THE PEACE CONSPIRACY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1490, 18 January 1861, Page 5

THE PEACE CONSPIRACY.

(From the New Zealander, Jan. 5.) At election times one expects, as of course, electioneering tricks. On such occasions, a prescriptive license covers a multitude of small sins against fact and | rob ibi'ity, and as in love and war, so in electioneering, many things are considered " fair" which if tried by ordinary rules would command a verdict of a very opposite character. The stage business here is certainly brisk) on Thursday last, after a long :de]ay r the writs fo_ the new elections were

issued ; on Friday the curtain rises, and gentlemen in their war paint headed by Mr. Tom King of Taranaki, tumble on to the stage crying " here we are." Mr. King has beeu transformed by a louch of Mr. Fox's magic wand, aud, in the character of Guy Favvkes, he proceeds to blow up an assembly of senators at the Royal Hotel.

They had been conspiring, it seems, to accomplish a peaceful solution of the Native difficulty at Taranaki, not, however, in the fashion described by Mr. King, or imagined by Mr. Curlis.

Iv oar correspondence columns will be found indignant commentaries from some of the late Northern members. We leave these documents to speak for themselves, whilst we give a statement of the facts of the case so far as we hare ascertained them.

ji At a period of the Session when much anxiety was felt, and with reason, for the safety of Wellington, and for'lhatof a portion-at least of t'n's Province, a meeting of all the members from tl.e Northern Island, excepting Mr. Richmond, the Native Minister, was organized, with the purpose of considering whit the exigencies ol the time required. This meeting was to have been held in the Chamber of the House of Representatives; the airangements of the House, however, prevented the meeting being held there, and it was theu determined that the gathering should take place at the Royal Motel, where accordingly it was held. The Superintendent of Auckland was in the chair, and the end and object of the meeting cannot be better displayed than by giving the following resolution, which was in substance and nearlyin exact words, one that was read to the meeting by the Chairman : —

" That it is desirable that an address should be presented to the Governor requesting His Excellency to appoint a Commission consisting of—members of the General Assembly and such officers of the Government — (well acquainted with Native affairs) as his Excellency may deem fit, to proceed to Taranaki with a view to ascertain and repoit whethar or not any means can be devised, consistent with the dignity of the Crown, to bring to an end the unhappy war that exists there, arising out of differences that have taken place between certain native Chiefs of that district and the Governor."

This resolution was not proposed or formally put ; the proceedings were purely cunversational for the most part, and the adoption of any definite proposition was postpoued until (he receipt ol despatches which were then daily expected by the Guvcrnor. We have not been able to discover tbat there was then, or at auy time during the Session, a desire on (he part of the Northern members generally to " overthrow the Stafford Ministry," and it appears to us that Mr. Curtis, as woll as Mr. King, has draw upon his imagination for his facts relative to this uffuir.

The matter is now, however, in able hands; the gentlemen who have heen maligned are perfectly able to defend themselves, and will do so. We think that the zeal of Mr. Curtis, as of Mr. King, has been indiscreetly displayed, and Chut iv dealing with unrecorded fuels, and wiih the opinions uf political adversaries they have greatly transgressed the bounds of that license, which, as we have said, reigns iv the crisis of a close election contest.

To the Editor of the New Zealander,

Sir,— Although it is mail day aud business presses, I cannot resist the temptation of stealing a few moments to state my pleasure at seeing fie Southern Cooss' of this morning unveil itself, aud come out in its true colours, viz., the Ministerial paper, aud, I should think, most likely supplied with ministerial leaders : fur the man that dared to make the aspersion made in the leader of to-day, on the character of same of the Northern members of the late General Assembly, must either be a well-paid hack, or a drowning minister himself.

' My pleasure is that this will bring the true question prominently forward, — and each can- ( didate will have to answer it fully, — viz., after , five years' experience of the Stafford ministry, \ do you judge ihem competent to govern this ; country successfully, or do you not? • j With regard to Mr. T. Kiug's letter, it will { receive due attention, as some of tbe statements , in it are absurd, and others unteue. Who oould believe that any man could believe that auy man could give uu account of what look place at a meeting of thirteen or fourteen per- ( sons, when he cannot remember correctly who were present. He says Mr. Henderson was : I say, No, he was not. However it will do good to lot the public know what was done at that '' meeting, and I trust next time Mr. King writes . cr anyone writes for him, be tvill give an account of the private meeting held in Mr. Stafford's office about the same time; when, I believe some Northern and Southern members agreed, for a consideration, to support the ministiy in . their aggressive policy on the Provincial Institutions of tbe Northern Island*. | To you readers I only say, consider what I could have led to a private meeting of northern members (in a public Hotel,) with aa ex officio member of the Government, Mr. He^ale preseut and uo Southern members. What but a ssuse of danger to the true interests of their constituents? Promising that I will meet this calumny publicly and openly at every opportunity, and as early as possible, I remain, in haste, Your obedient Servant, William C. Daldy. Auckland January 4, 1861. To the Editor of ihe New Zealander. Sic, — I have beeu credibly informed that some of Mr. Russell's supporters have beeu very industrious since morning, in circulating a report tbat I had, or was going to withdraw my support from Mr. Forsaith, on account of what appeared in the leader of this morning's Cross, and a letter from Mr. King. The truth is, that when asked what I thought of the matter, I replied that if I could ascertain that the statements alluded to were correct, I would be compelled on conscientious grounds, to withdraw my support at once. The lesull of my enquiry is, however, a complete satisfaction of mind that the allegations set forth in this trorning's Cross, against Mr, Forsaith and others, ure base untruths, and can only stimulate me to redoubled zeal and energy ou Mr. Forsaith's behalf. 1 am, Sir, yours, &c , Walter MoCaul. Auckland, January 4, 1861. To the Editor of the New -Zealander. Sib, —A lettei published in the Southern Cross to-day purporting to bo from the pen of Mr. King, one of the hue members for Taranaki and the editorial article on the same, are replete with falsehoods and false insinuations. The object of this publication is 100 palpable to escape detection. As an electioneering ruse it is cleverly enough conceived, but as it lacks, iv all essential points, the grand, element of truth, it will hium only its concootors. Falsehoods) and truth, so distorted as to serve the purpose of falsehoods, are dangerous weapons. Like boomerangs they come back from the spot

J from whence they are discharged, and not unj frequently wound the sculp ol those who project them. , I If I alone were concerned I shonld feel at I liberty at once to take upon myself tbe task of unveiling this web of misrepresentation. But there are others interested besides myself, and therefore t postpone further comment until I have had an upportunitv of ascertaining whether the gentlemen referred to are desirous lo join their testimony lo my own. Meanwhile, permit me through yourcolnmns, ' to take the earliest opportunity of denying most j unequivocally the truth of Mrl King's account of the meeting, and the inference drawn from it by tbe editor of the Southern Cross.

I am. Sir,

Qour obedient Servant, Thom_s S. Forsaith. Auckland, January 4th, 1861.

To the Editor of the New Zealander.

Sir, — In this day's Southern Cross there appears a letter dated Nelson, Dec. 14, signed Thos. King, in which it is Psserted that I vas present at a meeting, held at the Royal Hotel, Auckland, iv the early part of the last sessiou of tbe Assembly. I beg leave to say that this is a simple untruth. I was not present at any such meeting, either at the Royal Hotel or elsewhere, duiing the past Session of said Assembly. I urn, «See,

■.Thos. H_ndersom. Auckland, January 4, 1861. .