OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS PROMISES.

Auckland Examiner, Volume 1, Issue 1, 11 December 1856, Page 2

OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS PROMISES.

I took no pint in the recent election of Superintendent Williamson. 1 have no personal objection to him, and am not o w of those who mourned over his triumph. For a lone: dreary season Dr. Campbell seemed more dead than alive, in. consequence of his immense

efforts to do nothing, and political Jack Ragg might reasonably complain that there was “ nothin a stirrin but stagnation.” Besides, it was felt by thoughtful men of all parties, that the Government had been too long in the hands of one great section of the community, and that it was time to give the ether side a turn. Moreover, in John Williamson 1 saw much to admire. What has been said to the prejudice of his character rather exalted than lowered him in my estimation, lor no one presumes to charge upon him now the low, unutterably vulgar vice, which he is said to have manifested at some period more or less remote. Not what a man was, but what a man is, determines my feeling and line of conduct with regard to him. Once convinced that the bad man has become. good, I would sooner trust him than another who never was remarkable for wickedness, while as regards its opposite “ to the manner born.”

The difficulty is to convince one’s self that the change has be<n inward and from the heart, as pell as outward and merely from the head. The vicious man who shams virtuousness for no better reason or higher motive than that an appearance of it may be made to do duty as sound and solid political capital, is the most dangerous of hypocrites. But where the change is real, and we have -‘material guarantee” of its reality, our admiration should, even be greater than if no such change had taken place ; for to shake one’s self free of vice by bringing passion under tLe rule of reason, implies an energy of thought and force of will that few are fortunate enough to possess. I, therefore, make light ,of the charges against the character of onr Superintendent, if true, they mike nothing against but considerably for the present John Williamson, whose conduct in all the ordinary relations of life even political opponents breathe-not one syllable against. W hat will he do ? That query is not so easily answered as another, What will he not do? Those who may be presumed to know him best, declare' that his courage is quite equal to his energy ; that he combines with self-reliance an unsubduable dogged perseverance in the pursuit of iiis object; and that the policy be has promised he will, at Igast, try to carry out. Of course, his ardent supporters have Not taken all their trouble for nothing ; have certainly not made him Superintendent for the mere fun of the thing. Quite on the contrary. They expect him to reverse the policy of ’his “ Progress” predecessors or at all events to inaugurate and without .delay proceed to carry out another policy. No shrinking will be tolerated. He must brush up our affairs, put a radically new face upon them, or run risk of suffering a fate analogous to that of poor Acteon, who, alas ! was torn in pieces by his own hounds.

Under such circnmstanc.es it appears to me that the people of Auckland would do well to search into and sift the policy promised, for in politics “ mistakes are worse than crimes and to prevent mistakes, either on the part of our Superintendent or on our own, there can be no better way than that of quiet, perfectly cool, examination. 1 aver, on my own part, a strong desire to see him successfully carry on the affairs of this Province, and am convinced a large number even of those who voted against him are not only willing, but anxious, that he should have a fair trial.

Now for some of his promises. The first that occurs to me, and by no means least in importance, is the promise that he would “ take an early opportunity of making a wholesome and salutary reform in the Land Regulations,” for unless the promise be kept, the condition of this Colony cannot materially improve. Our Land Regulations may have answered the purpose for which they were intended, but assuredly they have not tempted hither any considerable number of the Labourers and Capitalists of other countries. The Colony wants people. It is rich-in the raw material of wealth. To secure prosperity we need Labourers to work the raw -material up into forms of life, utility, and beauty. If land is cultivated, mines explored, bridges constructed, and roads formed, it matters little from whence the necessary capital comes, or who are its holders. Land we have, or might have, in abundance. Capital and Labor we have not to anything like the extent desirable, and never shall have while the present system is persisted in. It. would seem, indeed, as if our Land Regulations were part of a system specially intended to rid the Colony of -all but pious Maoris, greedy Land Jobbers, and monopolizing Missionaries.

A Scotchman mended his gun first with a new lock, then-with a new stock, and then with a new barrel, it would be well if Superintendent Williamson mended these Land Regulations upon the same principle. Sb much for promise No. 1. A consideration of the other promises referred to must be reserved for another article.

PUBLICOLA.