Page 4 Advertisements Column 4

Wellington Independent, Volume XX, Issue 2222, 22 June 1865, Page 4

TO THE ELECTOES OF RAXOITIICEI | TOR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. r^\ ENTLEMEN,— In consequence of Mr Fox's resignation, you will shortly be called upon to elect a Member to represent you in the Parliament of the Colony. It may perhaps appear presumptuous for one who is personally a stranger to mos(. ot you, to offer his services unsolicited. But on the other liaucl, it would be still more presumptuous, for an unknown man, to wait for a requisition from yourselves, which after all would be understood to have been got up by his friends. I therefore prefer to adopt the more straightforward course, of simply stating my opinions and asking you to elect me if you think I can do anything to promote your interests so far as they are identical with those of the Colony as a whole. There is indeed another alternative, namely, to refrain from coming forward at all. But though inaction is often safe, it is not always right. At the present juncture, I •would rather expose myself to the charge of egotism than throw away the chance of being able to advocate opinions and principles, the adoption of which I believe to be essential to tho prosperity of the country. These, only indirectly affect any particular district, and do not so much depend \vpon local, as upon general knowledge, of Colonial affairs. Your representative in the Provincial Council, must bo intimately acquainted with the requirements of your district ; yoxir representative in the Assembly, need only support the policy you approve. I fully agree with Mr Fox, thatthepositionof the colony is anything but satisfactory, and that it is in ono sense " melancholy to read tho report | of tho jaunty debate in the English Parliament on the 17fh of March, upon New Zealand affairs." Had Mr Fox been allowed fair play, we might have been in a very different position, and it is " melancholy" to find the Imperial Government so ready to take advantage of its own wrong, and so little inclined to treat tho colony generously, or even with bare justice. But this only proves the necessity of adopting a policy of self-reliance. England was bound in honor, to finish a war which had its origin in the mismanagement of the Colonial office and its deputies ; but she has failed to do so. It remains then for the Colony t_> do the "possible best." It is useless to discuss the past, but the futirrc lies before us. I wish that tho policy of 18G3 had been carried out. I think that Mr Weld's policy is good, chiefly bcciuisc it is tho nearest practicable approach to that policy. To carry it out effectually, it is necessary to do without the troops, because so long as they remain, the Colonial office insists upon its right to control the Colonial Government. I belong neither to a Avar, nor to a peace party, but to the Cot.omtai, Pahty. I maintain that for the safety of the colony it is necessary to enforce law and order. Ido not approve of any attempt to do more than is necessary to render life Sid property secure, but am prepared to support any measures, thai will practically place natives and Europeans on tho same footing. l!'or the pusr-, J. believe tlmO Uiu Imperial Government is responsible, and I am strongly opposed to tho Colony paying airy part of the expenses of a war, in the conduct of which it lias had no effective influence. The Native question has occupied the public mind almost to the exclusion of other matters of even greater importance. With regard to these I need only say that though 1 fully recognize the necessity of I preserving tho unity of the Colony, yet I am convinced that local institutions are quite compatible with a strong central Government. Provincialism though opposed to centralization in name, is in fact the surest guarantee for that impartial legislation which alone can reconcile conflicting interests. If provincialism lias not always succeeded, it is because tho principlo upon which it rests has not been fully applied, and practical convenience has been sacrificed to theoretical symmetry. For this reason, though thoroughly opposed to separation, I think the Assembly should carefully guard against the danger of tho outlying settlements being neglected. It is impossible oven to touch upon the many constitutional and financial questions which are certain to be considered during the next session. On some of these I havo written, in a manner which I am proud to say, met with tho approval of Mr Fox, and induced him to express a wish that I should become a member of the House of Representatives. But for this encouragement and that of several persons whose opinions aro of equal weight, I should scarcely have ventured to ask you to elect mo to a position, which always honorable, is rendered still more so by having been occupied by William Fox. Before the day of nomination, I hope to meet the electors of tho various places in the district, -when I shall be ablo to state my views more fully than it; is possible to do here. In the mean time, I trust that my motives will not be misconstrued. I havo no private interests to serve, though I have sufficient stake in the country to make me anxious for its prosperity. lam ambitious of the honor I ask you to confer upon me, only because it affords me an opportunity of being useful to my fellow coloi nists. If you elect me though I cannot pretend even to approach your late member in ability, I may in earnestness, and 6hall at any rate do my best to prove thntyour confidenceis not misplaced. In any event I shall have tho satisfaction of feeling that I have done my duty, and that it is no fault of mine if a policy which I bcliove to be sound is not supported. Whether lam permitted to lend my aid or not, lam sure that tho ColoniaxParty must, at length be triumphant and that New Zealand before- long will grow from, a colony into a nation. I remain, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, ROBERT PIIARAZYN. Wellington, June 19, 1865. DMcINTYRE, MARINE SURVEYOR o Custom House Street, Wellington. MR. G. L. MORTON, CONSULTING ENGINEER, ARCHITECT A^TB STJRVETOB OFFICE— ODD FELLOWS' HALL. Adjoining Town Board Commissioner*.