ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. Corporation Windbags.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 635, 15 May 1852, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. Corporation Windbags.

To the Editor the New Zealander. Mn<vter Jack-ey cii-ed for the moon, and be-cause bis pa pa could not give bim tbe moon, Mas -ter Jack-ey, who was a very sad boy, broke bis dium and put bis peg-top in tbe fire.— Emy lesionsfw little thildien. Sir — I have no doubt that papa's replies to Master Jackey were found by that young gentleman to he "vague and unsatisfactory," and that the fine spirited and " independent" boy, when be smashed his little drum and consigned his top to the flames, considered himself a juvenile martyr, and was enabled, with a clear conscience and distinct apprehension of the strength of his position, and of the peculiar hardships of his case, " to throw the Avhole responsibility" of the sacrifice he had j nst made with all its trouble consequences upon the head of his unnatural parent. Let us hope, however, that papa did not feel much oppressed beneath the grievous burthen. Somewhat similar, except that the actors were children of a larger growth, was the farce which was played out in the Municipal Council Chamber on Saturday last. Had the consequences of the fine spirited and "independent" proceedings of that clay been purely of a personal ch.iiacter, that is to say, confined to the individual performers, I feel that I should bo taking an unwarrantable liberty in thus noticing them, prepared as I sun to maintain — with pen or fcC stick" — the glorious and indefeasible right of every British man (myself among- the rest) even under this present "grinding despotism," to make a fool of himself once a week or often cr if ho likes, and, also, when tired of exhibiting, to burn his cap and bells and snuff himself out, provided, always, that in setting fire to his baubles he takes care, that no damage .shall come to hib neighbours' property or lights. But when we see men who, of, their own accoul, seek to obtain the suffrages of the public, and to be in-

vested with certain powers, which they solemnly promise to cxeicise fur tlic public benefit, making, like Master Jackey of tho nursery talc, demand 1 : which are preposterous and absurd, and then beciusc these demands are not complied with, sulking, throwing aside their powei&, and shufHinq ofl "responsibility," you, Sir, and I, and all tnosc whose interests are affected by these proceedings, have a right, after examining the reasons set forth in their plea, to pronounce freely our opinion upon the conduct of our representatives. I turn then to the Southern Cross of Tuesday last, which, as being the oracle of •'opposition," may safely be regarded as putting the case of the Corporation in the best possible light, and ] there find devoted to the subject in hand, c, leading article ; a long account, with the strong points in italics, by Mr. Joseph May, of his proceedings at his Meeting (with Alderman Powditch, I supnose,) at Epsom, on Friday, by which it would seem that Mr. Joseph May performed on that occasion the several parts ol chairman, orator, and audience, greatly to his own satisfaction; and I find in addition the usual full report of the Saturday's meeting, with the last dying speeches of the members. Amongst all these we shall surely alight upon some ol those good and sufficient reasons which Aye arc in search of, and I Avill examine them in turn. The great problem to be solved by the Managers of tho show w-s, it seems, " How will Alderman Powditch vote?" And really, considering the various and interesting- topics upon which the worthy Alderman has spoken and written during tne Session, most of them fi« germane to the Corporation business as an oration of Cicero, or an essay on the lmmon jaw, it must have been a matter of sonic difficulty to find out what he would be at next. In a happy hour, however, ho encountered Mr. Joseph May, and tho process by -which, as Cap'cn Cuttle would say, he " got his opinions' 1 lias been published. These opinions, we are informed, affected Mr. Newman so favourably, that he did not talk so much as "otherwise would have been necessary," and Alderman Dignan so powerfully, that he could not vote, — and thus Mr. Joseph May- — having operated upon Alderman Powditch, who operated in his turn upon Mr. Alderman Dignan — has "put down" the Corporation. Mr. Joseph May is therefore " a great fact." How different, s~ys the Editor of the Cross, reflecting upon the catastrophe, "how different would have been the result if Governor Grey had only taken the opinion of onj man of the Burgesses upon the merits of the Charter !" L'his must be the man, honest Jack Bunsby redivivus ! Which way ? If so, why not 2 Therefore ! No one of course could suspect the modesty Editor of the Cross of such an exaltation of egotism as to think or insinuate that if he had been consulted things would have turned out differently, that, with the aid of Ms puppets and obedient servants, the Corporation would have gone forward; that unless at his good a\ ill and pleasure no roads shall be made and no public improvements effected ; that the working men whom a judicious expenditure of the Corporation funds might have kept from want during the coming winter, shall be driven forth to the "diggings" or to some other Colony where "one mm" cannot obstruct general progress ; that till Governor Grey shall have atoned to him, the omnipotent Editor of the Cross, for having presumed to afford the people the opportunity ol managing their own affairs, without consulting this '•'■one man," tho social machine must stop and chaos come again. " 0 sapient Attorney -General and Colonial Secretary, if ye would deserve the best thanks of a grateful community, " consult the oracle, and save us from the misfortune of being handed over, shackled with "free" institutions to the tender mercies of this one man ! Oh dear, oh dear, it must be Bunsby! If so, why not? Which? In the leading article, Sir, I can find no other cause for the untimely end of the Corporation than this. It is a very curious one, nevertheless, and worthy of much consideration, and whether it be meant as a hint to those in authority deliberately given, or is simply a slip of the pen, an accidental raising of the veil, giving us a sudden glimpse of the "one m:in" who worked the wires by which the puppets before the curtain were moved: I recommend it, to the serious attention of all concerned. It is pregnant with matter for thought. If you will afford me the space, I propose in my next to review the proceedings of the meeting as reported in the Gross, and having weighed the reasons set forth by the different speakers for the courses pursued by them, we shall be enabled to decide whether these gentlemen have in reality promoted the interests of their constituents and the public, and are deserving of the "adulation" which the Southern Cross lavishes upon their independence and spirit. I am, Sir, &c, X. Auckland, May 1 3, 1852.