DESPOTISM.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 750, 22 June 1853, Page 3

DESPOTISM.

To the Editor of the Nkw-Zualaxdf.r. Sir, —1 Avas present yesterday on the hustings at Onehunga, during the nomination ol the Candidates for the oil ice of Superintendent, and 1 have read the manifesto of Colonel Wynyard’s Committee, and the account of the proceedings at the nomination in Auckland given in the Southern Cross of this morning. It is impossible not to notice the striking contrast between the conduct of the contemned pensioners assembled at the village and the riotous and unreasonable behaviour of the in the town. Mr. Brown’s supporters present at the Onehuhga meeting, were to those of Colonel Wynyard’s as one to twenty, yet Mr, Joseph May, who proposed Mr. Brown, was pcrmiitted to conclude a rambling and most irrelevant oration, in which he touched upon every conceivable subject, and upon many of them most ohensively, from the national debt down to the wrorms of the pensioners, without any other interruption than an occasional interpellate n from a supporter of his own party, who was manifestly not much the better for the quantity of refreshment which had been bestowed upon him during the morning. Mr. Brown’s seconder was even permitted to have the “last word” and a second time to address the meeting after the Colonel s proposer and seconder had spoken. The “myrmidons of the military despot ’ listened patiently and courteously to the speakers on both sides,— the “ shrveys” and supporters of the civilian candidate would hear no speaker but those of their own, —a specimen of the freedom we should obtain under the domination of the latter, which the electors of the Province would do well to keep in view. We have heard much, Sir, since the commencement of this contest of military despotism and the tyranny of government inlluer.ee; but there is

another despotism, infinitely more grinding, of which we have not heard a vo d, I mean the despotism of cash, and their is another tyranny the influence of which is more galling than any that the worst government can exercise over its employes, I mean (he tyranny of an unscrupulous creditor over his trembling dependants. When, Sir, wo sec the Managing Director of the only Bank in this Province openly identifying himself with a political party, appearing upon (ha hustings in support of lhat party, and acting with the fugleman of uproar and intolerance in preventing fair play, is there no dcspoi'Lm there? is there no tyranny when holding, as he does, the strings of the public purse, he freely casts himself with all las influence into the scale with one of the candidates i I know the various mercantile ramifications of (lie house of which Mr.Brown is the head ; / know the thousand filamcnts'of debt by which it grasps so many of the electors of this Province, and although I do not know and indeed do not believe that Mr. Brown would himself use any such arguments to ob-abi support, yet I do know that a gentleman close’y connected with him in business makes no scruple of using them on bis behalf; and when this gentleman, with a threat in his eye, and possibly the “ little bill” in bis pocket says to his debtor “ Come, you’ll vote for us,” is there no undue inll' ence there i is there not the tyranny of credit ? 1 cannot resist the temptation of giving in this place nnoll er argument said to have been used by the same gentleman with a who had signed the .Requisition to Col. \\ ynyard. He was urged to vio'ate Ins written pledge, and give his vote to Air. Brown,.not because his name was appended without bis consent, not because somebody had sau. that “Jie himself would vote not for the Colonel, but for another candidate”, not because the Lord Bishop Pompallier did not sign the Requisition, not because Colonel Wynyard’s Committee had circulated slanders against Mr. Crown, hut because—what, think you, Sir? — "Why, because Colonel Wynyard did not sell coals, and ikon, whilst he, the canvasser, did, and gave credit for them too. Yesterday was Mr. Brown’s day and I hope he feels proud" of it, the doth will be ours : if any stimulus to renewed exertion were required, the events of the nomination day have furnished it, and the result ofthe poll on that day, distinguishing as It will, the lovers of real freedom and fair play from those who would rule by intimidation and uproar will fix definitely the political statusmf the clique which would fain persuade the public that it embraces the intelligence and worth of the whole Province of Auckland, and is all m all.—l am, &.c. X. Auckland, June 21, 1553.

