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New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 752, 29 June 1853, Page 1 (Supplement)

To llie Electors of the Province of Auckland. Brother Electors. —l take the liberty of caking your attention to a view of the contest now going on for tho Superintendent’s chair, which I have not yet seen brought out distinctly. I doubt not we all choose this fair land for our abode, with a view of ensuring to ourselves, or at least to our children, a belter position than we could hope for in our native land. Let us not forget, however, that Divine Providence has a far more important purpose to serve by our coming here; for, whether we have thought of it or not, we are actually laying the foundation of a Nation. What that nation will be, (whether exalted by Righteousness, or debased by the prevalence of evil passions and evil habits,) will, in a great measure, depend on us; for as the foundation is, such, in all likelihood will the building be. If ibis is true, as I firmly believe it to be, such an event as the election of the first Superintendent of this province must have an important bearing on its future character. And when I consider that in designating for the fn*st time what sort of a man we think worthy to preside over our young community, we arc sowing seed that is likely to reproduce itself continually in the future history of our country, I would sooner cut off my right hand than be accessary to the appointment of Mr. Brown to that office. That Mr. Brown has been in opposition to the Government of this country, is of course not necessarily a disqualification for this office. Doubtless it may sometimes be a duly to oppose the measures of any government; and some of Sir George Grey’s measures, in my opinion, deserved to be opposed. But every right-thinking man must feel that as a general rule , the government of his country ought to be supported, and that when it is necessary to oppose its measures this should be done with regret, and in a fair and temperate manner. But has Mr. Brown’s opposition been of this kind? Has it riot been a system of indiscriminate abuse, and that not confined to the measures of one Governor, but extending to almost every act of every Governor? And if for a time he was tempted to load Lieut.-Governor Wynyard with fulsome praises, (in order to use him as a foil to sot off the wicked doings of our wicked Governor-in-Chief) so soon as Colonel Wynyard appeared to stand in the way of his ambitious views, be has amply made up for his former forbearance towards him, even at the sacrifice of all truth and consistency. In the contest in which Mr. Brown has engaged for the office of Superintendent, how lias he conducted himself? I speak of him only in connection with his newspaper, as, if 1 understand the matter aright, lie and his friends speak of the Southern Cross as the medium through which he has done so much for the province, even to the obtaining for us the boon of cheap land ! ! From the day in which the Requisition to Colonel Wynyard appeared, have not the columns of the Southern Cross been filled with false and slanderous statements or insinuations regarding Colonel Wynyard and those who have supported him? Even those acts of Colonel Wynyard of which the Southern Cross once highly approved, arc now utterly condemned, and almost every one who has stood prominently forward in support of Colonel Wynyard, has been vilified and attempted to he held up to ridicule and contempt. I am well aware that Mr. Brown and his friends have endeavoured to retort this accusation upon Colonel Wynyard, and to make him responsible not only for everything staled in the New-Zealander but even for every electioneering squib which any individual may choose to put forth. What gulls Mr. Brown must believe yon to be when he does this! He chooses to call the New-Zealander “Colonel Wynyard’s newspaper,” and its Editor “ the Editor of Col. Wynyard’s paper,” while he knew well that Colonel Wynyard has no more interest in that newspaper, and no more control over its Editor than he himself has. There has already been a good deal of discussion as to Mr. Brown’s religious profession. Unless a man avows himself to be an unbeliever, I do not think any one has a right to impute such a character to him, and as Mr. Brown appears to have denied what somehow or other* had come to be generally believed, 1 have no wish to fasten such an imputation on him. Whether such a charge were true or false, I do not think it would be right to make it against any man living in privacy. But when a man asks to be set up in the chief place of honour and influence in a province, I cannot admit that the question whether he is one who outwardly at least, honours the Lord of All. or one who at least appears to despise His ordinances, is nothing to us. I believe on the contrary, that it is every thing to ns; for there is One who lias said “ lie that honourcth me I will honour,and he that despise!h me shall'be lightly esteemed.” And is it not the case that Mr. Brown is one who is connected with no body of Christians, one who, as far as we know, joins in no public act acknowledging God ? Has he not earnestly advocated a system of merely secular education? and did he not, in reply to questions put to him on the subject, previous to the Election of the Provincial Council, plainly show that he did not believe that religious instruction ought to be the foundation of all instruction, that be could not understand fiow the knowledge of Him who is “The

Truth,” ought to be the root of all true knowledge? If these things are so, (and I am sure every candid man must admit that they are) I ask you is this the man whom you will delight to honour, whom you will set up in the highest place among you? I know the reply will be— assuredly he is not. An Elector. Onehiinga, June 27, 1855.

