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Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3352, 22 November 1871, Page 2

It is not often that the " Wairarapa Mercury" favors its readers with any leading or original matter, but in the issue of Saturday last it comes " out of its shell" in defence of Mr Andrew ; and in the way of a little genteel blasphemy, to which we shall allude anon. The " leader" is devoted to exculpating Mr Andrew from the charges brought against him in our columns of uniformly taking action against the interests of the province, and of distinctly breaking his election pledges. The argument of our contemporary solely amounts to this, that provincial institutions are an evil, and that the correspondent of the " Canterbury Times" has written against the Wellington Loan Bill. The correspondent's letter is quoted in full, and with Mr Andrew's communication to ourselves, which is reprinted, forms the greater part of ibis gifted composition. It is not, however, with the object of criticising what is really quite beyond such treatment, that we have taken up this subject. It is to protest in the strongest possible terms of indignation against the prostitution of the press by the publication of the following paragraph, which we copy verbatim from the article referred to : — " It appears to be almost a judgment of Providence that on the very same day the article (re Mr Andrew) appeared in the Independent, the editor of that journal, who we cannot believe indited it, but who must have consented to its insertion, was drowned in Wellington harbor." This is political vindictiveness with a vengeance, and is part of his defence which will hardly be appreciated by Mr Andrew. The same issue of the " Mercury" is disgraced by the insertion of a parody upon the Church of England Catechism — including, of course, the " Apostle's Creed" and the " Ten Commandments" — both of which are travestied in a manner at once silly and blasphemous. In times not long elapsed a .whipping at the cnit's tail would have been the fitting sequel of such a publication.