ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1688, 26 November 1861, Page 5

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

(To the Editor of the Wellington Independent.) Rangitikei, Nov. 20, 1861. Sib, — Among tbe-list of natural productions which Captain Smith' enumerated in a late paper, Manganese is mentioned as having been discovered by Mr. Nankivil, of Cornwall, between Wellington and Porirua. Capt. Smith also writes, thiit he does not kuow t?ie value of Manganese. By a reference to Dr. Ure, you will find that it is of very considerable value in the Arts, at p. 287 in the appeudix to the vol. 2. the method of ascertaining the value is given at p. 797, vol. 1 you will find " Metalloids oxide of Manganese," Pyrolisite, or grey Manganese ore, has a metallio lustre, a steel grey color, and affords a black powder, &c. This" is the common ore of Manganese and a very valuable one, being the substance mostly employed in the manufacture of Chloride of Lime aud of Flint Glass, &c. Great quantities are found, near Tavistock, in Devonshire, and at Launceslon, in Cornwall. % This proves the observation of. Mr. Nankivil to be well founded, and I think it behoves the Government to look further into the matter. Your obedient servaut, J. F. H. (To the Editor of ihe Wellington Independent.) Sin, — The Advertiser of Saturday last contains another long communication, (being upwards of two columns in leugth of closely printed matter) which I presume is iuteuded as a reply to my letter of the 18th inst. As, however, the writer has wandered so far from the subject under discussion, has so lost himself in a labyrinth of words, it. has beieome necessary to go back to the starting point. In my letter of the llth inst., I called attention to* a paragraph iv the Advertiser which stated "that unless he (Sir George Grey) suspend the constitution — a proceeding in which he would be upheld by the majority of the public, who are of opinion that they are not sufficiently numerous at present for Representative Institutions and Responsible Governments to wprk satisfactory," and called upon the Editor for some evidence in support of his assertion, Well, neither he, nor- his correspondent have condescended to give any ; and it may therefore be fairly inferred that they have noue to give. Instead, however, of giving evidence in support of his arguments, he has turned round and asked me to prove a negative, which of course is simply absurd. And here, perhaps, tbe matter might be allowed to rest, as the antidote has been given to the poison, arid no public good can be served by bandying mere personalities. As I said before, the Duke of Newcastle has refused to asseut to the unconstitutional course of suspending the Constitution, and therefore anything lhat may now be said in the Colony will not affect the question at Home. I repeat, that the learned Duke was right when he protested against the wisdom 'of suspending Parliamentary action iv the Colony, because of the present or any other difficulty ' as it would truly be the worst possible way of : endeavouring to make things right. By allowing the Advertiser to have the last ; word however, would be coustrued by the writers i in that paper into a victory, notwithstanding < the clear manner in which.their gross misstate- i ments have been refuted. • ( Well, it' will be observed, that in the long i letter pf " One of the public," uot a single, argu- ( ment is adduced;— it is two columns of I bombast — fulsome adultation — and a wicked I attempt to raise itself iv public estimation by I scurrilous attacks upon itscotempovaries!' which I is so characteristic of both the paper itself aud i its accredited Editor." * <7, .-..- I " One of the. public" laughs at the idea that I telling the people of Wellington that they are j incompetent to manage their own affairs aud %tfc- , * ' .' -

fbat they sbouid be virtually disfrachised is ao 'nsult ; ignores the rights of the other Rrovinces to have any say io the matter of suspending the Constitution ; and begs the question, alto- , getber, as to the vi_ws that would be taken by the other Colonies of Great Britain of such an act. . -^ I need not allude lo the scurrilous attack upon the Provincial Government, nor to the vie attempt to degrade our Provincial - Institutions by this sham Radical paper. I will only say that such stuff as the following sounds rather oddly, after the horror it has " expressed that personalities should be used in the public prints. "But His Honor is not altogether unmindful of the public, weal—be does sometimes give us samples of. his good intentions and public spirit — for instance, it is understood that he has given instruction's to the Commissioners, whom he appointed to see after our interests in the coming Exhibition, to select one or two of the most intelligent of our Provincial Councillors, in order that they may be forwarded in " glass-cases to be exhibited under the style and title of 'specimens of enlightened Wellington legislators.' " And such is the buffoonery put forward /or argument, and in this way are the liberties of a people trifled witb, by a sham radical and his correspondent. . " One of the Public " then favors us with his opinion of the Press of this Province. But; ; allow me to say there is nothing new in this, as , it has already appeared in a .leader of, the. Ad- , . vertiser nearly 12 months siuce. The Spectator . is described as ■•" the most unpopular newspaper. . in this colony;" the Independent "as possess-, ing less literary ability than any other journal in the Colony, its columns being disgraced by low vulgarism and ignorant scurrility ; and iv a mechanical point of- view, for * the style in which it is brought before the public, a disgrace to al' connected with it." The Advertiser, however, "is largely circulated, pocsesses :< literary merit, and stands , nobly forward in . defence of the freedom and political rights of . the people." Was there ever such a wicked - and disgraceful attempt to injure an opponent ; before; why, Oily Gammon's proceedings are, foolishness in comparison to this. Shall I tear the mask of this creature, and exhibit him in his naked deformity.' No, I will leave that to the public, who will be able to estimate the writiugs of this person at their true value. Modesty and virtue are said to be, twin sisters, but if the Advertisers relationship to virtue is \ to be estimated by its modesty, it is very dis- • tantly relatep! indeed. No doubt the Advertiser finds it necessary to inform the public " that it is largely circulated, possesses literary merit, and stands nobly forward in defence of the people's rights ;" or otherwise the public would not have known it, Its advocacy of protectionist principles, the support it has gpren to , the political enemies of this Province ; its advocacy of the suspension of the Constitution, and despotism in its worst form, has, no doubt, im- - pressed the public with an opposite idea. The issue of that journal without leaders at all, ami the slovenly manner in which it has lately' appeared may have assisted him in arriving at the conclusion of the dire necessity of informing the public of its, great merits, which other* wise could not possibly be discovered. ' Perhaps this is the more necessary, as the Advertiser informs us that the Radical party is ' now defunct. It may also have returning qualms of conscience for the bad character it bas given the Province ; and which, so far as its influence goes, is calculated to injure it and* prevent people coming here. -- \ I will not further allude *to the personal attack made upon Mr. Marriott, as that gentle- • man is quite able to defend himself, than to point out how different, the preaching and the practice of the Advertiser is. It pretends to deplore personalities bei_g used in the discussion of public questions ; yet Sallows itself to be made the vehicle of such personalities. In conclusion, I may state that it was the fear that tbe misstatements of the Advertiser, if allowed to go uncontradicted, might possibly injure the Colony, that I ventured to trespass on your coiuraus. The misstatements having 7 been refuted I may be allowed to . express ' a hope lhat your cotempoiary will behave himself better in future and endeavour to mend tbe error of his ways. Your's &c. • A CONSTITOTJ.ONM.IBT.