ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 757, 16 July 1853, Page 1 (Supplement)

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the New-Zealander.

Clown.—We are but plain fellows, sir. Antolycus— A lie ; you are rough and hairy : let me have no lying. , —Winter s Tale,

Sib, —It afforded me considerable gratification on perusing a leader in the Cross of this morning to find that the " Address to the Electors" which appeared in your last number, bearing the signatures of twelve gentlemen who took part in the proceedings on the hustings on the day of Nomination for the Superintendency, Avas, of all others, the precise document which Mr. Brown most

ardently desired, and was most delighted to receive. The twelve simple individuals who appended their names to that " artfully enough drawn up" Address, believed, in the innocence of their hearts, that they did, —by personally presenting themselves to the Returning Officer, by demanding a poll through their spokesman Mr. Connell then at their head, by being counted by the Returning Officer as—one, two, three, four, five, six—demandants, —actually succeed in obtaining a poll; simple. Gentlemen, what a delusion is yours ! the poll was granted, but not to you.

Three affidavits are " on record" that but one of you demanded a poll— therefore, you did not, of course, do any thing of the kind ; and as you did not " understand the true purport of the document," which you have deliberately attested, Mr. Brown is " willing to believe" that you have published it " as an antidote to the leader" in the Ncw-Zealandcr, relieving the makers of the affidavits from " even the slightest suspicion of untruth." If so, it was exceedingly considerate and kind.

As it may be necessary, on Tuesday next, to make a formal demand for a poll for the city. I would modestly suggest that each individual be furnished with a speaking trumpet, and that whilst addressing the Returning Officer, he shall stand upon his head, in order that persons of tender conscience who stand " close to the Returning Officer," may see as well as hear —when, if convenient, they may, perhaps, believe. There was a king of Pontus, in old time, who discovered an antidote of such marvellous virtue, that he was enabled to swallow any amount of poisons without detriment to his health, but who, if I remember the legend aright, finished himself, at last, by an overdose; and when I see Air. Brown coolly swallowing such a document as that of the. " twelve," and counteracted only by his " leader" of this morning, declaring that he feels better after it, I am not without apprehension that, some day or other, like MithriJLates, he may go a " IcctW too far. I am, Sir, youi*s, &c. July 15, 1853. X. To the Editor of the Nkw-Zealander. Dear Sir, —In ptrusing the columns of a stray Southern Cross, July Bth, I find my name made use of by a voter of Mr. Brown's to substantiate a base calumny. A person, signing himself " A Voter at Mr. Maurice Kelly's," says (referring to Mr. "William Good, the tutor residing in our family) " when the poll was over, the schoolmaster upbraided Mrs. Kelly, his benefactress and mistress, and said she kept him out of a good situation by not using her influence in his favour." Allow me to state that no such words as these, nor words to the same effect, ever passed between me and Mr. Good.—l am, Sir, &c, Mary Kelly. Wade, July 13th, 1853. To the Editor of the New-Zealandek. Sir, —Having seen my name made use of in the Southern Cross as taking an active part, on selfish principles, in seducing Mr. Brown's voters to support Colonel Wynyard, allow me to inform the public, through your valuable journal, that the person who styles himself "A Voter at Mr. Maurice Kelly's" hqs calumniated me without a shadow of foundation. The part I took in the .affair I took without motives of personal lucre, as I have a good situation at present, and if I were out of it to-morrow it is not to Colonel Wynyard or Mr. Brown I would go to look for one. There is plenty of work to be had in our thriving Colony without begging or praying for it, and 1 firmly believe that there would be more applicants expecting lucrative situations and sinecures if Mr. Brown had been returned, than there will now that Colonel Wynyard has been elected. At the same time, allow me to state that while no supporter of Colonel Wynyard offered me anything for the services which I rendered on the pollingday, it was not so with Mr. Brown's supporters. They sent me word that if I would canvass for them they would give me the sum of 2 y ea Shillings ! A noble offer, indeed ; but a man of principle is not to be bribed on such an occasion. I would have let everything connected with this offer die a natural death, but my name being brought into question, if I did not contradict it, many might come to an erroneous conclusion. The words which passed on the ground, or words to the effect, used by an old and respected resident of Auckland were, that " he would sooner give his vote to Tom the D 1 than to Mr. Brown," and now, this writer has reversed it to answer Mr. Brown's own views.—l am, Sir, &c, Thomas W. Goon. Wade, July 13th, 1853. To the Editor of the New-Zealander. Sir, —As the number of Candidates on Tuesday will render it impossible that all the speakers can be heard at length, I send you the enclosed for publication on Saturday, that the electors may have a better opportunity of knowing my opinions.—-I am, Sir, yours, truly, Arch, Clark. Auckland, July 15th, 1853. TO THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF AUCKLAND. Fellow Citizens. —In coming before you at this time as a Candidate for your suffrages to a seat in the Provincial Council, I feel myself surrounded with so many difficulties, that I almost shrink from the position which I have allowed myself to occupy. While Ido not lightly esteem the honor which such a distinction would confer, the responsibilities will be so great, and the duties devolving upon me so numerous and engrossing, that I fear that I may not be able to perform them so as to satisfy you and myself. That I will if returned do all I can to promote the interests of the Province I have already promised ; I will moreover take all reasonable pains to acquire more extensive and accurate information than I at present possess, on the various subjects that may come before the Council, so that my opinions may be formed after more mature consideration, and my votes preceded by moral conviction. Touching these questions, it is only, at present, in a very general way that I can realize their nature, or the mode in which they may come up, and therefore cannot specifically state the course I would pursue in reference to any one of them. But I think it very reasonable that you should have some idea of the opinions held by candidates for your suffrages on topics which may be thought of moment, whether belonging or not to that class falling to the special consideration of the Provincial Council. A list of questions has been published, no doubt for the purpose of being afterwards put to each candidate. These I shall in their order notice very briefly. I.—l approve as a general principle that the colonies should be self governed, and that efforts should be mMe by education and training to fit men for the proper exercise oi their privileges.