To the Editor of the New-Zealander. Sir, — The proceedings in Auckland on the day of Nomination have been characterised by an instructive display of that freedom which we might expect from the Superintendency of Mr. Brown : that is—“ all that will vote with me shall be heard and cheered, as able men exerting themselves in a righteous cause ; but those opposed to my views and objects are ignorant, despicable slaves, who must be frowned down and extinguished.” This is the common practical language of men who, while seeking to raise themselves to a place which will enable them to use the same power they pretend to decry, would ride upon the necks of others to gain their own ends of profit and ambition. Their conduct says—“do as I would have you, and you may think yourselves free.” Numerous instances are on record of such persons, who, drunk with the possession of a power they were unused to, or filled with vain fancies of their superior sagacity, became the most dreadful instances of despotism, both political and private. It has always been found that rightly to perforin political duties, as well as duties of any other kind, requires that the man be free from the occupation of business as well as independent in property. If he be not so, the instances are very rare of a man being able to shake off either old habits or old connexions, where his prosperous progress depended upon his continued exertions in his former course. Nevertheless this exemption from the frailties of social life, and this soberness of mind, inducing the certainty of impartial justice and political honesty are in a tone of egotistical assumption, declared by Mr. Brown to be all centered in himself. On the other hand, while his newspaper has extolled Col. Wynyard as a gentlemen perfectly free from these enthralments, as a Lieut.Governor assiduously attentive in the discharge of his duties, and was always ready to listen to the views and sentiments of the people—in which capacity, he had the Military and civil duty to perform, yet this newspaper now declares he cannot discharge the corresponding duties of the Superintendency, although in this office he will be assisted by a local council, without whose sanction no local acts can be legalized. Thus it seems, according to Mr. Brown and his paper, that the simple act of being willing to undertake very similar duties under a new name has transformed Colonel Wynyard into an arbitrary tyrant, that the habits of Executive business, of regularity, unbiassed honesty, and general trustworthiness, which have been manifested as the results of his disposition and education, have had no influence in forming the fitness of his character for public service under the New Constitution. The fact of Col. Wynyard not seekinv the office, or countenancing the supposition that he was seeking it by personally appearing on the hustings (which, if he had done so, they would have made use of as a proof that he was lending his personal influence to the people against Mr. Brown) is now made a handle of, as a pretence that the questions which they would put to him, were purposely avoided by him. For any other person on the hustings to have answered their questions, would have been absurd. The questions though carefully worded to entrap into some inconsistency, are really in themselves of no moment. Those that relate to Military matters or Pensioner matters are well known by those parties who can best judge, to be founded on assumptions of things that do not exist. All such matters as are referred to, being wholly out of the power of any civil officer, except such as are cognizable in a Magistrate’s court. Those relating to civil officers are either the prerogative of the office or within the control of the Elective Council, and there can be no doubt but any Superintendent would desire to obtain all the local advantages possible. Indeed to further this view' is one main object of the preference given to Col. Wynyard. As to the repairing roads, &c,, since the Corporation surrendered its duties, we all know the Lieut-Govcmor had all the money appropriated to it, which the Wellington Council allowed ; and here is one of the disadvantages of a southern Influence over our moneys. No money w r as allowed for the making of any new road, and no money could be made use of till granted by some 6ouncil. Again, if any sinecure appointment was granted to Col. Wynyard, he surely would have as muchright to enjoy it as any other officer, whether abroad or at home. As to the alleged Power of the Commanding officer in Sydney over the Colonel’s movements* all that need be said, is that he Is not the commandifig officer in New Zealand, and therefore his power is out of the question; hut should the commanding officer here,move his residence, and consequently his head quarters to Wellington, of course Military and civil officers, Commissariat and all viTl go wdth him, and Auckland would then be no longer a garrison Town, nor the Capital of New Zealand “to rattle her chains with delirious joy.’ So much for the questions. As to Mr. Brown having offered to answer any questions, none of Col. Wynyard’s supporters had any doubt as to his objects, and they did not care to seek any explanations of his views or intentions which would, they believed, be disregarded so soon as the object wns obtained; and as they, therefore, saw no propriety in coming forward by personal solicitations to urge the inflcnce of that power over unthinking men, they deemed it would be inexpedient to put any questions whatever. They evidently acted therefore on the principle of temperate discussion, £» to the advantages for the future to be derived from a right choice between the candidates, without £tiy regard to Mr. Brown’s pretensions of past sendees real or imaginary. The singular fact of Mr. O’Neill being the supporter of Mr. Brown, after so many expressions of dislike to him (amongst other reasons) as being a Scotchman, can only be explained by his desire not only to get Mr. Brown out ot the way, and to secure his influence in his future canvass for the city of Auckland. As for the line of packets, what has become of the old agent for Willis’house at home ; is it thut after Mr. Brown’s return from England that connection, agent and all, merged into Mr. Brown’s house, or, perhaps, the agent went to the diggings. Mr. O’Neill’s oratory was not indeed pure Irish, no doubt arising from his desire to do honour to the Edinburgh college. A Wyt/yaed Voter,

To the Editor of the New-Zealander. Sir, —The most scurrilous newspaper in the whole of England and the only one I believe, which made a Trade in private and malicious slander was the Satirist, published in London,

and that was consideied of so disreputable a character that any person was ashamed of naming it in their House. Now in coining to sojourn in a new country, I am really sorry to see a newspaper, the Southern Cross, so closely resembling it, and more particularly so, as I understand the parties holding property in it are moving in what may he called a respectable position in society. If you are to judge of parties by their organ, I should imagine that the most of those who support the proprietor of the Southern Cross are indeed a low class and their connexion with such a paper augurs ill for the Colony. I remain, Sir, yours. See., A New Comer.

To the Editor of the Neav Zealander. Sir, —Allow me so much of your space as will enable me to assure a correspondent in the Southern Cross that the signature which I employed in my communication to you was not adopted for the nonce, hut truly describes what I am, and I can conscientious!} 7 assure him that in my humhleopinion, had such a notice as the one I alluded to been published in any county or borough in England, it would have been looked upon as such an insult to the common sense and honesty of the electors generally, that the committee countenancing its publication would have suffered disgrace, and the candidate whose interests it was intended to promote, certain defeat. And such if one can reason justly from analogy, must he the case in Auckland. The correspondent in the Southern Cross by his signature wishes the other party to ho heard. Surely for all the purposes of business and the comforts of good neighbourly feeling, this election of Superintendent has been thrice too long in hand already.—Yours, &c., A Recent Immigrant. June 25,1853.

To the Editor of the New-Zealander. Sir, —Much has been said for and against the Candidates for the Superintendency, and of Col. Wynyard, I will only add, he gave satisfaction to the people, and did many good services to the place while Lien t.-Govemor, to which Mr. Brown, in his paper, has home frequent, and for that print, pleasing testimony, continuing to do so up to the time when he found Col. Wynyard might stand in Mr. Brown’s way of becoming King Win. the I, of the Province of Auckland. I have watched Mr. Brown since he became a resident dealer on Brown’s Island, through his various changes of auctioneer, contractor, newspaper proprietor, land jobber and merchant, and have admired the ingenuity with which he has turned the penny in each condition, alway-, if you believe him, with “untiring energy,” his aim being the promotion of the public welfare. With his usual modesty, he has not touched upon the obligations which the people owe him for his services in one of his capacities as Commissariat Contractor, wherein, by skilful combinations, he had contrived to raise the~price of the people’s food in butcher meat. The story of this monopolizing job if you had room for it would serve as an instructive lesson to the electors who have been paying (Id. to Bd. per lb. for beef and mutton, whilst Mr. Brown held the contract. It would show how in order to obtain the monopoly of the stock, and the command of the markets, he bought up nearly all the cattle in the neighbourhood, and how lie was defeated in his effort to obtain the contract at a high figure, and so to fix the retail price which is in a measure always ruled by it. The present, contract is taken by two industrious and persevering settlers at B;|d. per lb., who, unlike the monopolist firm, express their determination to carry it out and who supply it with satisfaction to the Commissariat, and moderate profits to themselves. Think of this when you read in Mr. Brown’s newspaper the Southern Cros —that “moat will be famine prices,” which taken in connection with the short supply given by that gentleman to his customers for some time past led those who know his tactics to expect some move in meat after the Election. But fancy my surprise on learning yesterday tlint Mr. Brown’s second lieutenant in the butchery department of his business, had been round the other butchers who kill beef to raise the price to 7d. and of mutton to Bd. per lb.! Call vc this no intriguing monopoly 1 Read it electors