THE Marlborough Express. SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 1868.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 112, 11 April 1868, Page 2

THE Marlborough Express.

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 1868.

“ Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to ergtto freely according to conscience, above all other liberties." —Milton.

Last week a communication was inserted in our columns, headed “ Fenianism in Havelock,” to which we had appended a foot-note, but which was inadvertantly omitted, a circumstance we much regret for reasons to which we shall allude in a fewbrief remarks, rendered necessary thereby. ¥e are assured from various sources, that the letter originally written by a late candidate for the Council, to one Pat O’Connor, was nothing more than an election dodge, which resulted most effectually in a directly contrary effect to that intended by its author, since it lost him the seat. This, and the publication of the letter in our columns at the time, was, we defer, a sufficient punishment for such an act of folly. But, besides this, the letter has been copied into all the journals in the Colony, with remarks appended, in some cases, the reverse of flattering. A note before us on this subject, informs • us however, that a most unjustifiable system of persecution is going on at Havelock, having for its object, the driving away of Houghton, who is a storekeeper there' from the place, so utterly ruining him, and that no means are being spared to accomplish this object, by a certain “ clique.” This course of procedure is not according to our ideas of English Justice. If Houghton has committed any offence which renders him amenable to the law, let him be put upon his trial, and dealt with accordingly. He has assured us that he is “no more a Fenian than the Queen herself!” We must allow that it is most unfortunate that he should have taken advantage of such a subject in these ticklish times, to play a practical joke, as in the present case ; and it is very questionable whether the writer did not lay himself open to a charge of Treason-Felony, although we submit that it was in ignorance. It will doubtless be a lesson to him for life, we trust so, and as the day may not be far distant when the loyalty of every man will be tested, we hope—not only Houghton—but all those of his neighbours, who now condemn him so loudly—will be found on the side of Law and Order—“ Ready, aye ready !” While on this subject, we would make a remark upon a kindred one. It has been our lot, on more than one occasion lately, to hear treasonable language uttered openly. Within the last few days, we met with a man, then a perfect stranger to us, who knowing us to have some connection with the press, volunteered the information that he was a Fenian, and for some five minutes, we listened to a tirade of nonsense. This by the way. What we wish to point out, is the fact that men are being arrested and brought to trial, both in this country, and in Australia, for this vexy offence, and no more. It is our duty as a loyal subject, to caution those whose tongues wag thus loosely, and on their own heads be the consequences afterwards. We have noticed during the last few weeks, that an uneasy, nervous feeling seems to pervade the minds of many people in tins locality, as if they feared some Fenian disturbance here ! Let us re-assure

such, by reminding them that the relative case of the West Coast Gold Fields, and that of the Wairau, are vastly different. In the one case, every man covers his property with his hat, or at most, his tent but here, nearly every man is possessed, of

a substantial freehold estate, earned by the sweat of his brow, of which he knows the value too well, to risk its loss by any act of outrageous folly, which, even if successful, could not be of the slightest service to him.