TO THE ELECTORS OF NAPIER.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 359, 19 March 1866, Page 3

TO THE ELECTORS OF NAPIER.

"Cheer, boys. Cheer! no more of idle sorrow," we’U all go and vote for Billy to-morrow. Beotheb Electoks, —Through the courtesy of the editor of the ‘Hawke’s Bay Times’ I am enabled to lay before you'a few remarks bearing upon the approaching struggle, which may, or may not, do something towards influencing the chance of re-election of our old friend, William Colenso, Esq. That he is in every way the best man Napier can send to the Assembly I have not the slightest doubt of in my own mind j but, perhaps—nay, I am sure—there are many of you who say, and (it may be) think differently. Well, that is only natural. It would never do if we were all of one mind, for then there would be no opposition, and I presume you all know that “without opposition there can be no good government.” But stop a little ; let us calmly and deliberately consider the matter. Let us look, in the first place, at the class of men to whom the supporters of Mr M'Lean belong. If you take notice they are chiefly runholders, men of money, and men who, in the words-of Mr Edwards, “fatten on Government contracts ” ; and those who do not belong to any of the above classes, are so dependent upon them richer, and consequently more influential friends, —are so completely under the thumbs of their employers,—that the poor wretches have no alternative but give their (frequently unwilling) support to any person that may be brought forward by. those who have them in their power. I said that the poor men have no alternative but do as I have stated, but they have; it is—“ Vote as I do, or go about your business.” It is not at all a pleasant thing for a man who possesses the smallest particle of principle to do that which his conscience forbids him to do. Yet, if he does not do ns they order he loses his situation, which* I need hardly' say, is more than a poor, hard-working man (with, perhaps, a large family) likes to- do these hard times, —with taxation, too, looming in the distance. These rich folk—these “ men in high places,”— ought mot to be allowed to regulate the tone of any community; and therefore it is that I now urge upon you the great necessity that exists for keeping out of the Assembly any and all who belong to either of the classes I have mentioned above. Donald M'Lean belongs to two of those classes. He is a ruuholder, an illegal squatter,— and will YOU, men of Napier, send HIM to represent US in the House of Representatives ? Electors, be on your guard. If you send the present Superintendent to the General Assembly, you will have done the very worst thing you could possibly do for the Province of Hawke’s Bay; —the error of which (if you elect him, which I trust you will not; you will not bo long in finding ° ut - Colenso is not an illegal squatter,—he holds no office of emolument under either Provincial 0 r General Governments to keep him always at bomo> —and, as I said before, he is the better ma n 0 f the two in every way. I say this without te a r of contradiction. What I mean is, that not on e of Mr M'Lean’s supporters can give us any cogent reason why that gentleman is most fitted to sit in the Assembly. I defy them. In fact, Vere it for no other reason than that Mj£M‘Lean j 8 Superintendent of the Province, I should oppose “is election. I contend that a Superintendent has “o business away from home j he wifi find quite enough to do there to keep his hands full. But, apart from this, whether as a Maori linguist, an English or classical scholar, —whether as a diplomatist, or plain, practical man, —whether as a financier, or anything else you may like to name, Mr Colenso is pre-eminently superior to Mr M'Lean. Moreover, I may again call to your mind how hard and how faithfully—both by day and by night—whether in making speeches on the floor of the House, or engaged in the dry details of Committee work, —he discharged his arduous duties while serving as our member in the General Assembly for five long years;—and (eternal shams on all who had a hand in it I) while there in the field fighting our battles,.his cowardly detractors must needs get up a scheme, in the most underhand way possible, to oust him, —without (mark this!) having at the time one single reason why they wanted him out. The fact is, they wanted to satisfy the ambitious desire of Mr M'Lean, and, unable to find any fault with Mr ColensYspast political career, they commenced to poison the minds of the electors by setting afloat a number of malicious slanders —all of which, I am happy to say, Mr Colenso refuted in a most able manner on his return from Wellington. Stung to the quick by the failure of their most un-English method of going to work, they assailed him on account of a certain veto he had given in the matter of Separation—he having, on that occasion, gond with the Auckland party, which was favorable to the separation of the North and Middle Islands of New Zealand. But I do not attach the slightest importance to that vote (Dillon Smith does, the old goose!) Separation is a visionary scheme, and will never be achieved. But, as Mr Colenso has fully answered all the statements of his malicious political opponent# on that subject (as we h

as upon every other) X will refrain from saying any more about it, further than to ask you a simple question, viz.,—lf any one of you really believed that Separation would, sooner or later, be achieved, —and that, when it was accomplished. New Zealand would be just as prosperous as over, —would you try and avert it ? would you not rather do all in your power to hasten it on? Mr Colenso conscientiously believed that such would be the case—that New Zealand would flourish just as well after Separation had been attained as before (at least I have good reason for supposing he did when he gave that vote,) and are you, independent electors of Napier, going to turn out a man for voting according to the dictates of the “ still small voice,” —and not heeding the wishes of an abominable and contemptible clique, who would heap disgrace and ruin upon the colony ? I trust not. More—much more—could be said in favor of the return of Mr Colenso ; but it is needless. If you really believe all I hare said above, you will send him triumphantly to the poll, —as, in duty bound, you ought to do, —without waiting for any further reasons, although there are plenty of them. In conclusion, let me express a hope that the editor of the ‘ Hawke’s Bay Herald’ will not take this to be the production oi Mr Colenso, as I can assure him, the last which appeared in the ‘ Times’ was not. Mr Colenso knows nothing about it. When he reads it in this morning’s paper, it will bo the first intimation ho will have had of such a letter having been written. Good bye, brother electors. Remember the polling day (to-morrow) and let us once more send our faithful old friend to the Assembly with flying colors. Be true to yourselves, and this you will surely do.—Bear in mind the words of the immortal Shakespeare,— act accordingly,—and I have no fear for Mr Colenso’s return:— “ Give every man thine ear. hut few thy voice; Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment, • • • This above all, —To thine own self he true; And it must follow, as the night the day. Thou canst not then ho false to any man.” —I remain, yours in all sincerity, ARGUS. Napier, Monday, 19th March, 1866.