of the Province of Auckland, and those who are in Mr. Brown’s hooks (few others support his pretensions)—especially read this. Mr. Brown would raise the price of meat on you to Bd. per lb. telling yon in his paper “it will he famine prices,” while his paddocks ourflow with it, and while the settlers can supply the Commissariat at Bfd. per lb., or about one half what the monopolist firm of Mr. Brown would charge you. That monopoly in meat has been attempted by Mr. Brown, and defeated up to this time no one can deny. What he has done in land jobbing at 2000 per cent advance (as instanced) he will not attempt to deny—and by this I think, may be fairly judged what Mr Brown will do by and by to the New-comers we all expect in thousands for the tens hitherto, with the vast tracts of land thousands of acres he is now fast acquiring to the exclusion of everybody round, the case of poor James Reid drove from the country by this monopolist. It is said by Mr. Brown that ho wants all the land for his stock, admit it, and if so, why sell the land so wanted ? But who or what speculator yyould not cell 2000 per cent advance ? Thongh Mr. Brown tells you he is a settler, I ask what lorn fie settler Would sell the land he wants for hra stock even at 2000 per cent and what legitimate settler worthy cf the name would get stock to so large lu extent aa to require all this land before he had land to mu them on?—I am, Yonrs &c. An Old Auckland Settler. Auckland, June 28th, 1853.

To the Editor of the New-Zealander, Sir, —Mr. Brown admits in the Southern Cross of this day that I was correct in my statement that he was not (he writer of ‘hose articles in th§ Cross on the Missionary Land Claims, which have been pressed into the service as evidences of what he has done for the country. Was I not right in remarking that this vaunting egotist was “ strutting in borrowed plumes ?” But he has missed his mark as to my identity. I have no pretensions to the authorship of the articles in question, or to any other articles (I am happy to say) that ever appeared in the editorial columns of your contemporary. The fact is,—as you, sir, are perfectly aware—the gentleman alluded to, who really wrote those articles, had nothing whatever to do with my letter in your last, and 1 am satisfied that at this moment he does not know who wrote it. Yours, etc., A Northern.

To the Editor of the New-Zealander. Sin, —My name having been placed before the public in the Southern Cross, I beg to correct any mistakes that may have crept in, for instance 1 never supposed that Dr. Pollen meant to keep possession of the watch, but only questioned his right to judge of my conduct, and whether in the space of two years and upwards he had not opportunities without deferring it to the time mentioned in connection with the watch, to find fault with me. The facts are these, I was engaged to go to England with Dr. Pollen and family, but as the Dr. altered his mind and remained in the Colony, I continued in his service, and only left it after giving notice first, on the 7th December, 1849, to leave that day month, and secondly on the 80th May, 1850. I had almost omitted to mention that on the 80th December, 1849, Dr. P. came up to Auckland from the Kawau in search of servants, and returned without any, consequently I was prevailed upon to stop until be was accommodated, but as to his doing anything for me out of charity or gratitude I deny the assertion. I was his hired servant, and earned the bread that I ate. To conclude the story of the watch, I have only this more to say, that it was the day before the hearing at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, that the Rev. Mr. Kissling informed me about it. I was very sorry after the little difference between myself and the Doctor had passed over, —for the best friends will disagree one time or another—that any mention should he made of it in the Southern Cross by Mr. Mitchell, a man whom I have not spoken to for many months back. I was afraid that they meant to bring me into their election-disputes, when Mr. Joseph May met me on the (sth day of this month, and asked me to go with him to Mr. Brown’s office, where I did go with him, and found Mr. Brown and Mr. Kennedy of the Bank there. Mr. Brown made enquiries, according to Mr. May’s instructions, about my connection with Doctor Pollen and the affair of the watch, which they took into their hands and handed it from one to another, saying that the matter must he seen into now. I told him what had passed about it, but stated that after all I had no reason to think otherwise of the Doctor than that he was an honourable man, ’and I said this in presence of Mr. Kennedy, When I went homo that night I was very uneasy about the matter, and began to pause and think there must be something more than common to cause Mr. Brown to make the enquiries of me, and I could not rest until I went to Mr. Brown early the next morning, at half-past ten o’clhck, and distinctly prohibited him from writing anything about it in the Southern Cross, for 1 said that I was no advocate for opening up old grievances, if lie wanted to say anything about it at all, he should have kept a reporter, and noticed it at the time when the matter was before the Resident Magistrate. I therefore knew nothing of what Mr. Mitchell- published, and felt very sorry to sec it in print.—Yours, &c., Patrick Knuckly. Witness, —J. McDowell. Auckland, 28th June, 18,58.

