Answers to Correspondents.

Auckland Examiner, Volume 1, Issue 40, 17 September 1857, Page 2

Answers to Correspondents.

Zeta— will find the passage is worded thus:—“ Among the parties introduced to the Governor were several Alatives, whom he addressed at great length through the Chief Protector, Mr. Clarke, informing them of the anxiety of the Home Government to benefit them ; for which purpose, he said, he had been sent to them. After this address the Natives handed to him. two well-written Native addresses, embodying the subject of their numerous grievances since the establishment of British authority. They particularly dwelt on the injustice of preventing them from selling their lands to Europeans, as well of that of the crown resuming the surplus lands of the old settlers, or land claimants. The subject of Customs, especially the duty on tobacco, was also dwelt upon. These addresses were read in .English by Mr. Clarke, who was instructed by the Governor to inform the chiefs that he would do all he could to adjust their grievances ; that he, was reguested to assure them that the Queen of England sought no benefit to herself from their lands ; that she had sent a Governor to them for the purpose of preserving peace and order, and teaching them to groiv up in the habits and arts of civilized life." llow slow is the march of British Colonial Legislation ! Seventeen years have rolled aicay since the events, referred to in fore-

going paragraph from Legislative Councillor Martin’s 12th Letter on New Zealand, were facts for Auckland citizens. What progress have we made since then ? Can Natives now sell their lands to Europeans? No. Has the Crown done justice to Land claimants, or settled the subject of Customs, or any other subject whatever? Decidedly not. All is in the year 1857 much the same as in 1840. Natives at this moment would like to sell their land, but the nuisance called Government says— l alone can purchase. Beppo— thinks nicknames are unjustifiable. He may be right ; but it is certain that wits are the great nicknamers, and that nicknaming provokes much mirth. In political warfare nicknames are freely . employed. Perhaps the most offensive of

all modern nicknamers was William Cobbett. To tvhat extent the practice of attaching some contemptuous prefix to the names of eminent men has been carried in Ireland may be judged from the folloicing Question and Answer which form part of an Irish Political Catechism:—Question : Who were the last representatives of Majesty in this country? Answer: The turnip>-fceding Hardwicke, the drunken Richmond, the dancing-master Whitworth, the manglewursel Talbot, the spindle-shanked, rouged, and Jlessianed Wellesley, the gun brig and Algerine Anglesey, the trunk - making Northumberland, the shave-beggar Leveson Gower, the humbug Heylesbury, the cuthroat Castlereagh, the orange Peel, the swivel-eyed Goulbourn, the scorpion Stanley, and the butcher Clarendon. Cobbett, whose abusive descriptions were so ludicrous, was himself described as the Bone Grubber Cobbett, because while in America he collected the bones of Tom Paine, and, after carrying them to England, exhibited them there upon the penny-a- head principle. Lord John Russell was called Finality Jack, because some years after the Reform Bill was carried he spoke of it as a finalmeasure. Enquirer.— On of March,at a snug meeting called public, and held in the Mechanics' Institute, Dr. Jonah and his friends made a demonstration in the injured innocents style. We did not count heads, but the meeting was very small and very snug. Dr. Jonah drew attention to some documents. Lawyer Merriman mentioned some thirty or more pounds he wished to pay into the Patriotic Fund, but could find no one willing to receive the money. Lawyer Whittaker did the Sir Plausible about the inconvenience of having charge of public money; and begged hard to be allowed to resign the Patriotic Fund Treasurership. Until then it was popularly imagined that Dr. Jonah acted as Treasurer tn said Fund. Lawyer Whittaker, after a stubborn resistance, yielded to the coaxing of his friends* so far as to continue Treasurer until the affair was nicely wound up and a fair Balance Sheet produced. Three gentlemen were prevailed upon to act as auditors. All seemed couleur de rose, and the meeting separated with a distinct understanding that the respectable persons appointed to audit would report progress in a month. Perhaps they have no progress to report —certainly no progress has been reported, Why is this ? Do the citizens appointed to report mean to shirk their duty? Are they at length made sensible that a fair Balance Sheet cannot be had,but shrink from avowing the fact? In a month they were to report. In a month, according to the New Zealander, much slandered Dr Jonah would answer the Examiner challenge for an uncooked account of all monies paid into the now very notorious Fund, as well as of all monies taken out of it. Mrs. Slipslop was drunken with the wine of delight,and raged away at allwhowere presumed to doubt, or to have doubted, that the oft demangled Balance Sheet could be produced. We, nevertheless, stuck to our text, and in an article, headed “ Come, but not Gone," warned the citizens of Auckland against deluding themselves into a belief either that all the subscriptions received had, been published, or that all the subscription sheets could be found. Rather more than a month after thus wctblanketting the fiery enthusiasm of believers in Patriotic Fund cash fingerers; and Patriotic Fund account keepers, there appeared in the Examiner, headed “About the Balance Sheet,” some passages with which it now behoves us to refresh our readers' memory. They were poohpoohed at the time, because, though more than a month had passed since Dr. Jo-r nah and his friends carried matters so jauntily in the Mechanics' Institute, few could persuade themselves that they should be gulled after all. Here are the passages referred to :-J‘ No Report is visible. Lord Rosse’s telescope might enable us to discover it, but we, unfortunately, are without his Lordship’s admirable invention. How is this ? After so magnificent a display of virtuous indignation on part of those most deeply coneerned, the public had a right to expect there would be no dilatoriness in furnishing incontestible proofs of their excellent work. To us the delay is not at all surprising, because we happen to know that a fair and square statement of monies reserved on account of the Patriotic Fund cannot be given. Quite recently, a well known citizen was writen to for his tubscription of ,£lO. and curtly

