Page 2 Advertisements Column 2

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 581, 8 November 1851, Page 2

othci member of such committee by way of supctscnpfion to give them tbo lequired authomy. Cut it soiuhtnms occurs that 1 (<!•> in this case) cannot well avoid it, v. >hing, us I do, to au.su ei for my own sin-, cithei I of omission or commission, lather lh.iii they should ho middled upon any one who la peit'iciiy innocent, either at, a.dois or abettors, or encouragers 01 ihem. JS.ow, in refvience to wliat I have said cf-nceinins, the "plain, honest man," I beg again to ducl.u e that 1 am quite serious— it is no thoughtless, landom slip of the pen. I ftjieak urcoidmg to my independent, unbiassed convictions, nncn I candidly confer tli.it I entertain the highest lt-specl Li the integiity of tins same '* plain, lionet," — and, .is I added in my ga pi in.ito.y lttter — " veiy good man." Having 1 a in 1 know ledge ot his sobci habits, and his industiious and persbvenng conduct, and having been him in various capacities, to his own credit, during the last seven yeais, I would be plajing traitor to my own judgmml weie I not willing when called upon to aw aid him a due degree of praise as a ciuzen and a neighbour. So much trust could I place m the same man — however people may think rr judt>f> me his enemy — that I hereby wish to dcclate thus }U - licly— yes, and without the least tint of flattery — that if we were about to choose a public treasurer, so far as relying with confidence on his unscrupulous honesty is concerned, there is not a man in Auckland nor its vicinity to whom I would more readily and confidently give my vote and support for the office than I would for the same " plain, honest man ' in question. Ar.d why 1 From the best of all reasons : my own general knowledge of him, in the first place, and ako from the leputation and unblemished character which he has eai ned for himself by numerous piaisewortby actions, in the second. But because I admit and admire his good qualities in this respeU, 1 ask himself and his S'ippol ters whether I am bound to close my eyes against his incapacity in others, and choose him lon 11 an office for which his" education, his studies, and his course of lite have not combined to qualify him to sustain either to his own or my satisfaction, A person may lie a citizen, a good neighbour, and a capital tiadest'i >n, ami at the same, time a very nidifteient cleik, a. id a worse local legislator. For the sake of argument we will suppose him elected, and in the council chamber, sunounded by a number of strangers ot a variety of dispositions ; all might go smoothly forward for a short lime, till a subject is brought foiward to which he could not agiee, and not only so, but calculated, in a high degiee, lo wound his feelings— there he is, in the midst of aicn of exiensive talent ami cxperieuc .overawed by their superior education and oik otic.il abilities, w 'sties to give vent to his ideas and feelings, hut d ..c i/ou tells him it would be, wiser for him to s.t still, as he cauuot express himself for want ol the command of language, 'ihe subject still goes on, gaining ground with its appaient inconsistency, against all fairness and honesty, each speaker only exciting him the more, until at length he rises, and at, which time the e^es ot all piesent are im mediately turned upon him— he essays to speak, but is lost for utteiance, his breast heaving with disgust, ! and having >. mot he red his feelings until he is wiought up to a greater pitch of excitement. What is the consequence ? If he does noc come out in proper sUle, those of his opponents take advantage of v, a.id a smile psis>?es fiom one to the other. Tne only alternative would be, either to sit down again betoie he had said what he intended, or pick up bis hat and walk from the council-chamber, giving full scope for the public press and his enemies both in and out of the council to sneer and animadvert upon his conduct; and all bi ought auout simply because he could not sit still while improper measures were about to be cairicd. Before 1 would commit such a foolish act as voting for men to go into the Council who are totally unfit to i woik the Charter, I would agiee to let the bantling go back to its frames Better to reject it altogether, than io make fools ot ourselves by a ridiculous choice of I members. t Thefiist plan for the selection of a tepresentative broke down, and the second is not likely to do well, inasmuch as there die objections raided against the tin ee, and whichever paityis returned theie will be, under ptesent circumstances, a great many dissatisfied. General^who have scattered death and destruction into each others ranks have at length come to teims of amity and peace. If the agitation has not become too much of a party movement, aud if-vve a c all seeking the geneial good, we oui?ht to be more united. At present tlie ward is split into sections, and few satisfied. In or.ler to obviaU* which, for the sake of peace and unity, 1 would advise a step to be Uken towards' creating pe.ice, unity, and friendly feelings amongst us, by the tluee committees alieady in existence meeting- to endeavour