To the Editor of the New-Zealander. Sj;r —Froir the time I last addressed vou. up to the day of the nomination, 1 examined very carefully every number of ih e Southern Cros v (ora “ Bill of Particulars” of the “ services” for which Mr. Brown claims compete sat ion ut our hands. 1 could only fh d a few small items submitted, per favour of his “Polite Letter Writer;” hut the “ full, true, and authentic account” was looked fur, with a good deal of curiosity, from Mr. Brown himself on the day of the nomination. P then appeared that he had not the temerity to enter further into details. General statements were deemed to he sufficient for the intelligent men of his own parly. The other side was not to be gratified, because of their incredulity in not taking his word for it. Put, Sir, Mr. Brown is still before us a candidate for the Superintendence of our province, and he ch i is from us to put him into that important and responsible office, because of some pretensions which he makes to services per ormed, but which he declines to enumerate to us. I undertook in ray last letter to show that ho had no claims whatever upon the colonists for any such mark of their confidence as this office would bestow ; and 1 pointed out; that however serviceable his proceedings might have been to himsell and those immediately connected with him in business, the city of Auckland, or its citzens, the province or the colonists, so far from being indebted to him, had suffered positive injury from his whole career amongst us. lie has been challenged, over and over again, to show what good he even supposes he has done for this place, lie cannot answer the question, but still continues to throw dust in the eyes of the unreflecting and of tho new comer, by erap y boasts of “ opposition to the Government.” Can he point to any good that ever resulted from his “opposition?” What did he accomplish for the land claimants ? Mere, indeed, was a class of men that believed him to be a true friend, and sincere in the advocacy of their cause. To all appearance, his paper was very much devoted to their interests: but many of their claims were disallowed notwithstanding. I speak now of the penny-an-acre claims under Governor Fitzroy’s proclamation. 1 say many of these claims were disallowed by the Commissioner, more on account of the uon-fulfilrcent of certain of Governor Grey’s regulations, than any defauil on the part of the claimants in tho amount of consideration given for the land to the native-. The bulk of these claims were honestly acijui-r»-d from the native owners; and although they were disallowed, few among the c’aimnnts’, fellow colonists, to their credit be it said, could be found to interfere between them and the Government, when the latter offered the land lor lease or sale. But among those few was Mr, Brown. Me, the advocate of the claimants’ cause, Mr. Brown, by his agent, as it has been .fully [proved, applied for fourteen years’ occupancy, with leave to cultivate—one of those claims, at Papakura, belonging to Mr. Chisholm. Mr Brown knew full well that Mr. Chisholm’s claim had been disallowed •—only through informality. It was one of the class of claims which he supported in the Southern Cross ; he was well aware that no small nonsideration was given by Chisholm to the natives for this land; that be had a moral right to it which none could gainsay. Yet when Mr, Chisholm charged him wdth inconsistency and unprincipled conduct, in offering to negociate with the Government for bis hind, he felt the force of the charge, and in order ro weaken it, he caused his agent, in reply to Chi-holm’s accusation, to designate the land “ Chisholm's pretended claim.” 1 observed, when the matter was brought before the public formerly, that Mr. Brown adroiily denied Laving ever applied to purchase this land; but the case was so unmistakeably put, that 1 have no hesitation now in challenging Mr. Brown to deny, if he can, what Mr. Chisholm accused him of—an endeavour to lease, for fourteen years, a block of laud at Papakura, which took in Mr. Ceisholm’s claim, and laud belonging to other claimants? O yes, Mr. Brown, how very ‘'disinterested” you have been in this particular “service” which you wished to do to Mr. Chisholm ! And had you been Superintendent at the time, and the waste lands at your disposal, I am inclined to think that Mr. Farmer’s application would have been more favourably received than it was hv Sir George Grey’s Land Commissioner, linr would Mr. Farmer have had to complain of any delays in your decision ! But now 1 would point to some of Mr. Brown s transactions connected with another class of claimants —1 refer to the “ old land claimants,” of whom Mr, Brown and another, who, 1 need not mention, were their champions of yore in the Cross. 1 hiatcU in my last at a < use, of which 1 knew particulars, at llokianga. Mr. Blown has found a claimant ot that district to be 1 is

