New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, January 23, 1849.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 363, 24 January 1849, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, January 23, 1849.

In another part of our journal will be found a report of the adjourned General Meeting of the Managers of the Wellington Savings Bank, held on Saturday for the purpose of electing a Superintending Committee for the current year. On the previous occasions when the faction have tried their strength, though their object was notorious, they affected some disguiseor concealment, but on Saturday their purpose was openly avowed; 'they were resolved to convert the meeting into a political one, and to exclude, if they could, 1 " the Nominees" from the Superintending Committee^ Mr. Fitzherbert w 4 as their mouthpiece on this occasion, and his grand reason for getting rid of, " the Nominees" was certainly -a, very odd one. He said it was necessary to exclude, these gentlemen from the committee of the Savings Bank in order that they should not have an interest in an institution for which 1 , as legislators, they would have to frame laws. The position of the speaker is in keeping with his logic, he comes in such a questionable shape, that we know not whether we are to regard him as a casual visitor or as a settler, "one of the old settlers," a designation which those, who are .fairly entitled to it from having borne the heat and burden of the day, who have,, with patient fortitude endured and overcome the vicissitudes and trials which this settlem ent has experienced, may justly be proud of. But we doubt whether Mr. Fitzherbert can fairly lay, claim to this distinction, for instead of setting an example which might have been expected from him in his position as a merchant and " a man of the people," and which; would have stimulated and encouraged . others in the crisis of the settlement, -in ,\he late calamitous and afflicting dispensatipn of Providence; : in- sporting phraseology, he "bolted" from what appeared to his bewildered imagination impending ruin, taking with him his family, his goods, his merchandize, all' that he valued, all that he could remove ;' and has returned apparently in the character of a Sydi ney trader to pay a- flying visit to 'this setiilementl But his argument literally comes to this ; that the less acquainted a man may be with any given subject, the more qualified he is to legislate upon it. For it cannot be contended" that, |Ke\ 'interest of the-Su-perintending Compjttee^ in, the* Savings Bank is either personal or pecuniary. -Their connexion withit only establishes an additional claim on" them to promote the interests of an institution founded for the .benefit of the working ''classes, "an' institution which- may >be * truly styled " the ' Working Man's Friend. 1 But Mr. FitzherberiTsubse 7 quently bowled down hia own.skittle/jorihe admitted that if these gentlemen had Been

elected by the people, he would have gladly received them as members of the Committee ; he did not object to them, as legislators but as Nominees. Those who were opposed to the Faction proceeded on the broad ground that any attempt to introduce politics into private life or into the social institutions of the community was detrimental to its best interests ; they therefore resisted this attempt, and moved . as an amendment, "That the Committee for thepast year be re-elected," a course usually adopted, inasmuch as when gentlemen bestow their time gratuitously in the management of a public institution, and its affairs are well conducted, they have established a claim to .the confidence of its members, which is generally acknowledged by their re-election. We will not describe the manoeuvres resorted to by the Faction on the occasion of a division, how one of theiz number was dragged into the room to hold up his reluctant hand, or how another was madejto, vote against his conviction. It .is enough to state that the cambers * on a division were found to be equal,- namely,, twenty-one for the amendment and twenty-one against it, and the chairman, after having refused repeated and reiterated demands for a scrutiny, and after declaring that, if necessary,' he would hold up both his hands against' 'the amendment, left the, chair holding up both his hands amidst the clamour and exultation of his party. It consequently becomes absolutely necessary to hold another meeting, for if we admit, for the sake of argument, that the amendment was lost, the original resolution was not put to the meeting, and consequently no Superintending Committee has been elected. We believe it is intended to convene anothe.r meeting, in which event we hope the managers will take care to elect, a chairman who, is disposed to act impartially and who possesses at least a slight acquaintance with the duties of his office*' *