ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 575, 5 February 1851, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the “New Zealand Spectator. ’’ Wellington, February 4, 1851. Sir, —It is very evident that Mr. Fox, since he determined not to remain in this his adopted country, has been making every effort to gain such popularity in the colony as may serve his ambitious views on his arrival in England. It must be to him a great blow to find, on the eve of his departure, that he has been degraded to the position which he is most fitted to fill. In Wellington he is no longer the idol of the people ; at Nelson, when he is best known, he is least trusted; at Otago he is detested; at Port Cooper he is only known by the newly arrived settlers as a factious creature; he is no longer considered the pure infallible man; on the contrary, the sheep's clothing being removed, he steps forth a very fox. He still has scheming designs, known only, as he thinks, to himself; but he is deceived, for his “ Machiavellian front” cannot conceal the workings of his mind. In England, where he is unknown, he will no doubt attempt to Joist himself on the notice of men interested in New Zealand, and in colonial matters generally; he will no doubt endeavour to introduce himself to the families at home, who have relations or friends in the colony ; but this will be guarded against, for the same vessel which takes Mr. Fox home will also carry letters to men, both private and public ; to men formerly associated with the New Zealand Company; to men connected with and interested in the Canterbury Association; to men.

in Parliament, —giving an accountof Mr. Fox in his public character, for the last two .years, in the double capacity of Principal Agent to the New Zealand Company and Principal Democratical Agitator. t The probability is that Mr. Fox “a compound soft of softest cant,” will find himself, on his arrival in England, completely lost in the crowd; but should he possess the impudence to press forward and force himself upon the observation of those interested in New Zealand, he will only meet with the common fate of all demagogues —a contemptuous rejection. It is amusing to watch his efforts to get himself brought into notice at home. He parades on every occasion before the public Sir William Moles worth’s name with most fulsome laudation sufficient to disgust that honorable member; in him Mr. Fox thinks to find a patron who will bring him out, and exhibit him as a patriotic colonist and statesman; in this Mr. Fox is likely to be deceived in his expectations, forSirW. Molesworthmust, by this time,befully informed of all the facts relating to the last two years of Mr. Fox’s residence in New Zealand. An epitome of his life as far as relates to his actions in his public capacity, will be generally known to those at home who take any interest in this colony. Again Mr. Fox, hoping for a favourable introduction to the members of the Canterbury Association, drags forward on all public occasions Mr. Godley’s name in such a manner as must make it exceedingly painful to that gentleman, not only from a proper diffidence in having his name constantly harped into the ears of the public, but from having it associated with the Wellington Faction, and its appearance in the columns of the Wellington Independent a paper which, from the way it is conducted, the most respectable of the settlers, including some very Jew who support the faction, are positively ashamed to send home to their friends. Mr. Godley, a gentleman possessing refined feelings, and endowed with superior abilities, must only shrink from contact ■with the coarse, blustering “stump orator,” .and is not likely to push Mr. Fox forward in England, as a pleasing specimen of ah agitator for colonial reform. To Mr. Edward Gibbon Wakefield, the colonial patriarch, Mr. Fox’s character will be revealed should tire two meet; that acute observer will soon discover the weak grasp of Mr. Fox’s mind, the shallowness of his arguments, and his glaring inconsistencies, and he will be filled with indignation that be should have been so .deceived as to be brought to recommend to tlie Wellington settlers that they should send Mr. Fox home as their political agent; but fortunately for New Zealand, the web of sophistry •with which Mr. Fox attempted to blind the people.io their real interestsis broken. The spider, who has been gorging himself with the very life’s blood of the colony for the last two years, .is happily crushed. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, Achates. 'To the Editor of the “ New Zealand Spectator." Wellington, 4th February, 1851. ; .Sir, —You were present at last evening’s meeting and therefore had an opportunity of seeing how the gentlemen, who style themselves the Com■mittee of the Constitutional Association, contrived to. get the clauses of their Report passed with ■scarcely any opposition. . . Such a result might naturally have been expected from the activity of the various members of the Committee, who for the last few days have been galloping about the country, busily engaged in ensnaring recruits into their service. But, sir, is it not an instance of flagrant injustice, that the chairman of a self-constituted Committee to draw up .a Report, should also be the Chairman of the meeting ? The members of the Committee have a right to appoint a chairman among themselves, but they have no right to insist upon the same gentleman being chairman of a Public Meeting, such as that of last evening. It would be absurd, under sucu circumstances, to expect anything approaching to impartiality from him, and every one present must have observed how sedulously he endeavoured, ridiculously exhibiting all the time an admonitory horsewhip, to obtain a hearing for members of the Committee, and how indifferent he was to the clamour of those who had come to interrupt speakers on the other side. The Committee no doubt imagine that they have achieved a glorious victory, and that Mr. Fox will straightway proceed to England, where he will at once walk into the House of Commons, order the suspension, of all other business, and insist upon the immediate adoption of their Report. But others who also happen to know something of these matters. expect to hear nothing more nf Mr. Fox’s public career, and still less do they, expect to hear of a favourable reception on the part of the Home Government of the unreasonable demands contained in the Report. 'j is unfortunate that those among us who have been so long anxiously aiming at Representative Institutions, should see the object for which we strive, removed still farther from our grasp by the -want of temper, the personal animosities existing between individuals amongst us, and by demands so exorbitant, as to betray a lamentable want of experience in some of our advocates forSelf-Go-vernment. The Committee have been going ahead too fast; they have over-estimated their own importance, in the eyes of the Home Goverment; and they have shown their utter inability to frame a form of government applicable to all classes and interests in the colony. Had they been content to recommend the adoption of the Constitution proposed by Sir George Grey, it would doubtless have proved a steppingstone to further privileges, which we may lay claim to in proportion as our population and resources increase; but by persisting in its rejection and demanding impossibilities they will long and vainly wait for Representative Institutions. In spite of what took place at last evening’s meeting, I am far from believing that there is in this settlement even a considerable portion in fa.voiir °f fke form of government proposed by the Committee. If I believed that there was any of the .Report receiving the assent of the gome Government,.! should suggest that a meetfoS be, .called., in which some one else would have the opportunity of being, elected Chairman, for t>*e purpose of preparing a memorial m opposition

to the Report, which would receive a large number of Signatures. Such a step, however, ia quite unnecessary from the unreasonable nature of the Report, aud would only be second in absurdity to the Report itself. It now only remains for us to wait patiently until continual delay shall have convinced seme among us of the inutility of persisting in unreasonable demands. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, A Colonist.