ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 745, 4 June 1853, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the New-Zealander. Sir, —Adverting to your correspondent’s observations, June J, on the opinion entertained by the public of the Southern Cross, I cannot refrain from drawing attention to the effect produced by that Journal, beyond the limits of the Colony, Nothing, perhaps, has proved a more powerful weapon in the hands of the late New Zealand Company’s agents, than the Cross Journal, they being at all times able to hold it up as a proof of Mr, Fox’s

and other writers’ truthfulness as to the state of Society in Auckland, —and thence deducing arguments on the propriety of emigrants avoiding this settlement. This, the supposed people’s paper, being filled with abuse against the Government—representing society torn by factions —and from the character of its writings, makeing Auckland appear to be, as represented by the Company’s agents, composed of all the vile and restless materials of neighbouring colonies. If we write to friends at home, or enquire of strangers arrived, the answers we often receive are the same, —“Your papers (meaning, of coutse, the one to which I refer) show such au unpleasant state of society, that we doubt of the propriety of joining your settlement.” These circumstances appear to reach no further than the reflecting and reading part of the public, but, when it is known that the Company’s agents used an Auckland journal for the purpose of showing the better state of society in their settlements, we see at once madeapparent the monstrous evil resulting to us from allowing our local’quarrels and personal animosities to rage through our journals as public grievances, the truth whereof none can rightly judge—from the absence of all dispassionate argument or knowledge of the grounds of objection. I know that lately a London paper, in the interest of the Southern settlements, copied an article from the Cross crying down Auckland as fully as its worst enemies could desire. I have not that paper, or I would quote a passage or two, hut shall be obliged if you can do it for me.* We in the Colony too often imagine our rancorous expressions draw no consequences beyond the sphere of the parties to whom we would address them, and that they, being under the same irritibility from fancied personal wrongs, are equally ready with ourselves to rush into intemperate condemnation, desiring the annoyance and destruction of the object of our hatred, and thinking ourselves fully equal to repair with greater advantage the mischief caused to the community at large, and while this egotistical principle rules us, we drink in delirious drafts of adulation from subservient satellites and flattering fools. For our local consideration, as your correspondent observes, we have a proof of the estimate of public opinion and character by the extent of circulation, which makes ns well aware of the fact of the Cross being no representative of the reflecting and reading part of our community, and from which many persons are too apt to suppose its circulation unimportant; hut we have to remember avc cannot stop its issue to foreign parts—except by attention to requests such as 1 have received—that if I wish my statements to be well received as indicative of the tone of society in Auckland, 1 had better refrain from transmitting the Southern Cross. Yet, as a local consideration, is it not remarkable that the Editor-proprietor of that journal laid great stress at a late Election on the view that the proprietor of a journal was, from that circumstance, a most improper person as a representative—yetnowheing similarly situated in his own person, lie actually offers himself as fit to rule our people and Councils, and in which councils no one dare oppose any view taken by him, or disapprove any of his measures, or they would lie held up to public ridicule and contempt through the columns of his Journal. And what arc we to think of that damning advertisement still appearing in the Cross, headed “ Electors who signed the Requisition to Colonel Wynyard,” and designed to persuade them that they may violate their promises to vote for the Colonel —first put in as apparently a paid advertisement, to ascertain if the public mind would bear so gross an insult—to say nothing of the attempt covertly made in it to excite the most fearful consequences of disruption by antagonistical sentiments of conscience, happily averted by the superior penetration of the people. To remove the contempt of our Colony which will inevitably follow tire circulation of that advertisement, pray, Sir, request all persons sending those papers abroad, to cut out that abominable article, that strangers may not so readily suppose we are the dregs of neighbouring Colonies, without any regard for our social, moral, or religious character. —Your’s, &c., A. Z. Auckland Division, June ], 1853. |_*On the point which our correspondent 'refers to us, he is quite right. The New Zealand Joirnal (a paper well known to he under the influence of Mr. Gibbon Wakefield, Mr. Fox, and others of that stamp), in its number of the 11th of August last, has au article headed “ Condition of Auckland,” which it introduces immediately after a most florid account of Wellington. Tins article on Auckland is copied from the Southern Cross , and contains, amidst much of the sune kind, the following passages, from woich the reader may judge of the kind of impression Mr. Brown’s newspaper makes at a distance as to the state of this town and settlement. The Cross —as quoted by this London journal—thus informs the English public, — “It,must now he pretty evident, even to the inost blind and determined supporters of Governor Grey, (if such a vara avis can yet be found) that his Excellency’s ill-judged policy lias-resulted in bringing the affairs of the Nortl ora Province of New Zealand almost to a “ dead lock.” Look at the übiquitous notices of “ Shops to Left’ “ Houses to Let,” nay, almost entire “Streets to Let.” Ask what is doing to provide exports, to pay current expenses, and to effect a profitable return, and the inevitable reply will be a stare and a shrug. Where arc our exports I we hear echoed #nd re-echoed on every side. Eleven years oid, and no exports yet ? surely, the country must be barren and useless —or somcthiqggmust indeed lie deplorably defective in its manner of government. Hitherto the people have invariably shut their eyes to the evil going on around them, The few who ventured to look that evil in the face, were discouragedfromseokingrcdress by the apathy of ths many. The time has now gone by for fooling away good money in buying wretched scraps of town land, and erecting houses in the vain hope of letting them to one’s neighbour at ridiculous rents. It is now sufficiently apparent that work of some industrial and productive character must be undertaken. VWe can no longer live upon each other. Y(Sy many have hut too much reason to ask what can they do And again,— “To estimate our own shortcomings, let us compare ourselves with other colonies of nearly similar age. Look at South Australia, but five or six years our senior ; consider the vast extent of her resources, chiefly mineral, certainly, although that is hut one source of her prosperity, —for her wool is of great value, —her herds of cattle are numerous, —and her agriculture flourishes. Look again at Port Phillip, and ponder the springs of her prosperity. This year she will export about 80,000 bales of wool, with large quantities of tallow and other articles of wealth—all the creation of the industry and enterprise of rural occupations—of comparatively slow Hut sure reward. We say nothing of her gold—putting that down as an accidental source. Nay, even under almost the same misfortunes and mismanagement as our own, look at Wellington, which, so fur hack as 1848, exported wool to the value of £7,074, and which this year, we stippose, cannot be under £12,000 to £15,000. Compare all these with our enforced stagnation, and we shall at once comprehend the extent to which the evil policy ot Governor Grey has destroyed this province.” Such is the character of the efforts “for the advancement of this Province,” which Mr. Brown makes. What elector w ill not “ rush to the poll” to testify that lie duly appreciates such sendees to Auckland I —Ed. N. Z. \