ELECTION OF SUPERINTENDENT.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 752, 29 June 1853, Page 3

ELECTION OF SUPERINTENDENT.

NOMINATION AT ONEHUNGA FOR THE PENSION ER SETTLEMENTS AND SOUTHERN DIVISION. Al I lie appointed hour of noon, on Monday last, (lie 20lh instant, tho Resident .Magistrate, J. J. Symonds, Esq., opened the proceedings !ty reading the Wiit for the election of Superintendent, and (hen called upon (lie proposers of the candidates to come forward. It having been arranged that Mr. Rrown as having been in the Held before Colonel Wynyard, should be the first proposed, Mr. Joseph May presented himself and said, He came forward to propose Mr. Rrown as a fit and proper person to be elected Superintendent of the Province, and in doing so he should act an independent part, for lie was dependent upon no man, and acted purely upon conscientious conviction of what was the best for the Province. The principles of the Constitution had been explained to them upon a former occasion by Mr. Smylhies, and they therefore knew what the Superintendent was and what was the nature of his office ; hut there was one power to he exercised hy the Superintendent that all seemed to have overlooked, and yet it was a very important one, it was that of regulating and directing all dealings with (he public purse. There was also another very important power to he exercised by the Superintendent, which was recommending amendments to hills introduced into (he Provincial Council by the Members. There were two candidates in the field, Mr. Rrown and Colonel Wynyard. ile had nothing (o say against Colonel Wynyard, he respected him as a gentleman, and honored him as a soldier, but he did not think him a lit person to be I he Superintendent, and therefore lie opposed him. tie considered that being a government officer it was his duly to support the Government, and therefore he could not support Hie people and do justice to their cause, as no one can serve two masters. He knew a Govcrnmeul officer in New South Wales who was cashiered for not supporting government measures. It was not long since a government oflicer had advised them in (his very place never to elect a government officer to any office, because it was not in his power to act indepemlcnlly. It had been objected to .Air. Rrown (hat he had made himself obnoxious hy opposing the Government; and he believed that when Mr. Brown was in the Council he was found to he a stubborn man, but he was stubborn in supporting the people and in opposing those measures of the Governor which were obnoxious to the people. Mr. May then proceeded to enumerate instances in which Mr. Brown had opposed the Governor in Council, and amongst them he (Mentioned the system of Crown grants. II was through Mr. B.’s exertions that the Pensioners were permitted to seek work al a greater distance from their settlements than was allowed by the regulations. Mr. May then gave a history of the New Zealand debt, and said that Mr. Brown had opposed its infliction upon this Province, not that he was alone in the matter, but he was one of (he foremost among, many good men and true with which this Province abounded. For those reasons, because Air. Brown bad done so much for the Province, he proposed him as a fit and proper person to be the Superintendent. Mr. Alexander Bonner seconded the proposition. / Mr. R. B. Lusk said—ln coming forward to propose Lieut.-Col. Wynyard as a fit and proper person to fill the office of Superintendent ol (lie Province of Auckland, I regret cxccedigly that the duly of doing so has devolved on me; for while 1 feel it no small honour have been selected for (Ids purpose by a largo body oi iny fellow-electors, among whom I have lived lor

