To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 304, 28 June 1848, Page 3

To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator.

Sir, — A letter signed B appeared in your number of Saturday last purporting, first, to advocate very mild doctrines; but which, in some of the subsequent paragraphs, — sinning against this laudable commencement, — launched out into turbid and turbulent slander. If the writer meant that the initial should convey to your readers the cognomen of Broad-cloth, his hopes will be sadly deferred, because those best able to form a correct judgment respecting the merits of his letter attribute it to Black-narrows. Having no intention of interfering in the controversy between Band O, I have made the preceding observations for the purpose only of shewing B that an advocate, even in a good cause, may sometimes lose himself in the windings of his own labyrinth ; and, while condemning slander in others, commit more guilt of this nature himself. On the subject of his criticisms of logic and language I have little to remark, — deeming them as much beneath my notice as the sins criticised ought to have been beneath his own. I may add, however, that the dogmatism exhibited is rather pedagogueish, and not superlatively learned. Your correspondent B. has for his object the defence of the Resident Magistrate against a presumed attack in the Wellington Independent by a writer who signs himself O. He blames O, and also the Editor, for the publication of certain imputed slanders, and then pens the following slander reflecting upon the character and capacity of O, — setting him down in his way as " A lawyer with a restricted sphere of practice — one at least belonging to the lowest species of the genus, — and a rejected applicant for the abolished office of Commissioner of the Court of Requests." This is a slander, by implication, on the writer of the letter signed O, — who is described as " a lawyer belonging to the lowest species of the genus." In addition, however, to the slanderous nature of the language, there is evidence of no small portion of malice exercised against this " lawyer" of implied low degree : because the description is preceded by a sentence proving that B knew the person of the " lawyer" respecting whom he was writing, and that his object was a determination to bold him up to public contempt. — •' When it was once ascertained who the author of the lettet signed O really was, all mystery as to the motive of the attack was at an end j" — these are the words, i Now, to say the least of it, all this is very ungentlemanly; but there are a few points of a public nature arising out of it, deserving of a passing notice. The public is entitled to know how " it was ascertained who the author of the letter signed O really was," and what means were put in force to drag an author forward," and why such a course was adopted in preference to the nianly one of answering his communication through the medium by which he made it. If we are to have a public censor of the press, let that be publicly declared ; but let all attempts at intimidation be repudiated as no less illegal than they are base, disingenuous, and scandalous. In another part of his letter your correspondent states,— '"The English constitution, indeed,

presupposes and requires on the part of the people a watchful jealousy of all public officers." He might have added that it is a portion of the birth-right of an Englishman to take all legal and peaceable means to obtain a redress of any grievance, whether by petition or remonstrance, or by the publication of such grievance for the information of his fellow citizens. Should the language employed be proper and respectful, — as all language ought to be, — the author will generally gain his point in a good cause ; — and the contrary result follows when the cause and the means employed are the reverse. Public opinion quickly decides the question ; and it will be found that all attempts at taking the matter out of this open court will eventually prove abortions. Here I might conclude; — but a subject of this nature having once been mooted, some good end may possibly be answered by appending a few additional remarks. The writer of the letter signed B. makes use of a number of enticing (electioneering) sentences, such as, — "attacking the character of public officers;" — "that morbid suspicion which would represent every public servant as an enemy to liberty, and deficient in integrity and honesty;" — "if censure and abuse are indiscriminately levelled at all, there would be but little encouragement held out to men of honour and integrity to engage in the public service, which will be left as an open field for needy and designing rogues;" — and such like balderdash, — all of which is mere "terminology and cant," — " which actually beggars description, and is quite worthy of being preserved for insertion in some future New Zealand ' Curiosities of Literature.' "—" — This is Young England double done ! ! ! I am. Sir, Your most obedient servant, A.I. June 27th, 1848.