to come to some arrangement with the view to the withdrawal of all three ol the present candidates. With which judicious plan the good sense of the caudidates 1 have no doubt would mutually agiee. Then, for the sake of harmony, and to sei ye tticj cause of the Burgesses geneially, let an ther gentleman be selected and biuught out as the harbinger of peace and concord, and as a general mediator betwixt contending parties. Such a scheme would show that we are charitably disposed ; that we do not, merely to gratily our vanity, wish to push our mail nolens ovlens upon those who would teject him had they their wishes consulted. It would show an mclinaiion to f;ive way in our private sentiments to >ci ye the public good. It would do away with the present competition In canvassing, and «dso with every thing like s. party agitation, and there would be no necessity (or a general polling, a tew names only behitf sufficient for his leturn, in consequence ot no opposition. Dr. Bennett has a >t bound any one who promised to Tote foi him to keep such piomise, in the event ot another beiug bi ought torwaid betwixt then and the time of election which would please them better. 1 say apain, if pany feeling does not run too high, or paity piejudice taken too deep a root, eveiy one would agree to accede to these overtures or terms of amity There is pltnty of nine yet to obviate the difficulty, theie can be no excuse raised on that account. 1 have no hesitatation in stating as my firm conviction that a gentleman of worth, talent, auiJ general respect could be found, who would have the confi lence of all three committees. If so, a general meeting of Burgesses would be all that would be tequired to finish the business, aud friends and brothers could mett on equal terms. If this step were taken, a ueueral committee could Le elected to stand for twelve months, which the secretaiy might call together at any time such representative wished to consult them touching any important question in Council j and though he would of couise act according to his own judgment on all weighty matters, yet he probably would like the opinion ot his constituents on some points. If this plan was acted upon, the whole of the Ward would consider themselves well ani propeily l epreseuted ; while on the other hand, the perseverance in our present plan will only serve one party, at the displeasure of two others. The case now stands thus,— an attempt was made in the first instance, an unity for one man, which failed. We then dissolved the Committee, and split ourselves into sections, which time has demonstrated willnotend successfully for the Ward generally. There aie many standing neutral and won't vote for any one of the present candidates. Others have pi omised, with an understanding that if another came for*, ward, they would be at libeity to withdraw, or to vote for oik 1 nioie congenial to their wishes- Theie aie objections by .some to till thiee. "Why not, then, instead of trying to please one section, at the disappointment and displeasure ot the other two sections, instead of setting man against nun, why not try to remove all angry feelings and party jealousies. As one of Dr. Bennltt's Committee I'm sure they would willingly agiee to come to any proper terms; and there are veiy sensible, judicious men on the other committees, who have no other object than ihe general good. Why not, then, agree to this proposition ? Will they refuse it [ because it comes fiom the opposite party, and treat it a> a symptom of weakne-<s, and wish boastingly and tuumptiantly to cairy their man in defiance of this offer? Will they act more rationally? Or aie they more likely to succeed ? Or what benefit will either the committees or the candidates derive fiom it. In conclusion, I beg to state most positively that! am the only author of the two previous letters. That Dr. Bennett could know nothing of them until they reached the New Zenla?ider office, nor has he ever met the Committee, oi m any way given directions for anything of the kind to be published. 1 state this because ooth supporters and opposes of the Doctor have attributed the writing of the letters fo him. lie h«d nothing to do with them. They weie published because our Committee and public rneetiugs weie frustrated, as patties on the other Cmimittees Knew how, and therefore, being driven to this, it was my only way of showing the propriety of voting for my man in preference to the others in the held. I am, your humble servant, Wm. Gritfin. An Independent Voter of the West Ward.

[advertisement.]

EAST TOWN WARD. To the Editor of the New Zealander. SIR. — Can you inform the Public what has become of the two Candidates for the East Town Waid, Alter their fixed declarations, have they deserted us and gone off to the shune ot the Turon, or of Ophir — oi, witnessing the energy displayed in the other Wards, have they modestly retreated into the sh«de. One of the Gentlemen replies to n requisition, declares a few sentiments at a Meeting, ami then subsides into complacent quietudp — the other leaser gentleman, receives no requisition, but declares at a Meeting, that h$ will jeoih the Charter, and then we hear no