ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 756, 13 July 1853, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the New-Zealander.

Sir, —I observe that Mr. Brown appears determined not to accept quietly the verdict of the Constituency against him, but is still going on vilifying the majority who have disappointed his ambitious hopes. In his last newspaper he has again stigmatized the Electors of the Pensioners Settlements as Gowatds, saying “Colonel Wynyard’s insignificant majority was acquired in the Pensioners Settlements where his military influence prevailed, and ‘ Not that they loved Brown less, but that they feared Wynyard more.’” Now I feel assured that there is not me pensioner in these Settlements (whichever way he may have voted) who believes that this is true, or who in his conscience is not convinced that it is an atrocious calumny on a body of brave men. The Pensioners know that no Military influence whatever was brought to bear upon them, and that they had no reason to suppose that Col. Wynyard had even the slightest desire to be elected. They neither “loved Brown” little nor much, nor “feared Wynyard” less or more; but if the truth were fully told, I doubt not, it would appear that both Pensioners and Civilians have been induced to

( vote for Colonel Wynyard quite as much from fear of Brown (that is, for fear of the mischief he was likely to do) as from any other cause. Mr. Brown and his friends have not hesitated to declare loudly that the majority against him has been obtained by undue influence and corrupt means, and as this was the polling place at which Col. Wynyard obtained the greatest numerical majority, it may naturally be supposed that if such statements have any truth in them, they must apply especially to those who voted here. I therefore feel that, as Chairman of Col. Wynyard’s local Committee at Onehunga, I am bound to state, as I do most solemnly, (and with not a little pride, on account of the brave and honest men with whom I have had to do), that during the whole of our protracted canvass on our side not one sixpence was expended, —not one threat held out, —not one man urged to break his promise, no personal inducement held out to prevail on any man to vote for Colonel Wynyard, and that no man ever asked or received so much as a glass of spirits, beyond a trifling refreshment on on the da} 7 of polling. Can Mr. Broom’s friends say as much ? If so, how did they prevail on fifteen men (proud am I that only that number could be prevailed on) to vote for Mr. Brown, who had in writing freely and voluntarily pledged themselves to vote for Col. Wynyard? How did it happen that when I told one of these men, when I understood what he had done, that I could not have believed he would have done such a thing, lie should reply “ I could not have believed it myself till this morning, but 1 have a large family and must support them.” I put these facts on record for the benefit of the constituency at large. R. B. Lusk, Chairman of Colonel Wynyard’s Onehunga Committee. Onehunga, 12th July, 1853.