ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 751, 25 June 1853, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the New Zealander. Sir, —Ju a late number of Mr. Brown’s journal, there appears a letter from “An Old Resident,” indicating that something like jealousy of the once redoubtable, but now almost unnoticed “ Metoikos,” is beginning to show itself in Mr. Brown’s camp, on the old MissionaryLand question. The “ Old Resident” is made to say that Mr. Brown stood forth single handed to advocate the Missionary Land Claims, until “ Metoikos” came forward to his assistance. No doubt Mr. Brown thinks it very hard that his mere assistant should claim for himself, as did once a famous organist’s bellows-blower, the credit of all the fine music produced. It must be provoking to such a man as Mr. Brown that after all his" missionary “ services” the laurelsshould be bestowed on “ Metoikos” in the shape of a seat for the North in the General Council, while hardly a vote is forthcoming let alone any effort being made for poor Mr. Brown ! My own opinion of the matte)' has always been, and 1 have

had a fair enough opportunity of forming a correct one on this point, that both Principal and 'Assistant have throughout onl} r “ laughed in their sleeves” at the “venerable” gentleman at the Bay. In the first place it was plain to every impartial observer in New Zealand, that Mr. Brown’s advocacy, as he is pleased to term it, of the Missionary claims, was simply an advocacy of his own and Dr. Martin’s. It was thought highly convenient to drag the Missionary claims into question always with his own, to make one class —one “ grievance”—-of the whole, the just and the unjust, so that whatever influence the Church Missionary Society at home, (which Mr. Brown knew had encouraged its agents here to acquire land for their families) was likely to bring to bear on the question so far as it affected the Missionaries, would have weight also in favor of the whole class of Claims. Here was the secret of his boasted advocacy of the Missionary Claims—• it was no respect for the men themselves, nor for their particular interests, and surely not for the interest of the cause in which they were engaged, Mr. Brown’s book which he published?!! London (a hook by the by so highly esteemed in Auckland as to fetch only four-pence at a public auction, at which I was once present) affords proof of the sort of feeling entertained by the author towards Christian missionaries, and especially towards those of the Church of England, whose Bishop, at the very onset of his labours, Mr. Brown endeavoured to disparage at home in the pages of his volume. And that the injury he wished to inflict might be the more certain, it was necessary that his book should have the appearance of being the production of a man who took an interest in missionary effort in the country, and for this purpose as well as to support his own aspersions on the Bishop, he republished as an appendix several letters which had been addressed to the Bishop by a Wesleyan Missionary shortly after the Bishop’s arrival in New Zealand, and which had appeared in the columns of the Southern Cross. There was no legitimate reason for dragging these letters into such a production ns Mr. Brown’s volume; and the overtures he made in London to the heads of the Missionary body, whose agents lie has lately so much vilified and abused, to stipulate for a certain number of copies of his book being taken by them, because of the letters against the Bishop appearing therein, were very characteristic of the man. A good sale for his production and other objects gained, it mattered but little to him that discord and disunion among the missionary bodies and the Bishop were to follow. No doubt “ Metoikos” has written a vast deal, such as it was, on the [Missionary Land Claims. But why ? Was it because bis love was great for these Low Churchmen ! Nay. The Key to all liis voluminous lucubrations in this and other themes may be found in bis indomitable hostility to Sir George Grey, and his readiness to take up any theme that might present a prospect of proving damaging to 11 is Excellency. And as to Mr.‘Brown himself, I have good reason to believe that on this subject he has been strutting in borrowed plumes, —disingenuously appropriating to himself the credit clue to other men. Of the articles in the Southern Cross, on the Missionary Land Claims, how many were written by Mr. Brown himself, and how many by other pens than his? Will be venture to say that this is a misrepresentation! I suspect not, —Yours, &c. A Northern.

[Notwithstanding the previous appearance in print of the following letter, we cheerfully comply with a request to give it a wider circulation by inserting it in our columns. —Ed, N. Z.] To the Editor of the Southern Cross. Sir, —Not being present at the nomination at Auckland on Monday last, I was indebted to your publication for an account of the proceedings. I perceive by your report that the supporters of Mr. Brown were very indignant that Colonel Wynyard did not appear on the hustings, and this you are pleased to represent as a “ gratuitous affront” offered to the electors. One of your correspondents hints, that should Colonel Wynyard bo elected, and found wanting, his supporters will be held answerable. Looking at the subject, then, in the light of responsibility, and that, according to this principle, I, as one of the requisitionists to Colonel-Wynyard, am responsible for his conduct as a candidate, and being desirous of circulating a few remarks upon the subject in the same field in which your own have appeared, I beg to request the insertion of this letter in your next publication. Upon referring to Mr. Brown’s address to the electors, I find that he so'icits their suffrages, and offers his services. He is therefore, in the strictest sense, a candidate for the office, and as such it might have been expected that he should appear upon the hustings to reiterate his solicitations, and ask of the electors the favours in their power to bestow. But with regard to Col. Wynyard the subject bears a very different complexion. He does not boast of the good lie lias done, or make large promises for the future ; nor has he even shown any inclination to “appeal to his constant endeavours” “ to promote the best interests of this settlement.” Colonel Wynyard neither solicits our suffrages, nor covets the office ; he neither desires to be placed upon his trial, nor to be rewarded for the good which lie has done ; but that simply, should the electors be of opinion that his services as Superintendent may tend to the benefit of the Province, he is willing- to undertake the task, not for his advantage, hut for ours. The requisition which we presented to Col. Wynyard “ respectfully and earnestly requests that he will allow himself to be put in nomination for the office of Superintendent and in his reply he tells us that lie “felt compelled, by various considerations, more than once to decline to allow himself to be put in nomination,” but yielding to the solicitations of so large a bod}' of the electors, consents to “ undertake the duties of-the office, should the suffrages of the electors be given in his favour.” Colonel Wynyard has made no public canvass, nor am I aware of his personally soliciting the support of a single elector, lie has never been present at any of the meetings of his committee, nor, so far as I am informed, has he been oven made acquainted with their proceedings. What then, let me ask, has Colonel Wynyard said or done to warrant an “ expectancy that he should take his place upon the hustings,” or “that he should go through the form at least of asking from the electors the gift which is in their bestowal.” We sought of Colonel Wynyard the permission to nominate him ; the benefit is ours, the battle therefore is likewise ours ; and, in my opinion, considering how little the labours and anxieties of the office arc likely to be compensated bv either the honour or the reward, we ought to feel thankful it one in Colonel Wynyard’s position should accept the office when in our power to present it. In the position, therefore, in which Colonel Wynyard is placed, his appearance on the hustings, instead of being expected, would have been, to me at least, a matter of surprise, as being wholly inconsistent with his reply to our requisition, as well as with his whole conduct throughout the canvass. One of the speakers asks “ Where is Col. Wynyard ? Is he ashamed to rub shoulders with you 2” Let me ask this gentlemen, Is he so blind to passing events \ Is he so unread in the columns of your publication I Are you. Sir, so forgetful of the praises you have bestowed, as to accuse Colonel Wynyard of pride or want of courtesy I On the contrary, the past life of the gallant gentleman is an assurance to all, that the act complained of could not arise from a proud or discomteous spirit, but was the necessary result of circumstances, which I hope 1 have satisfactorily explained. One of the Requisttioxists to Col. Wvxr-vAP. Oijcliunga, 22ud June.