MR. FITZHERBERT AT THE TAITA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 226, 8 January 1876, Page 11

MR. FITZHERBERT AT THE TAITA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL. Sir, —At the conclusion of Mr. Fitzherbert’s address at the Taita, on Tuesday, Mr. Milne rose to move a vote of confidence, which hindered some of the electors putting a few questions to the candidate ; but as Mr. Fitzherbert cannot be blamed for the injudicious conduct of his friends, I have no doubt he will give the electors the information they want through the medium of the Press. I would therefore call Mr. Fitzherbert’s attention to a speech made by Sir George Grey, at Auckland, in the latter part of the month of November, in which lie says, that “some of the greatest minds in the last Assembly" were favorable to the “separation of New Zealand into two states,” and he is reported to have added, “Even some leading men at Wellington have signified their entire acquiescence, and that in case of Auckland being made thecapitalof the Northern Island the Federal Government retains its seat at Wellington.” Would Mr. Fitzherbert tell the electors if he is one of those “ greatest minds ” who conceived the separation scheme, or is he only one of the “ leading men at Wellington,” who have signified their entire acquiescence in carrying out such a plan ? In his address to the electors of the Ilutt he says, “I shall be prepared to do my utmost to obtain the reality of local self-government in some other shape” than provincial institutions. Would Mr. Fitzherbert fee more explicit, and tell the electors his “ unit ” or basis of local self-government ? At the Taita meeting he stated, as his opinion, that the Upper House should be'elected by the people. But from what classes of a limited population are we to get the members for this Conservative Council, and what would Mr. Fitzherbert consider should be the qualification of the voters who elected them? In Mr. Fitzherbert’s address to the Ilutt electors, on the 23rd ultimo, lie said he “ should regard with the greatest horror any attempt—how should he express himself—to mix up prayers with politics;” an utterance which was received by the audience with laughter. If Mr. Fitzherbert means by the words “to mix up prayers with politics ” that we should not implore the blessing of Heaven on the daily deliberations of the General Assembly, or on political undertakings generally, perhaps Mr. Fitzherbert would be good enough to give us his reasons for omitting this time-honored observance; for if this be his meaning, “ then he has indeed incurred a responsibility of the very gravest character;” and he cannot find fault with me if I try his language by the same rules of interpretation that he lias applied to the speech of the Minister for Public Works, as reported in the Lyttelton Times, —I am, &c., Silver Stream. January 3, 1576,