"Oh! Mr. Duffey !—Phoebus! what a name

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 9, 7 May 1842, Page 36

" Oh ! Mr. Duffey !— Phoebus ! what a name

To swell the speaking-trump of future fame !" Brutus had hi 3 busts, Alcibiades his laurels; Jenkins— the patriot Jenkins— : who makes bricks, not to gain money, but to enjoy the satisfaction of paying wages to his workmen — Jenkins gets grand houses on his estate : Cassar became popular because he made public walks, where editors set up their presses and magistrates their hen-roosts; Cato made men ask why he had no statue; our editor may yet live to make us wonder why he had one : and, if Alcibiades won wreaths and Caesar trophies; the patriot Jenkins his reward id mansions; if the geese that woke up Manlifes, and the geese that quack nightly round the Immigration Barracks here, battened on the public and were not ejected, on what ground shall we grudge Duffe'f the gratitude of cheers ?

I am told these erring landagents have the effrontery to think the absentee proprietors paid £300 for every section of land which they hold in this settlement. The "mistake" which they fall into on this subject naturally leads them into 'another. They have deceived themselves into the belief that the colony absolutely owes something to persons who paid £300 sterling for every section of land which they hold within its limits : nay, I am told there are not wanting those who have the hardihood to say that, but for absentees, the settlement of Nelson would have now possessed* nothing but its waste lands for all the world to squat upon. They even g'6 so far as to enquire whether persons living in England have not as much right to an interest in land's which they have paid for as proprietors of newspapers haye in land which they have not paid for. What shall we come to next? When Jack Cade mustered his rabble on Blackheath, Dick, the butcher, suggests — " The first thing we do, let us kill all the lawyers." Of their ulterior designs I am necessarily ignorant; but I should not wonder if, as a preliminary 6tep, these incendiaries should propose to eject all the editors.

I may make the passing observation, that it is abundantly clear that nothing can so much contribute to increase the value of landed property in this settlement as bringing into the market unexpectedly a large quantity of land. The New Zealand Company, in letting their unsold allotments to the public, for the exclusive advantage of proprietors, will, no doubt, be supported by the Nelson Examiner. Such, sir, are the many advantages to be derived from proving that patriotism consists in affordiug means for geese and editors cackling to save the; state, peacefully to settle on unsold allotments and Government reserves. The colony owes you a debt of gratitude, which, one day, may be redeemed in cheers.

In conclusion, Mr. Editor, I take lecve to condole with you on the heavy affliction which, as it should seem, you are enduring on account, of your own printing-office being on the public land. The grief of a patriot awakens sympathy; and, when I reflect on the indisputable fact that it is quite impossible to take a wooden house to pieces, and relieve the land from its presence, I cannot but assure you how earnestly I deplore that the cause of your regret is not to be removed.

I have the honour to be, sir, Your most obedient servant, Anti-Hum*

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