exculpator, to a certain extent. Let us see how the facts of the case stand. An Ordinance was passed by the last General Legislative Council, held at Auckland, called by some the “ Quieting of Doubts” Ordinance, which was intended to set at rest all disputes between (he Government and the old land claimants, respecting their claims. A certain time was given them by this Ordinance to complete their surveys, which was necessary before the Crown Grants could bo issued. One of the claimants, having all his documents respecting his claim perfect, including the Commissioner’s award, proceeded from Auckland with a land surveyor to make the required survey prior to the issue of his grant. He proceeded to Ilokianga, and, on commencing to survey, was prevented by the mtives, who, in the meantime, had told the timber , and spars on the claim, and were then engaged in cutting it down to be shipped to Englan 1, to fulfil a certain cont act. The claimant was forced to leave without being able to make the survey. He arrived at Auckland, applied to the Government, but Governor Wynyard, who was extremely anxious to assist the claimant in the difficulty, took advice upon it, hut found that he could do nothing- for the injured man, inasmuch as the Ordinance required tiiat the land should be surveyed before the grant could be issued ; and until the grant were issued, the Government could not put him in po-session of Iris land. And so the matter stood until the arrival of the emigrant ships from Hokianga, bound for England with spars cut off this claim. The claimant set about law pr. - ceediugs to claim tbe cargo in the port. Notice was served, or about to be served, on Mr. Brown’s firm, that law' proceedings were about to be instituted, when, upon taking the advice of another legal gentleman, it was found that the spars could not be seized, because the claimant had no legal title to the land. Now I am aware the claimant in question has recently sta’ed in Mr. Brown's paper, that Mr. jßrown had nothing to do with the transaction “ in any shape r r form but I would like to know would this claimant go so far as to say that Mr. Brown had no beneficial interest xchalever in the transaction. Did he or did he not know of the bargain with the natives for the timber on the claim ? Dul he or did he not supply the “trade,” to luy the spars from the natives ? Did he or did he not receive profit out of the purchase ami shipment ef those spars to England, and all the while knowing that those spars belonged to a claimant who was morally entitled to them as well as to the land on which they grew ? Let Mr. Brown satisfy the colonists on these points, before he attempts to claim rewards from them for past “ services.” But are there not transactions of the same character going on at the very present time at Kaipara? Is thero no timber being cut down toere off land belonging to a certain gentleman who Mr. Brown may meet every day in Auckland ? And is not that gentleman too independent of Mr. Brown to favour him with a certificate similar to the Ilokianga one 1 Now these cases will shew how much Mr. Brown is to be ivlied on where his own interests interfere.— Had every colonist held hack from interfering with the lands belonging to all classes of the claimants, and allowed those lands to have remained still in the hands of the Government, the claimants woald now have been in a more likely position than ever to get possession of these lands. Hud no purchases been made try any one, the lands included in these claims would soon pass into the hands of the General Legislature, and, perhaps, out of them into those of the Provincial Council, for disposal ; and it is not possible that tire people’s representatives would take those lands, once ascertained to have been bought with the private means of a struggling people, and dispose of them for public purposes. But whoever they were that became tbe purchasers of the claimants* lands, one thing is certain—Jlr, Brown, who professed to take such an interest in the claimants’ grievances, ought not to have been the man to participate in the despoiling of those colonists in any degree whatever, however much he might be abie to enrich himself by it. In my former letter, among other instances of the selfish tendency of Mr. Brown’s writings in the Cross, I mentioned his mischievous interference with a beneficial arrangement made by the Bishop with certain natives for tlie cultivation of a block of land on the Tamaki road. Mr. Brown has found a convenient frien 1 to attempt a rescue of him from the odium of this also. There is no need to dispute ibis point as to “ Metoikos” first directing Mr. Brown’s attention to the circumstance, and it might even be admitted that this gentleman meant nothing further than “ to make a bit of mischief” between his Bi.