To the Editor of the New-Zhauanouu. Sm—l have hut very recently arrived in New Zealand, and, having'seen something'of the working of the British Constitution at home, I naturally hit an interest in the new and liberal constitution which the mother country, in a just spirit, had bestowed upon this colony. I may premise, that from what i had heard and read of colonists, 1 expected to hud them a people generally extremely sensitive to what they may deem their political rights, and very determined to uphold them : in si Tort, 1 expected to find something of the pride of our respected father, John , tinged a little possibly with the vanity of our cousin, Jonathan. — ()u niv first opportunity, ! naturally turned to vour newspaper and your contemporary for information as to the spirit and manner in which the people would conduct themselves herein the forthcoming elections —that for Superintendent appearing to he considered of vastly the greatest consequence. 1 found addresses from two gentlemen, of opposite parties, not differing very essentially from such as 1 have read many scores of times before. But I also met with one letter, address, or advertisement, which, I confess, has occasioned me most unfeigned astonishment. It is headed, “ To the Electors who signed Col. Wynyard’s Acquisition.” and signed by nobody. Now, Sir, I understand that this requisition was signed hy above 500 electors, and that the electors of the whole division amount probably to less than 2000. Therefore, at least one-fourth of the electors have signed this requisition; and surely so Large a proportion must he considered to be a fair sample of the whole —at least, i have never yet met with a ease in business, of any kind whatever, in winch such a proportion would have been considered as affording a fair average by which to judge of the whole. I had hoped, when I arrived here, by strict attention to my business and respectable conduct as a member of society, on some day to be admitted upon the register for voters in tins colon v. My name has so . food on various lists in England, and I have used my suffrage at some of themost strongly contested of its county elections, and no man ever thought of charging me with acting under the influence either of bribery or intimidation. But, Sir, what is a strong canvass, or even the charge of acting under the influence of bribery or intimidation, to what thisman, without a signature, imputes directly to a part, and, by implication, to the whole of the electors of this district of A uckland i Why, in the first place, he f ils them that in signing the requisition to Col. Wvnyard, they were such dolts and idiots that they did not know what they were about. And then he requires them to become shufflers and sneaking repudlators, and not to follow up their requisition hy giving their votes at the da\ olclcct'oii (live me leave, Sir, to put a case to this Nobody. Suppose that one of these requisitiomsts had accepted a bill from him for a few pounds, to become due on the both iust. ", hut that, on that day, that said requisitionist should turn round upon Mr. Nobody and say, “ I only meant to give you my name, not my money.’ flow Mr. i\obod>/ would storm and rave about the maims dishorn sty! Now, the cases of Col. Wynyard’s requisitionists every honest man will considei to he strictly anaiagous. . , . But Mr. Nobody pretends that the rcquisitionists are not hound' in honour to vote for Col. W. because, forsooth, they wore only to sign theii names to induce him to stand. But,' Sir, the requisition states that the 24 benefits of the new constitution depend, as far as provincial affairs aie concerned, on the election of a Superintendent ( not the mere putting up ol au individual) in whom the people can generally repose con faience V ’ and such a candidate, it goes on testate, is preeminently found in Col. Wvnyard. And, in conclusion, the requisitionists “respectfully and earnestly request him to allow himself to he put in nomination for the office of Superintendent of the Province of Auckland,” Surelypio 500 sane men were ever before so grossly insulted as to be asked, after having signed a document containing such words as above quoted, to repudiate their own acts, and declare themselves to the world to be liars and shufflers. One without a name has asked them thus to disgrace themselves —on his head lot the disgrace and ignominy fall. But in his next paragraph, Mr. Nobody (1 use this word with no offensive signification, hut merely because the writer has appended no signature) has surpassed himself, lias out-hcroded Herod ;—ho says that many were told that bishop Poinpalier had promised to sign, and, therefore, they had signed ; hut these were now “ doubly absolved.” Does the man mean hy this to insinuate that instead of the new constitution having been graciously granted for the public good, it is for some other purpose, and more particularly for the benefit of the hierarchy '.—or does he mean to inailt his brother Roman Catholics, hy insinuating that they arc not free, or capable—whichever it may hje—to sign a political document without the direction of their ecclesiastical superior ■ But, Sir, this man goes still further with his insinuations, for really, as the paragraph in question is worded, it goes to convey the impression that the bishop had promised to sign, hut did not-—in other words, that alter having promised to perform a certain act, which he was in every sense

