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Anglo-Maori Warder, Volume 1, Issue 24, 5 October 1848, Page 2

" He is no surer, no, Than is the coal of fire upon the ice, Or hailstone in the sun."— Coriolanus, So the Southrons all this while have been " running breast high after a herring!" What Auckland rejected is refused to them: in spite of their " fitness," " intelligence," " spperiolity," and so forth, they are not to be indulged with the darling Constitution, at all events not until his Excellency should have had " sufficient time to learn the ger/eral state of European politics," and until he should have " seen more of New Zealand!" The answer was certainly not complimentary to their " intelligence -." nor was it, unless purposed as an affront, a favourable sample of Sir George's tact and ready wit. We observed, some time ago, that " every one who had anything to do with him expected to be played a trick." We were wrong, for Once, and honestly confess it; mea culpa, mea maxima culpa; for they did not expect to be played a trick in the South. In their ingenuous and confiding simplicity, they were " induced to believe" that proclamation of the Charter, and the creation of numerous offices under it, would secure the continuance of it, and therefore neglected to take the needful precaution of counteracting his Excellency's representations at home. As they most pathetically observed, " an unfair advantage " had been taken of them. We should be sorry to provoke them by mocking at their misfortunes, yet cannot help indulging a gentle laugh, subridentcs, as little Sardonic as need be, hut none the less enjoyable for that. Did they helieve that Sir George—a liberal in politics—would listentowhat Chaucer calls"thejanglings of .ne sheepy people ;" that he would ever let any power out of his own hands which he was able to keep. " Every thing for the people, nothing by them," said the real Napoleon ; on which maxim, oron the latter half of it at all events, the Brummagem Napoleon is resolved to act; but they have been slower than we to find out the resolution. We are " farther north" up here, in perception as well as in position : henceforth let Auckland be esteemed the Yorkshire of New Zealand. It must have been the honied words that did it—the " sugar for their tongues and salt for their tails " which his Excellency can scatter so plentifully on occasion : yet one might have thought, considering that same superiority of Southern intelligence, that he was putting too much lime upon his twigs—that he was baiting with too large a hook. The result, however, has shown that he had taken accurate measure of his men. It would seem that they had at last been

laughed out of the desire for Lord Grey's particular form of constitution, with the beauty of which they had been originally so much impressed, and desired only that they might have the amusement of mending it. They would have had enough to do to make it work ; and before the alterations were complete would have given a practical solution of the famous metaphysical and theologic question of " identity." Fo. it would have been still his Lordship's own, though every provision contained in it had been changed ; if, indeed, according to the ancient griphus, or post-prandial puzzler, that which has first had a new handle, and then a new blade adapted to it, be still the same knife. It was cruel to take away so fair a field for the display of ingenuity. Some curious observations were made during the conference between the deputation and his Excellency. It was stated, in the memorial presented to hiin " That we at present exist under a form of Government more absolute than that of any other dependency of the British Crown, with the exception of Norfolk Island." To this, the Governor made answer, that " this colony is exactly under the same form of government as every other British dependency in this portion of the world with the exception of New South Wales." Is it so, indeed ? Is there no necessity in any of those dependencies to lay yearly estimates before council—no call for a yearly voting of supplies 1 He must have supposed such a trifling distinction to be altogether immaterial. We must here impress upon the southern journalists the necessity of reporting with greater care; for it is to be suspected that while the reporters believe themselves to be trusting to their memories, they are in reality drawing upon their imaginations. From what other source could the following passage have been drawn. " His Excellency in reply, stated, that he had never concealed his objections to the constitution, or his determination not to bring it into operation; that he had mentioned his intentions to every member of the Executive and Legislative Council, and to fifty persons besides." It is impossible that his Excellency should ever have used thsse words, for the simple reason that they contain an untruth. To the fifty persons, he may very possibly have mentioned that determination, although we had no idea before, that fifty persons of such remarkable secretiveness were to be found in New Zealand j but, to the nonoflicial members of the Legislative Council, certainly not; the first intimation, which two out of the number received of it, having been from the Blue Book itself. For the third, who is away, we cannot answer j but we are confident he knew no more than his fellowcouncillors. It is to be hoped that the awkward conclusion that might have been so easily drawn in this case will prove a warning caution to the southern journals for the future. Itmustbeconfessedthatthedeputationwasal- I most too hard upon Excellency when it reproachedhim withhaving proclaimedwhathehadnever intended to introduce, and when, worse again, they pressed him for a definite answer. Had the memorialists no bowels of compassion but that they must needs try to force him to plead. To a man of his temperament, the torture of the " peine forte et dure" would have been nothing in comparison. And then to tell him after all, that his reply was " evasive," "most unsatisfactory." We are not so rude in Auckland. Let us entreat them to take comfort, and to bear the loss of the promised boon with philosophy, if not with indifference. His Excellency has committed no fault in the matter beyond that of tantalising them awhile, and of playing a little too much with their feelings in allowing their theoretic superiority over the Ncrthern settlers, without venturing to risk any practical illustration of it. He has done them a greater service than they know of, in saving them from his Lordship's cranky devisement. Moreover, he has given them all the pleasures of hope, without superadding the pains of posses - sion; he has let them enjoy all the fun of the wooing, without the ultimate infliction of a wife.