ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 177, 10 April 1847, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

The following letter, from its style and contents, may be referred to the correspondence commenced by Justitia and continued by a few other persons. In the inclosure covering the communication the person by it was sent, without avowing himself the author, states the inclosed was handed to him with a request that we would publish it. Whoever our " Old Subscriber" may be, it would appear his swinish and inert nature (we hope we do him no wrong in adopting his own illustration) has been goaded bysome external influence to ejiter into a controversy in which those with whom he is associated have displayed a marvellous alacrity in sinking. Instead of thinking of MrWeller our correspondent rather reminds us of " the respectable old gentleman" who is so conspicuous a character in another work of the author he refers to. His sorry and forced attempts at humour are not likely to raise a laugh except at his own expense ; his misstatements, insinuations and personalities are unworthy serious notice. Such advocates would injure the best cause — they are not likely then to advance a falling one — and we leave this sordid production to be treated with the scorn and contempt it deserves. There are however two points in our corres* pondent's communication to which we may briefly advert. The recent numbers of this journal afford ample testimony of our willingness to publish the communications addressed to us, even from those who if they hadconsulted a sound discretion would perhaps have adopted a different course. But when we found an uufair attempt was made, by different letters coming from the same person under different signatures, to give undue importance to this controversy and create a false impression of the numbers and influence of the new party, we endeavoured to check this practice ; — no communication has been withheld — and we think the notice to correspondents in this day's paper will put this part of the subject in a sufficiently clear light. Our correspondent's notions of the liberty of the Press are peculiar. Our readers will see from his illustration the grinding sort of tyrany which this faction would desire to establish. They would have the Press as entirely obedient to their will as* the animals on which they ride; they would wish it to be guided only by their impulse, and to be implicitly submissive to their dictation. But we tell him plainly that we abhor such slavery, and will never allow these fetters to be imposed upon us.

To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. Wellington, 6th April, 1847. Sir, — It is with reluctance that I offer the present letter for publication; for although a subscriber and original supporter of your newspaper, and often solicited by yourself to write ior it, I have not yet broken through an habitual aversion to do so. Under these circumstances you will naturally enquire what strange occurrence has taken place to alter such a very virtuous habit, and cause me to trouble you now? You may perhaps indeed exclaim with Mr. Weller that " pigs are women-headed critturs," and so by summarily classing your correspondent amongst this truly New Zealand group of animals you may explain, with satisfaction to yourself, why I would not write when you wanted me and yet now do so when you don't wish it. Nor will I destroy so, pleasing and ingenious a theory: I confess that lam obstinate ; but then, Mr. Editor, why did you pull my tail the other way 1 To explain myself fully, I must advert to the circumstances under which the New Zealand Spectator was re-organized. During the supremacy of our late Governor many settlers considered that their opinions

were not sufficiently represented by the then existing press of Wellington, with regard to the conduct of the Governor and other matters of general importance, and more particularly •with regard to the Wairau massacre. In consequence of this they roused themselves and tried their strength : — the result was the re-or-ganiamtion of the New Zealand Spectator, with yourself as publisher, wet-nursed by a committee of settlers duly chosen at a meeting by their fellow-colonists. The principle and express understanding upon which the new journal was to be conducted was, " that it should be a settler's not a party paper, to watch closely the movements both of the Company and Govern ment, and expose the conduct of either or both when deemed to be at variance with the interests of the settlers, and its columns to be at all times open to the communications of the colonists." The settlers were willing to pay for this luxury like Englishmen ; they guaranteed 130 subscriptions — the journal throve : — and in due course you were pronounced able to walk alone, and the paper was accordingly handed over to you holus-bolus, ready-made and free from incumbrances, without the committee ever having derived any pecuniary emolument for their trouble. This was a pretty little snug business;. and your Committee did not regret that they had sO successfully established you : but, they did expect, clearly and distinctly, that you would adhere to the main views with which the paper had been established. They were willing to allow you fair latitude, but they did not expect you to turn on them. I would illustrate the implied compact in this way. A man takes a horse to go to the Hutt ; he is willing to allow him to frisk about and flick his tail and perform other antics, although not exactly conducive to the main object of his journey : — still as long as the horse takes him to the Hutt, all is well. But if the horse absolutely will not go there and bolts off in another direction, the rider is not satisfied and probably keeps him without his usual feed; — certainly, on any future occasion, he jooks out for another steed. Had you, Mr. Editor, pursued the required object: — 1. To uphold the solemnly recorded opinion of the southern settlers as to the Wairau massacre, and denounce any attempts, indirect or otherwise, to justify the natives in their conduct on that occasion and so cast a slur on the dead. 2. To strenuously insist on the necessity of a Representative Government (not Municipal privileges !) 3. To' watch closely the conduct of the New Zealand Company and that of the supreme ruler of the colony for the time being ; exposing their conduct on all occasions when adverse to the interests of the settlers, and always encouraging the communications of the settlers. v Had you done this, I say, you would indeed have edited a " Settler's Paper," and although the settlers might not have had quite so many advertizements to have given you, yet, in the long run, depend on it, you would have gained even in a pecuniary point of view, and you would besides have been freely allowed £o frisk your tail and perform many other minor antics for your own particular amusement and the gratification of the public. As it is however, you refuse to insert comraucations from the settlers and you stand up for none of their rights. Your paper seems to me to be like a shield interposedjbetween the sottiers and their Governor; or, rather perhaps, like a bridal veil thrown over a happy and mysterious Government honey-moon. And you yourself remind me strongly of the landlady who had a newly married member of Parliament just come in a steamer to lodge with her by the seaside, and who thus accosted a troublesome freeholder who came to bother her lodger with a petition. "Don't disturb 'em, poor dear creatures, they are so happy and spending so much money; 'twould be a thousand pities to talk to 'em just now of dead men and such horrid things : and suppose you were promised that you should represent your own grievances in the Parliament house, and supposing at the same J time that ministers were told that you were not fit to be trusted, why, then never mind; I say you shan't disturb 'em just now : and without more ado she turns out the freeholder, petition and all, grumbling and singing to the tuue of ' Wait a little longer.' " " There's a good time coming, boys, A good time coming. The pen shall supersede the sword | And right not might shall be the Lord, In the good time coming." j I am, Sir, Your's obediently, An Old Subscriber.