most competent to do, he had drawn hack an 1 refused, and, consequently, forfeited, to sndi extent, his character for ve vac Tty or independence Such is not, I believe, the character of bishop Pompalier ; therefore must this libel and its disgrace rest with its anonymous propagator. I have but one word more. What d> cs this writer mean by “ doubly absolved V' As he seemsto be sucliagay “cannic laddie,” does he mean this as a double negative, and intend to convey that the parties are not absolved at all '■ AVith himself, however, rests this explanation —not with me. The wliolc communication seems to be written with the intention of persuading a large number of electors to repudiate their own acts, and, thereby to disgrace themselves, and, through them, the whole body of electors. The document has been adopted hythe Candidate, and the heads of the party whose ends it is written to serve, hy being, week after week, produced before the public in that Candidate’s newspaper, without contradiction or explanation of any kind whatever. This clearly shows at how low an estimate the electors of Auckland are held hy Mr. Brown and his friends. It now remains for the electors to shew how they estimate their own character for honesty, and their resentment at its being impugned, by refusing to vote for the man who has thus insulted them. Such, I sincerely believe, would be the conduct of the generality of the electors in our old country, and such assuredly would he that of A Recent Immigrant. June 18, 1853,

To the Editor of the New-Zealandkr. Sir—As the Southern Cross has, in its own way, published very unfair reports of our electioneering proceedings at the quiet village of llowick, I beg you will insert the following facts relative to two meetings—one held on the i 4th inst. hy Col. Wynyavd’s friends and supporters, at Mr.* Lync h’s ; the other on the 15th hy Mr. Brown’s friends and supporters, at the Royal Hotel, llowick. A placard having been posted up, calling a meeting of The friends and supporter’s ot \V illiain Brown, at the Royal Hotel, at <> o’clock, p. in.-on the 15th inst., Col. AVynyard’scommittee thought it advisable to have a meeting of his (Col. AVynyard’s) friends at Mr. Lynch's, on the evening previous to Mr. Brown’s meeting, when the following resolution was passed, viz. : “ That the friends and supporters of Col. Wynyard do meet Mr. Brown’s friends to-morrow evening, to discuss dispassionately the merits of both candidates for the Superintendency.” Agreeably to notice, a great number of friends of both parties met at the Royal hotel, and as some friends of Mr. Brown were expected from Auckland, It was proposed that the business of the meeting should be postponed for an hour. — Upwards of an hour having expired, it was considered advisable that the chair should he taken. Accordingly, Jamos White, pensioner, late gunner and driver, Royal Artillery, Resident Magistrate’s clerk, and one of Mr. Brown’s supporters and canvassers, was proposed to take the chair.— Serjeant Barry was then proposed, and a shew of hands called for, but there being an immense number in the room, it could not he decided in that manner. It was then proposed that all should withdraw to the street, and there divide into two parties —the one for Mr. W lute to take the chair, the other for Mr. Barry ; hut even in that manner, there was too much contusion created hy a few of Mr. Brown’s friends, to count the number for each. It was-then proposed by Mr. White, that he and serjeant Barry should take the sense of the meeting, hy their allowing one for each, alternately, to pass into the room, when it was found that a large majority was in favour of serjeant Barry, He (serjeant Barry) accordingly took the chair, and addressed the meeting, at the conclusion of which he said he would he most happy to hoar anv of Air. Brown’s friends shew reasons why Air. Brown should he elected as Superintendent in preference to Col. Wynyard, Air. White then brought his "great and little gun” to hear on the meeting, hut they being loaded with blank cartridge only, of course the“report had no effect. After some further discussion, a vote of thanks was returned to the chairman for his gentlemanly and dignified conduct, 'the meeting was then adjourned from time to time, and three cheers given for Col, AA vnyard, such as were never before heard within the wooden walls of the house. At twpnti/ minutes post nine o'Cod, word was sent to the house that Air. Brown’s friends had arrived hy water from Auckland, when shortly afterwards Air. Brown’s two great champions, Messrs. Carleton and Mitchell, made their appearance.— The electors who had remained (about 40) then rc-assemhled, anil serjeai t Barry was-again called to the chair, lie requested the meeting to give Mr. Brown’s friends a fair hearing ; but such was the vociferous cheering for Col. Wynyard, that Air. Carleton declined to address the meeting when called on, stating that “ it was a Wynyard ■meeting and not a Brown one.” One of Colonel Wynyard’s supporters then attempted to address the meeting, when a cry of “But him out,—put him out 1” was immediately raised hy the opposite party. They (Air. Brown’s friends) were then toid that they must remember that they wore not then at Onchunga, and had not a Mr. Crispe to be roughly handled or maltreated, when they changed their tone, and became mighty civil, and looked as pleasant as might he expected. Another vote of thanks having been given to the chairman, the meeting was dissolved, at the same time giving her Majesty the Queen, and all her loyal subjects, many hearty cheers, with three times three for Cok Wynyard. The only animal I observed to he intimidated at the meeting was the famous cart horse, “ Nails,” and he only carried at the time a little parcel, supposed to contain “small hills, due by the electors to his master. —1 am, &c. No Eavks-Droi rer. 1 fold'd, 18 th June, 1858.