2.—1 do not fully approte of the constitution* of the Resident "Magistrate's Court. I think there should in certain cases he the right of appeal. 0. —Misappropriation of puhlic funds I consider to he a violation of public trust, and where existing ought to he remedied. think enquiry should be made into alleged cases of unjust forfeitures of land, and' the principles of justice maintained in their arrangement and settlement. 5.—1 do not understand upon what principles we are justly indebted to the New Zealand Company, and therefore aannot see that it would be " conducive to the public weal" to pay what we do not owe. 0. —The principle that the British colonies he represented in the Imperial Parliament, seems to me to have some weight; but, considering that there is manifestly a disposition to grant self-government to some of the colonies, and that we in New Zealand have lately had a large measure of it, the necessity for immediate action in regard to it does not appear to be urgent. 7. —Do you approve of the thorQiigh and permanent separation of Church and State \ 8. —Are you prepared to advocate the propriety of clergymen and all ecclesiastical dignitaries being supported by the voluntary contribution of persons amongst whom they officiate \ o.—Are you prepared to denounce the appropriation of funds from the Governmental treasury to any ecclesiastical purposes I I copy these questions, and simply answer— Yes! 10.—While admitting the importance, nay, thenecessity of Education in its various forms, to the well-being of the community, I would not have the Government to interfere, being of opinion that such interference would be to throw the apple of discord in our midst. In a community like ours I think it more expedient to leave education and religious training to those whose special duty it is to see that it be not neglected. As regards the natives it appears to me in a different light. They may be considered as in a transition state between barbarism and civilization, and any advances which they have made are, in my mind, mainly owing to the Missionary teachings of the various religious bodies. I therefore do not object, in present circumstances, to aid, by grants of public money* those institutions which I believe have already done so much good. I have' thus, as I think, fairly indicated my opinions u} on the various questions contained in the list to which I have alluded. I have purposely refrained from giving pledges (although for the sake of brevity I have answered three questions bv a simple affirmative), because I think that situated as we are, with so much of the unknown and untried before us, your representatives should not be confined by a too definite line of conduct. If I go into -the Council I shall go unfettered, endeavouring to find out my duty by the diligent exercise of my mental faculties, and to perform it under the dictates of my conscience. To gain no temporary end will I act in opposition to my decided opinions,, holding ife both moie honest and more honourable to lose rather than to gain by other than fail- and upright means. If then, my fellow citizens, you wish mc to serve you, give me your suffrages, and I will try to be useful ; if you do not wish my presence in the Council, I shall on personal conddcratiom be all the better pleased. I am, Fellow Citizens, Very truly Yours, Arch. Clark. Auckland, 15th July, 1853. To the Editor of the New-Zeaeander. Sir, —It has been told me to-day that certain pai-ties refuse to vote for me at the coming election, on the ground that when I was a member of the Town Council I was desirous to tax the Burg-esses. I believe that this is put in circulation to serve a present purpose, but it is simply untrue. It is well known that my opinion was " levy no rate," —" incur no debt," —" spend all the money we can get." How such a course would have been injurious to the Borough or the working-man is a problem too deep for me. In my simplicity I thought that a sum of upwards of £2OOO (which at this moment, I believe, lies in the Treasury, awaiting the decision of the home authorities whether it shall not be paid to the New Zealand Company) expended upon roads would have benefited, in some degree, every one. But I hope I am open to conviction—if any person will satisfy me that we are better wading through the mud, and that the money is safer from the clutches of the Now Zealand Company in the Treasury than on the roads, I shall change my opinion, but not till then.—Yours, &c, Arch. Clark. July 14th, 1853.