The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 317, 24 September 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1874.

Sir Cracroft Wilson, a portion of whose speech will bo found in the <*°ff I 1 P*S^ °l t jH a f *« issue, has bsetf addressing bis constituents, and', as it appears to us, bas been allowing too much. „ r UceMe_,to_Jbja ,„tpngue... Sir Cracroft had at one time, we believe, a great deal to do with the administration of the laws of tbe land in India, he having been a judge of one of theinferior courts, v From thence ba came to New Zealand, wbere he was made a Justice of the Peace and a member of Parliament; so that in one way 'and another he bas had considerable experience in the government of the countries in which he has resided. For such a man, even in the excitement of addressing a meeting, to give utterance to remarks .co revolutionary ;ss those wbich are reported to have emanated from his lips, was, to say tbe very least of it, ill-considered and unwise. Whatever may be Sir Cracrofi's ideas with reference to tbe land fund of Canterbury, he, io the. position he holds, had no right whatever to make use of such an expression as that which will be found at the conclusion of the extract from bis speech which we publish to-day. If the Southern provinces be deprived bf tbe sole right to expend iheir locally raised land fund it will be by an Act of tbe Legislature, and we presume that the gallant Knight of Cashmere will be expected to regard and. obey the laws of the land as much as the poorest and most insigniGcant of tbe inhabitants of New Zealand. We cannot but be a little amused at Sir Cracroft's notions of what is right and what is wrong. It will be observed that a few sentences previously he had been finding fault with thoa9 who condemned Mr Yogel in strong terms for the introduction of the now famous abolition resolutions. These are his words : "I say it is a shame to call a man a villain because he introduces a measure which does not suit your fancies.'* Yet a few minutes later, and he tells his hearers that if a measure which does not accord with his views be made law, he will not hesitate to plunge the country into a civil war. He is not speaking figuratively, it must be remembered, when he says : " I have had enough of war ; but, old as I am, if it were necessary for me to fight, I am. quite game to fight again. I will lead you, if you like, and go at it with a hnlter round my .neck, and if lhe Ministry gain the day, I will tell tbem to tighten it." He must be a perfect old fire-eater, tbis Knight of the Order of the Star of India, but be really should temper his courage with discretion.