-hop and the Governor; but Mr. Brown was determined to profit by “ tie fun,” s I will shew. The Bishop as it appeared, proposed to tbe natives an arrangement whereby by his mutual co-operation with them, a piece of sterile land might be reclaimed from barrenness. Implements and seed were to be provided by his Lordship, and labour by the natives, the produce to be divided in equal shares between tbe parties. The Bishop left for the islands, and the fencing, &c., of the ground was going forward. The facts came to be known by “ Metoikos,’* who ever keenly eager to embarass Sir George Grey, hastened to have *t published in the Cross that the Bishop had broken ground and set an example to the colonists to bid defiance to the Governor’s Native Land Purchase Ordinance. Mr. Brown had bruins enough to perceive that this affair might he turned to his own account, and the Bishop’s transaction was “ shewn up” accordingly. As had been anticipated by Mr. Brown the gentleman who had charge of the college establishment during the Bishop’s absence, fearing that his Lordship had unwittingly trenched upon the law, issued orders to have all operations on the land suspended until bis return from the islands, Now came Mr. Brown’s time to turn the transaction to his own advantage. And mark how he proceeded. Part of the work had been performed at tbe Bishop’s expense ; yet it had been abandoned,—not because of any non fulfilment on the part of the natives on their side of the bargain. They were still willing to proceed. An agent was sent from Mr. Brown to make overtures to them, and an attempt made in this way in the Bishop’s absence to draw the natives into a new iirrangernt nt, that Mr. Brown might follow up what the Bishop bad commenced, entering upon his labours and securing tbe advantage of all tbe previous outlay. But Mr. Brown’s Lope of gain, in this instance, was never realised. The sense of justice caused them to shrink from Mr. Brown’s temptations, and they refused to depart from their bargain with the Bishop until he came back. Hta Lordship returned soon after, communicated with the Government, and found that he might proceed, his arrangement with the natives being perfectly legal. Here is another fine specimen of Mr. Brown’s “ disinterested exertions” for the gtod of the country I See how he would have artfully intimidated this good man to abandon a benevolent and praiseworthy undertaking, that he, Mr. Brown , should have credit, from the unreflecting, for a hold attack on the Government, while under cover of this attack he might quietly have filled his own pockets. I stated before that the Southern Cross was established to be used, in tbe first place, as on instrument of vengeance against Mr. Acting Governor Sbortland, who despised Mr. Brown and his party as deeply as they hated him. That the Cross has been used in a similar way against all others who have differed from Mr. Brown, there are many among us who can testify, having themselves felt the annoyance of its poisoned goadings. And it is well known now here that Mr, Brown has not used his paper in the way of opposition to public men’s measures and conduct iu their several offices, but invariably against the men themselves, who, in some way or other, made themselves distasteful to him. As an instance of this, I have it in my power to point to Mr. Brown’s conduct towards the Surveyor-General; and 1 call upon Mr. Brow n’s supporters, if he has any hearty ones, to study well what I now pi ce before them, and then let them »sk himself il it be not so. Shortly after Mr. Ligar’s arrival in the colony, a dispute arose between Messrs. Brown and Martin and the Government, respecting the frontage boundary of an allotment in Lower Queen street, belonging to Dr. .Martin and one Sandy Ross. M. Ligar was directed by tha Government to report on the subject, and bis report was unfavourable to tbe wishes of the Doctor. Whereupon the Cross commenced a crusale against the.Surveyor General, which has lasted til! very recently. The “ Ligar Canal’’ was made to furnish stuff for many a

leader. Mr. Liar’s department was constantly Indd up )0 view a.s one of the most insufl'erahle abuses; and the worse things that could !.e said of any officer were said of him in connection with a charge against him for pi ivate dealings in land and cattle. How is it that all this lias suddenly ceased, and the fierceness of Mi. Brown s wrath turned entirely against the Deputy of the department, Mr. Wood ! As a matter of course, the settlers who know Mr. Brown’s tactics, believe there must he some rea-on for it, traceable to a selfish regard to some interest of his own which must be involved. Now I ask him whether it is or is not so that, as soon as the Government brig arrived with the new Land Regulations. and he found that the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Surveyor General would have a good deal to do with the direct disposal of the waste lands, he at once set about a reconciliation wi>h INIr. Ligar. Perhaps he will bo able to state that be did not send It is land superintendent to Mr. Ligar to toll that officer, others being pro ent, that he, Mr. Brown, was very sorry for wbat bad appeared in the Cross, from time to time, against him, in relation to his Papakura farm and his purchase of cattle; that he had been misinformed by interested parties all along, but especially by the Messrs. Graham, the then men" contractors, who kept continually dinning it into Mr. Brown’s ears that Mr. Ligar’« cuttle speculations