To the Kditov of the Nkw-Zkalamh'.ij. Shi,- — Being one lately arrived in this colony to look lor land for a small farm, 1 felt much interested in the nomination proceeding's of Monday, and got as near as 1 could to hear it possible both sides as to the merits of the opiestiou which 1 supposed would be discussed by the speakers. This 1 expected because 1 was told it was not a question between two persons who should get in to some profitable place, but that it was a question involving the interests of the colony, and the powers likely to he conferred on the office of Superintendent, and 1 thought 1 should be better able to understand whether it would be better to remain till the elections were over and business began, or to go back to where 1 came from. I was a good deal surprised to find that only one party was allowed to speak. 1 he first speaker I did not think said anything that a stranger could know much about; but the second speaker I could follow a little—as far as I heard him ; and as I was led to suppose the Snpcrintcndency was a place of great trust, 1 had come to the conclusion that some person should be in this situation not engaged in trade, and that this was the great contention between the two parties. 1 was therefore very much surprised to bear the second speaker, who 1 supposed was a supporter of Mr. Brown, say that there were many other o-entlemen who, had they stood for the office, would have beaten ihe candidate he was then seconding—plainly telling the public that his friend was not the host man.—Bruy then why did he not bring one of these gentlemen forward as usual by a requisition, and it did not appear that it was altogether disinclination, as Mr. .Brown, oi the last speaker, told the crowd that most of the merchants were opposing him because they did want to get in themselves. Now, it seems strange to me how the second speaker came to snppoj t the man be did not think most lit. But as ,1 and

some more came here to buy land, and some to ; settle in trades, we mostly thought it should neither ho a land buyer nor merchant, because _ as Superintendent lie would ho able to give prior information not only to persons here, hut also to moneyed friends at home to send out their capital to be invested by him as an agent in laud, giving them the first information when the country would he opened for sale, and its capabilities. And in this way the settler with small capital would have to buy second hand, and so the cheap land would he no benefit to him, unless he went further into the interior, a very main objection in the rugged country of New Zealand. And also small tradesmen who were not dealers with this great house, would ho cut out of the chance of contract for public work. For these reasons most of us strangers thought this officer should have been appointed hy the Governor, or chosen hy the people from men named hy the Goornor, who had no trade or land jobbing interest to serve. But after the doings of yesterday it appears to most of us that before wo think of settling here, wc must wait to see who the new Superintendent will be, and in what way ho will manage matters, especially if he is to he the Candidate who has a paper here, which, since our arrival, wc observe he uses to slander every one that differs with him in opinion.—Yours, etc., A Stranger. June 20, 1853.

To the Editor of the New-Zeat.ander. Sir, — For some time past, I 'have'been undecided as to the relative merits of the two candidates for the office of Superintendent. But the scene I witnessed yesterday has dispelled all my doubts and given me a clear and conscientious perception of the position they respectively occupy. I saw Air. Brown, surrounded and supported hy those, who on account of their dress might ho mistaken for gentlemen, hut who very soon displayed hy their conduct, the character which they can legitimately claim, 1 saw on the other hand a body of men coming forward to advocate Col. Wynyard’s cause, who not only represented the wealth, respectability, and talent of the community, hut whose demeanor shewed that they were convinced of the superiority of their cause and pitied while they despised the conduct of their opponents. lu short, contrasting flic behaviour ol the supporters of the two Candidates It is not too much to say that Mr. Brawn’s pretensions were hacked hy a mol), —Col. Wynyard’s by a hand of gentlemen. If Mr. Brown was not a map of overweening vanity and unscrupulous in the means hy which the aims ofhisamhition maybe o’.Mined, he would feel that the verdict of nearly all those, whose opinions ought to be valued was against his eligibility for the office of Superintendent, and if a true patriot ho would have surrendered his own wishes to the unmistakcahle evidences of the estimation in which liis aspirations wore held hy the respectability, talent, and independence of the Province. I was undecided before—hut t am now quite decided that if yesterday’s proceedings arc to he taken as a specimen of the freedom and liberty we are to enjoy, under the domination ot Air. Brown, ns contrasted wlththe despotism under which wc have hitherto groaned, it behoves me to say long live the “ degrading bondage"! which Mr. O’Neill called a curse—and away the “glorious liberty” which he mi takes for a blessing-. —1 am, Sir, Ax Indki’enuent Elector.

