't be made fools of twice. Stick to them who have served you »ad will serve-you honestly. Stiok to Feaiherstonandßhudes, and you'll nol regret it.