were injuiious to the settlers, esptcnlly in competition at sales; that Mr, Brown knew but little of what was going on in the country, and, believing these stories, thought it right to “ shew up” Mr. Ligar—but, since bis superintendent bad disabused his mind of all this, and told him that Mr. Ligaa’s farm was stocked but moderate,y, he expressed bis regret, and would never do so again to Mr. Ligar. Now, Sir, this is another fair sample of the disinterested nature of Mr. Brown’s efforts for the good of the colony, anil a fair indication of the honesty of his opposition to public men. And yet this barefaced man ptesurnes upon the gullibility of the colonists, and asks them to put him into a position of high authority over them, wherein he might be better able to effect bis purposes in private, for the aggrandisement of himselfand his mercenary satellites. _ . ( And now 'et me advert to the clap-trap about Willis s 1 ackets . Mr. Brown stood by on the hustings and permitted, without contradiction, a well-meaning indiv idua! who seconded him, to s’tate, in his ignorance of the facts that Mr. Biown was the cause of a line of packets being eslablbbed between London and this port. Ibis lias been foolishly or knavisbly reiterated by some dating the present election, and still J\Tr, Biown is content to profit by wbat lie knows well is a pure fabrication. Tbo facts are, that atone time here the only English vessel, with very few exceptions indeed, which arrived at our port, came to us by way of the Company’- ports in the south. We It id but very little direct importation from England ; and as the majority of the dealers here, both wholesaleand retail, were people but of limited capital, the Sydney supplies of goods were sufficient, and indeed most convenient for them, ns their monpy cou Id he turned over, and their stock replenished at least three or four times a year, whereas oi tiers despatched to England could seldom be fulfilled in less than twelve months. Commercial people then were not grecciv fir a direct trade with London. But it was n different case with the army departments, the missionary bodies, and the private settlers in this part of New Zealand Large quantities of goods were every year despatched from England for Auckland, designed tor these several classes; but it not unfrequently happened that such goods only arrived at the port of Auckland eight or ten months after their shipment in England. It became then to be seriously cmv-idered whether it would not bo advisable for the parties more immediately concerned in a direct communication with England and the merchants here, to unite in offering some inducement to ship owners in London to lay on a lino of vessels to sail periodically direct fur this port. Tbo Kev. W. C. Cotton, who was chaplain to the Bishop of New Zealand, had always been anxious to bring about some arrangement of this sort, which he believed was practicable, and as he was about to return borne to England in the latter part of 1847, he exerted himself here to proenrethe signatures of importers to suchanuuas would induce some of the London shipping houses to lay on, at least, three or four ships in the year. In addition to this document, private communievations were sent to parties in London who hud to do ■with the shipment of goods for missionary purposes to New Zealand; and (be effect of the whole was, that Mr. Cotton, who had himself considerable influence at borne through bis fa-her, who was influentially connected with the Bank of England, prevailed with Messrs. Willis and Co., to lay on a vessel every three months for this port direct. Mr. Cotton was glad to announce this intelligence as speedily as possible to the people here, and the first that was beard here of the arrangement being effected, was from Mr. Cotton himself; and in one of bis letters now in my possession, dated “ Whit Tuesday, 1848,” lie states, “ By the quarterly packets which, I have now no doubt, will he established regularly to Auckland , the first to sail in August or September, 1 shall,” cvc. Accordingly, the first vessel arrived was the Duke of Portland, and she was consigned to Mr. Brown’s house, Messrs. Willis having made arrangements beforehand for the reception and superintendence of their vessels, on their arrival., by their own representative in Mr. Brown’s establishment. Here, then, is tbo history of the laying on of “ Willis’s ships,” which Mr, Brown allows to be trumpeted forth among bis “services” performed, and for which bo cla ms compensation. Wbat can we think of such a man as this, and of his pretensions to uprightness ? If 1 had not already extended this letter to so great a length, I might proceed to expose some more of the fallacies and misrepresentations by which Mr. Brown and his party endeavour to impress the voters with a notion that" be has done great things for the colony ; but these instances are fair specimens. 1 only wish, for the sake of truth and justice, the electors would enquire before they believe what Mr. Brown says and writes about himself. Your's, Ac. An Exm y Settlen.