several years, 1 am deeply sensible ofmy inadequacy lo fulfil (his duly as it ought lo be fulfilled. Fortunately, however, the merits and the demerits of the candidates have been so fully discussed, and arc so well known to every cleclor, that you cannot sutler much loss through ray incapacity. I shall endeavour to state, as briefly as possible, a few of the reasons which induce me to. ask your suffrages for Col. Wynyard, and in doing so 1 shall first tell you what he is, i and afterwards whal he is not. First —He is a 1 true gentleman, one who has ever behaved like a gentleman ; one whose “ courtesy" and “ hind- | ly anxiety lo contribute, in every way, to the j convenience of the public,” were a short time since lauded beyond measure by the very parties j who, to forward their selfish purposes, are not ashamed to abuse him now,although, indoingso, (hey are compelled so to contradict themselves, as lo shew that they were cither base flatterers formerly, or are vile detractors now. Secondly, Colonel Wynyard is a brave soldier and meritorious officer, and, as such, has done good service lo this province in troublous times. What sort of an officer he is, we may judge from this fact, that of all the many pensioners who have freely given their strenuous support to Colonel Wynyard, at this time, his most enthusiastic supporters are those who have served under him. That Colonel Wynyard is a soldier and an officer is, however, (he one great objection lo him by our political purists. This I admit to be a most consistent objection, coming from the proprietoreditor of the Southern Cross and his friends, who formerly contended, as you well know, that the whole body of enrolled pensioners were unfit to be entrusted with the franchise, because, forsooth, they arc bound, at the peril of their lives, to defend us, should any enemy dare to attack as. We have been told to-day that ‘‘ Col. Wynyard is a Government Officer, and paid lo support the Government.'’ This, however, is a great mistake. Col. Wynyard is a servant of his country, and he is paid not to support the Government, but to defend you. We have been told that the education and training of an officer must, of necessity, until him fora civil officer ; ! apprehend that those who make this objection know very little about the education and training necessary to form a first-rat cofficer. There is abundant evidence, from facts, of the falsity of (his theory, and of the truth of another doctrine, dial he who who has been trained to obedience is best fitted to govern, lask you to whom was it (hat all Great Britain looked up for many years pasl ? To whom did our gracious Queen have recourse for advice in all difficulties ? Whoisil that the universal British nation mourns foras (he most honest, unselfish, and upright, as well as one of the most far-seeing of her politicians?— Every one is ready jlo reply. “ The greatest soldier of this, perhaps of any age.” And yet we have been told dial any civilian is heller than any soldier ! ! But, thirdly, Colonel Wynyard is not a mere soldier ; he is a tried and approved civilian. As Lieut.-Governor of this province (undoubtedly a civil office) ids character has been before us for two years ; and ! boldly assert that, (ill the question, Who shall he Superintendent ? was stirred, there was hut one opinion in (he province as lo the manner in which he had discharged the duties of that office. All concurred in tiic declaration of Mr, Brown's Southern Cross , dial “ Colonel Wynyard deserved (he heart-fell gratitude of the people dial “In all things he evinced a desire to accommodate and oblige.” True, Mr. Brown has now suddenly changed his lime, and cannot now sec even one good deed done by Colonel Wynyard, Nay, he would now refuse him credit, and condemn him for the very ads for which he formerly bedaubed him with fulsome praise; but we are not to be dragged through (he mire by Mr. Brown or any of his friends. I have been asked, “ What good has Colonel Wynyard done?” To (Ids il is only necessary, on an occasion like this, lo reply,—Whatever good it was in his power to do, that lie did. What good thing was lie ever asked (o do that was consistent (as Mr. Brow n justly remarked) with “ the limited means at his command” that he declined to do? Now, I feel assured dial you will agree with me in thinking that (lie best security we can have for any man’s fulfilling the duties of any office in which it may be proposed to place him, is, that he lias done well in the positions he. has previously held, and, therefore, I feel certain dial when you have placed Colonel Wynjardin die Superintendent’s chair, you will find him, as a Superintendent, at! that you can desire. 1 shall now tell you what Colonel Wynyard is not. 1st — lie is not his own trumpeter. He has not come forward unasked, and told you, “ 1 am (he man who has done great things for you, and will do still greater—only elect me !” No: Colonel Wynyard only came forward on your invitation, and trusting to your honor lo give him the support you pledged yourselves lo give. And is there here one man so base as to desert him, after having voluntarily invited him lo stand, and promised to support him? 2nd. He is not a defamer and abuser of those who oppose him. He does not deal in vile insinuations against those who support his opponent. He does not say of some, “ They arc only pensioner-slaves, and dare not vote but as (heir officers please of others, “They are a pack of political parsonsor of others, “Oh, I know something 1 hoy (lid in the mother-country, hut il is so shocking that I can t repeal it.” srd. He is neither a monopolist nor a land-shark. Mr. Lusk concluded by saying, “5 have now' endeavoured lo do my duty, and 1 doubt not you will do yours by declaring (hat Colonel Wynyard is indeed the fit and proper person to fill the office of Superintendent of the Province of Auckland.” Sergeant Murphy gave a history of his family, and particularly of his Uncle Shylock, and showed iiow il happened that he could not speak good English. His Elide Shylock had his hand upon (hem, and would squeeze them into supporting him. Uncle Shylock had his hand upon (he Corporation, and had squeezed il out of life. Peace rest its spirit. Uncle Shy lock’s grandfather had been bit by a mad dog, and hydrophobia had run in (he family ever since. They need not he afraid of him, however, for though he could bark and growl enough, he could not bite. While speaking of the family, be must give a word of warning lo his friends lie publicans. They all remembered Brother James and the last election. Well he had then sent his man (now' present) lo direct that refreshments should he given lo his voters, but afterwards he turned round and refused to pay for what had been ordered. He considered Colonel Wynyard a very proper person to he Superintendent; ho did not object lo him as an officer; he had never feared officers, hut respected them when they deserved respect. Mr. Brown had promised to do anything for them if he was elected, hut he asked them what could a civilian do for a soldier? Did they ever know (he remonstrance of a civilian have any effect upon the decision of the Secretary at War. Of this they might be certain, that Mr. Brown had done every thing in bis power against them, and never would do any thing for them. Mr. Murphy concluded by seconding (he nomination of Colonel Wynyard. The Returning Officer then called for n show of hands for Mr. Brown, when about six hands were bud up. He Iben railed tbs- a show of hands for Colonel Wynyard, when all the others

present held up their hands with loud cheers for Colonel Wynyard. A poll was then demanded on behalf of Mr. Brown, and the meeting dispersed after giving three hearty dicers for Colonel Wynyard, six for the Queen, and three for the Returning Officer. Tiie whole proceedings were conducted in (ho most orderly manner; all the speakers were patiently listened to, an 1 the utmost good humour prevailed, although (here was sonic risk of a little irritation arising in consequence of Mr. Brown's seconder, being one who had voluntarily pledged himself in writing to support Colonel Wynyard, and attended a meeting of his local committee, on purpose, as is conjectured to obtain information for the opposite party.