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New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 478, 13 November 1850, Page 1

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by ability to pea a pungent sarcasm, or smoothly round a telling antithesis. Mr. Godley casts imputations of the most injurious character, upon all who hold — or loho did hold • — places in the Legislative Council at any time, especially under Governor G key's administration, lie boldly affirms that whoever accepted a seat at Sir Georob Grey's Council Board, inflicted a serious and irreparable injury on the colonists of New Zealand, — such an injury as no language on the part of the colonists can too strongly reprobate. This accusation evidently applies, and is meant to apply, to those who have resigned their seats, as well as to those who still retain them. Indeed his language is even more insulting towards the former than the latter. He taunts them with having voluntarily assumed " a position too false and too weak" to be maintained, and then mocks them with the sarcastic compliment that their " moral instinct revolted against the degradation." We put it to the good sense and good feeling of the public — Is this just towards at least some of the gentlemen who have from time to time sat in the Coun»cil 1 We do not mention any names ; — it is not necessary for our argument — ; but whatever may be the shades or differences of political opinion amongst our readers, cannot all of them recollect as Members of Council gentlemen who entered the Council independently, who conducted themselves in it independently, who left it (if they have left it) with untarnished independence 1 If they could call to | mind even but one such Councillor, we need scarcely ask them what they think of Mr. Godley's wholesale and indiscriminate censure. We unaffectedly regret to see Mr. Godley apparently bent upon a course which will certainly frustrate the expectations enteitained by ourselves in common with many otheis, that he would prove a great acquisition to New Zealand. He came out heie with a full tide of popular approval and favourable anticipation. But almost the first public notice of his presence in the colony was the announcement of his fraternization with a parly, and that the anti-government party. vVe know something of the "fathers and founders" of the Canterbury Association, ■ both collectively and individually, and we cannot but think that there are those amongst them who would never have entrusted the Principal Agency of their Settlement in his hands if they could have foieseen that almost his first public acts would be bitter attacks upon the Government and the Governor. He might at least have waited until he had acquired a little more personal acquaintance with the politics of the colony, as they now exist, before he lent himself to be the tool of a confederation avowedly arrayed against the Queen's chosen and trusted Representative, and the proceedings of which have been characterized by the most violent and indecent abuse not only of the measures of Government but of the members of the Government personally, and especially of the Gover-nor-in-Chiei?. But it would seem that Mr. , Godley is already finding out his mistake. ' The Wellington Spectator of the 30th ultimo, slates that "//c has withdrawn from the Settlers 1 Constitutional Association." We expected this. He is too clear-headed a man not to see, after a little thought, how sadly he has missed his way, and how widely he has departed from what he well knows were the intentions and wishes of the Canterbury Association.