To the Editor of the New Zealander Sin, — 1 see hy the Southern Cross s report of yesterday’s proceedings, that an attempt is made to throw off the odium and disgrace consequent upon the treatment which Air. Connell and Air. Forsaith received, hy saying that the people would not hear them because Colonel W ynyard did not appear. 1 cannot allow this statement to pass uncontradicted, for 1 heard one of the mob retinue of the disturbers, alter the proceedings were over, telling one of his fellow citizens that it had been determined beforehand, that they, especially Air. Forsaith. .should not be heard. So much for the impartiality of Air, Brown’s party. 1 am now convinced that there was move truth in the few words which Air. forsaith did make audible, than 1 at the time imagined. They were “ afraid to hear him,” and 1 would only console that gentleman hy the assurance that though this was perhaps the shortest, yet it will likely prove the most telling speech he ever delivered. I and many others have been both convinced and converted hy it.—hours, &c., A Country Elector.

To the Editor of the Nkw-Zh.vlandhk. Pm_ The Shu I hern Cross, in one of' its int. lligihla standing dishes For its readers, vvhit Ii ci mams a very Feet le appeal to the Electors oF the Province, concludes with this ambiguous and most absurd sentence, which pass current with its conductors as something < ory useful and genuine, as cl ..rly proved hy the Fact of tbeir having circulated the same in every impression For several weeks past. “ Thai think for t/oinsrlrcs whether you she l .'! chouse a Colonel or u Colonist. As one oi the subscribers oFtbe Cross, I have repeatedly Fait not a litUe suipiised that either .Air. Brown Us propel tor, or tliC ge ,lleman who has the name of being the editor, could allow such a specimen of ignorance and downright shallow, empty, and Foolish jargon to go for'h to a discriminating public, without a word of dissent or explanation on tin ir own pint, ii it was cmy for their literary credit's sake. In the first place if th v are themselves the authors of this precious piece of claptrap, or oven if they are only approvers of it,—i would like to know, what amount ol info: mat ion any candid and n flecl.ve mind can derive from the above puo atiou. Uoes it hear any marks of either fict, argument, or common seme about it ! What tim diffi rei ce is Ivtwixt a Colonel and a Colonist is not there explained, although we are called norm to choose betwixt die two which wo wi 1 have For a Superintend 1 n f . Wind d stout readers may think of it, I am at a loss m say, when we evm in the immediate locality of the publication ol tie Class are compelb d to guess at us meaning. I tad it been preceded by an attempt to extol the cneand todelase theother, that is, had it defined the merits or d-merits of each respectively, we as Ehctors might have been assisted to come to a conclusion as to which of the Candidates we ought consistently to support at the ensuing Election. What a piece of liberality and of wisdom lias the writer displayed—wiien he tells us in the first place, To think for ourselves , as though we could if wc would delegate some one to think lor ns ? Why did he not produce something when lie was engaged that was worth thinking about? Surely if one is good and the other is had—the good and the bad ought to have been described in order to assist our decision. Why has he not told us what a very excellent character the Colonist has gained, and how very much he has served (he Province'both in a religious and a political relation, it would have been better For bis cause if the writer had not only told ns to think but at the same time produced sufficient evidence to cause us to decide, lie ought to know that at such a time as this—that it is not exactly our duty to stand aloof with gaping vacuity of vulgar ignorance, nor bend with the cringe of sycophantic insignificance. The grace Fill pride of truth knows no extremes, and preserves in c-v. ry latitude of life the right-angled character ol man. It cannot he to his nor to our interests to cherish ignorance, but we ought rather to use every facility to expel it. The means to be resorted to in order to make us act without thinking, must he an oblileralion of knowledge, and this writer has not told us, whether it ever yet was discovered how to make man unknow his know ledge or nnthink his thoughts. Ami as the Province atlaige will be the paymaster of everything, everything ought to conform to its general will, by a majority, But to come to mv text, we are committided by the \ Cross to think for ourselves! Very liberal ! this cert Sul i/. Are all Colonels, I would |. humbly beg 'to ask, supposed to be very bad am | objectionable men to be placed in office ol honour and trust? and by a parity of reasoning; afo all Colonies