told that if he did not immediately pay he would at once be posted. But he had paid—a fact hit rather fast correspondent was not sensible of when addressing him. We know that one List of Subscriptions ts missing—clean gone—and so far unfindable. How many other Lists may be out of the way, we are unable to declare. Perhaps the gentlemen appointed to audit will enlighten us upon this nigger-coloured subject. Our demand was and is a Balance Sheet. If we get that we shall be content, if not—not." The reader will determine for himself whether, since these passages did In drops of ink Make thousands think, the gentlemen appointed to audit have audited, or enlightened us as to the reasons why they are unable to audit, or advanced one step in their difficult business of putting a fair appearance upon this still nigger-colored subject. Are these gentlemen prepared for the odium which must attach to them if they neither audit the Patriotic Fund accounts nor let us into the secret of their inability to audit them ? O. P. Q. — will see that our “ Leader" of this day is on the subject tc which he thinks public attention should be specially directed. Without doubt our General Government charlatans will soon feel that it is dangerous to trifle with principles, and that to make a thrust at publie freedom through the sides of Councillor Brodie was futile as well as despicable. When our correspondent is fully informed with regard to all the circumstances of Brodie’s case he will allow that Brodie has been treacherously dealt with. W B. White, of Monganui, the Resident Magistrate and Sub-collector of Customs, holds nine appointments. His pickings must therefore be considerable. This plethoric placeman tried hard to make exposure of Government Officer tricks the ground of a criminal prosecution. Thanks to Judge Stephens and a few unfactious Grand Jurymen, he achieved for himself nothing but the ignominy that ever must attach to an official who, when accused of wrong doing, answers his accuser by a criminal prosecution. The character which needs law to mend it is seldom worth much. IKe imagine that if nine-appointments-holding White wishes to be thought what Colonials call “ the clean potato," he is ■not in a fair way to achieve his object. Brodie brought an action against him for defamation of character, and got £2OO. damages. No doubt our nine-appointments-hulding official would like the sort of revenge which to vulgar natures is sweet, and had he brought a civil action against Brodie all might have been legitimate enough. But this well-provided-for placeman does not proceed against Brodie as Brodie formerly proceeded against him; but schemes, “at one fell swoop,” to dest.ioy his detested foe and the liberty of the press. While before the Grand Jury, who declined to oblige him with a true bill, he admitted the truth of three, and these most material, charges made by Brodie in his letter to Secretary Stafford of Apr il Sth, but wished to explain. The Grand Jury declined to hear his reasons for doing what no Government Officer should do. He was called upon to answer three questions categorically. The three questions were founded upon such material information with regard to White's proceedings at Monganui as Secretary Stafford had contrived to worm out of his “friend’’ Brodie. In point of fact, the three questions put to White by the Grand Jury Foreman, Mr. Kennedy, amounted to the threg charges made by Brodie. White's answer to each question was— Yes. C — cannot have paid much attention to proceedings in the House of Representatives last session. Native affairs were frequently discussed, and several efforts made to spur the sides of Governor Wait-a-bit's intent with regard to the purchase of Nutive lands. In August last, Mr. Hall, on the part of Mr. Fitzgerald, who was sick, moved — “ That a humble Address be presented to her Majesty, praying her to cause instructions to be issued to the Governor of New Zealand, directing his Excellency to advise with his Executive Council upon all matters connected with the aboriginal Natives, in the same manner as vpon all other affairs of the Colony." Mr. Hall argued that other than Imperial interests were involved in the terms of his motion. He combatted the idea that Native concerns should be conducted by her Majesty's Representative alone, without regard to his Executive Council. “ It is a question,” said Mr. Hall, “ in whicn the Colonists are deeply interested — one upon ivhich not only their property and their homes, but their very lives depend." On the same day that Mr. Hall made this important motion with regard to his Excellency's exclusive control over Native affairs, Mr. Daldy, pursuant to notice, moved —“ That a respectful Address be presented to the Governor, informing his Excellency that, in the opinion of this House (of Representatives) it is highly desirable that, as early as possible, the Law which prohibits direct purchase of land from Native owners thereof should be so far

modified as to admit of direct purchases being made through the agency and with the sanction of the Government."