ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. ST. PATRICK'S TOTAL ABSTINENCE SOCIETY'S HALL.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 661, 14 August 1852, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. ST. PATRICK'S TOTAL ABSTINENCE SOCIETY'S HALL.

To the Editor of the New Zealander. Sir, — I am happy, through the medium of your journal, according to the direction of the undermentioned Committee, to inform the lovers and well-wishers of temperance, that the St. Patrick's Total Abstinence Society's ll nil is now opened under the patronage of His Lordship Dr. Pompallier,— the Rev. Mr. McDonald acting as president. A meeting was held on Sunday, the Ist inst., in that large and spacious Hall, Ilobson-street, when, in order to carry out the beneficent designs of the Society and to secure its permanency, regulations have been entered into. A Committee with Stewards and a Secretary have been formed. Every Sunday, at four o'clock, lias been fixed for the time of meeting, when the Rev. Mr. McDonald will be happy to receive all those who wish to enrol themselves as members of this Association. It is needless to mention the immense advantages which are to be derived from having such a Society amongst us ; the home countries and the neighbouring colonies speak sufficiently of its happy influence. I am, Sir, &c, M. Field, Sec. pro. ton. August 13th, 1852.

To the Editor of the New Z inlander, " The King may conic 1' the Cadgci's way." Sin,— ln acknowledging the leceipt of one of thecircular letters which Mr. Newman has sent to my followviilagers the Pensioners of Panmure, I would thank you to allow me , on behalf of our corps, to offer a few remarks on his communication. I (hinL, Sir, that Mr. Newman had but little faith in the pith of the nbove old Scotch proverb, when he made the very unjustifiable attack on the Pensioners, in Feb. mhry last, under cover of hia Common Councilsbip, which he now seems to regret so much. Or, perhaps he never conceived the possibility of meeting with an illustration of it on the ioad to the honouis to which he tis-pnes; and while he was so sturdily exhibiting befoie the Colonists " that lie had courage enough" to rough handle a lot of "old worn-out soldiers,"' a* he termed u<=, and, hLe Ins learned friend "tbe talker," shewing off bis qualifications for the post of " wrangler" in the Provincial Council, it never entered into the gentleman's bpad that be should once become a candidate for a division in which the old *' useless, woitblpss Pensioners 1 ' would "form the majority of the voters." But whatever his hopes or aims might have been while, he was passing us under his keen review, be somehow or other, inadvertently, by a stroke of bad generalship, not a very good token of hi-, foiesight foi statesmanship, finds himself all of ft sudden wuhjn range of our voting papers, with the uncomfortable recollection on his mind of having once given us "no quarter;" so, he wheels quickly to the right about, retreats ingloriously, scampering off with a whine, and feeling that if nothing worse happens, at least we won't vote for him who abused us so gratuitously. Mr. Newman has now found it convenient to send us a letter, as he eiys, to bring about a reconciliation between the corps and himself. I don't know what he means by this, unless it be to urge us to "do good tor c\il" hy even }et oft'eiing him our votes. Ido not think wo owe him any ill-will, for all he said of us will not go far to damage our reputition nmong our fellowsettlers, who have had long expeiience of us, as neighbours, servants, and in other relations. Mr. Newman may try to get out of it as be may, but there is no use in softening down what be is so well known to have said about us, when trying to make out a case against Governor Grey, for what be termed "originating false ideas, and sending home wrong calculations as to tbe increased value of Crown Lands in tbe neighbourhood of the Pensioner settlements." ! He knows as well as we do, that be met this statement of the Governor's by arguing that our presence in the neighbourhood produced the contrary effect; that so far from tbe land in the vicinity of our villages becoming! of greater value, and being much sought after, that the settlers would rather buy land at a distance from us, n£, because of our "pilfering' 1 practices, the farmers' ben roosts, &c, were unsafe witbin our reach. He may remember that be slashed away so unmercifully at our j character, that the retiring} but gallant Councillor, Captain Haultain, for the honour of the cloth, felt bound to jump to his feet, and draw and defend us — which be did, by saying " that be must distinctly contradict ! Mr. Newman's charge against tbe Pensioners for pilfering — they were not deserving of such an imputation being cast upon them — whatever other faults attached to old soldiers, they were not addicted to pilfering." This is the state of tbe case, as I found it m the newspaper reports to which Mr. Newman's letter refers us. While he found it convenient for his case to quote one part of tbe proceedings, he might as well in justice to us have given the whole of what he said himself, and of what was said by others in defence of ouiaelves and ourfamihes; and now that he know's us better, and wishes to make our acquaintance, and be on familiar terms with us, be mi^ht as well have apologized with good giace, by manfully unsaying all he said against up, and saved us any further reference to what must be now very unpleasant to him, as it was to us all along. I think that if be bad taken this course, the Christian spirit in which he says he wishes to act, would have been more conspicuous in bis letter. Indeed, had he "regulated bis conduct" m the Council as he now says be always wishes to do, "by that Divine standard" exhibited in his own Bible, ts well aa in mine, which set 3 up the " Charity which thinketb no evil" as the test of every true Christian, there would have been 1 o ! occasion given for his explanation at all, and we mitjbt have thought him as good and fit a man as any other to represent us in tbe Councils of our adopted land. I remain, Sir, &c, I A VoTEn. P.S. — Mr. Editor, I enclose a copy of Mr. N.s circular, that you may judge wbethpr my remarks are just or not,— l haye sent a copy of this letter to the two papers, as Mr. Newman's attack upon us, and his reasons for wiibdiawing his name as a Candidate, were published in them both.