c-rtain to be disinterested one! immaculate ? Does the Cross mean to say, or are wo left to guess that such is his meaning, that ail the virtues, talents, and legislative abilities are in favour of the Colonist, and that tha Colonel of nice sitv must be a mere imbe. ile? What advantage are the Electore to derive from the choice of one in preference to the other? is it not fairly ashing the Electors to choose a Colonist solely because he happens to be one, and to refuse the Colonel, because he is a Colonel? If si, it is the position and not the man that is objected to? And since it is just possible for us to have a bad mso as Colonist, and a g( od man in the office of Colonel, those two volunteered lines of my “ quotation” are worse than useless because they occupy space that might have contained, some information. If we are to judge of the character of the Colonel and his adaptation for the office from tha laudations and descriptions which were given from time to time of his genera l conduct through the columns of the Southern Cross while filling the office cf Lieutenant-governor, we would he perfectly justified in choosing him in preference to any other man in the Province, It never once objected to him because he was a Colonel, but broadly stated that all his acts were in the right direction. Mr. Brown’s own agitators appear to he at a great loss to find seme complaint against the Colonel, their cause in making conveits has shown itself to he very weak and lame in consequence. Messrs. Makepeace, Schultz, and others all gave him an excellent character when addressing the meeting at Onehunga. 'I ho Chairman Mr. Dignan was still more determined on this point, by threatening to vacate the chair if any of the supurft■ ttfin g in disparagement of Colonel • Wynyard, TheseSpenkers were not exactly up to the character and intent of their business, for according to the spirit and tenor of the Cross, the Colonel ought to have been denounced right or wrong,and bis antagonist Mr. Brown held up as a prodigy of patriotism and disinterestedness. It however oozed out that the very strongest cla m which Mr. Schultz could advance in favour of hir. Brown after a knowledge of him lor 11 “years was a mere business transaction in becoming agent of some vessels trading betwixt this port and London. If the readers of the Cross will peruse its pages, during the time the Colonel was Lieutenant-governor, they will fin 1 better reasons for choosing him as Superintendent than a mete business transaction, in which the benefit is as ranch in favour of the agent, os the Colony,—in a pecuniary light at least Mr. Brown would not even be agent fur a line of vessels, if ho thought ho would lose by it. The Southern Cross of Friday last, cries out lustily, as if writhing under the strokes of the New-Zealander , in reference to the religion of Mr. Brown, as a candidate for tlie highest office in the Piovince except the Governor, and contains something like a threat of what is to take place after the election is over. Now, I like to so • a little game in a contest, but this writhing and this thn-a' looks very much like shewing the white feather before the conflict comes on. They put me m mind of a set of childish thinkers, and half-way politicians, men who would wish to go no fuither with any principle than it suits their purpose as a party. For whatever the Neu>Zeahinder might have said upon this very tender subject, the greatest condemnation that could have been passed upon any of the remarks would doubtless be a refutation. Such is the irresistible nature of truth, tint all it asks, and all it wants is the bbertv of appeal ing. Reason, like time, will make its own wav, and prejudice must fall in every combat. Instead of proceed.ng to the attack with an orderly arrangement of arguments, proofs, and a declaration of bis views, ho has stornn d it with a mob of ideas tumbling over and destroying one another, and thereby .11 si aid of wiping it away, has caused fresh prejudice and inquiiles to be made. When a man in a long voyage attempts to steer his course by anything else than some polar truth or principle, ho is sure to be lost. It is beyond the compass of his capacity to keep all the jmVts of his argument together and make them unite in one issue by any other means than keeping this guide always in view. However the various denominations of Christians may differ in regaid to some point, on religious questions, they would either unitedly, or each sect in its own way, feel bound to use their utmost efforts to stem the torrents of infidelity. Those of them who are not clear and satisfied on this point, would do well to read the history of the revolutions of the French, when the Atheists and infidels gained the temporary upper hand of the government. The abominations, cruelties, and blasphemies, which took place, beggar description —and the vengeance displayed, especially on the lives of professing chVis’trihs ought to teach posterity a valuable lesson. This is a subject of extreme importance to (he religious public, one which all who aspire to high offices in the Province, ought to meet in a plain open and candid manner before the Election instead of after d is over. If a canvasser for a Candidate, for Legislative honours, was to enter a room where there was an assfi'i bfige of persons from every church and denomination of cbißtians as yet known in the Province, to solicit their votes and support, it would uot he out of place for the parties present, before (hey gave any promise either one way or tiie other, first to assertain whether the said Candidate v.as a friend, and supporter of civil and religious institutions. And if they found lie was not, it would fie a guide for their conduct. They would immediately perhps wish to know to what body of Christians hebelmged. And very naturally, and also very wisely interrogate him thus : is the sail! Mr. Brown a Catholic or a member of the Church of England? Is lie a Wesleyan, Presbyterian, or Independent? Is he a Jew, Quak- r, Primitive Methodist, or Bap ist? Is he a promo'e* of the Missionary or Bible Societies? Is he a Sabbath school promoter and a friend to other such valuable institutions for the education of the rising generation? If thecan-v.-s-er in reply to all these questions, gave a direct answer —AT; then the chairman on behalf of the others present, would act both ruionally and consistently by replying to such canvasser in s miething like the following manner.-—Sir, though wo who are composed of meinlnrs of the various denominations, can, and do willingly waive all minor points in religion, (yet at (ho same time acknowledge the general princip o) when assemlih d to entry forward any measure for the common weal, it is imperative upon us to be cautious and caieful how we act, and not to give support or countenance to a man who is not, and has not keen an open professor of religion. And, Sir, you will perceive the vac in which we are situated—this with us is not a question of icc arianism, nar one in which wo would ho eju'ii to the charge of bigotry in favour of this or that particular profession of faith; but it : S clearly' a question as to whether you are now soliciting our support for one who would endeavour to sow the seeds of Adieisrn and infidelity and also at one fell swoop Inn>h every vestige of religious sentiment front hii onicsl us Looking, Sir, at it in this, to us moment,im.s light, we, as professing Chastains, who are prepared to give the fullest liberty of conscience to evtry man to serve ids maker in his own way and to enjoy Ids own opinion as to choice of• church—cannot so blindly and i nconsistemly render support to any man who is unable,or who refust sto give us some information of his religious ns well as ids political views. Now, by way of re; ly to tha Colonel and Colonist qu stion, allow me to inform these Democratic oratoia that the history of the American struggle for the independence now lies before me, from which I quote the following sentence. “The Convention met at Philidelphia in May, 1787, of which General Washington eras elected president. As soon as nine states had concurred (and the rest followed in the order as their conventions wore elected) the old fabric of the fedora government was taken down and the new one erected, of which General Washington is president. He was both the Comraancler-in-Chief and President of the United States.” If the Americans thought prudent and right to elect a commander-in-chief as president, surely the community, or the electors of this province, have the srme right il they wish to elect a Colonel for their Superintendent, Mr. Editor, the very painful scene this day at the hustings during the nomination of the Candidates; and the conduct of some of those contenders for consistency, members of Mr. Brown s committee, advocates of free discussion, who occupied the most prominent places was a disgrace to the present age. '1 ho example set to the Working Classes by a person who claims some pretensions to be considered as a literary (!) character, and who does the “ // e' for the Southern Cross, who in his ravines to the very top ol Ids lungs, was assisted hy a professional man, and also others, who would wish no doubt to pass as intelligent citizens and respectable merchants, was highly improper,—nay, disgusting. I do hope for the sake of their own characters they will never behave so ridiculously again. What could they be afraid of? Why not let the speakers on both sides be heard ? The language and manner of Mr. T. S. Forsaith and Mr, Connell, especially of the former, when he repeatedly told them they were “afraid to hear him,” tol l more forcibly in the mind of every honest man, whether for or against Air. Brown, than perhaps if lie had spoken a full hour. ' . A Fhiisnd to Civil and Religious Liocpiv* June 20, 1 odd.