New Zealand Spectator AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, February 15, 1851.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 578, 15 February 1851, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, February 15, 1851.

The spontaneous and unbiassed manifestation of public opinion which has been so strong.y and unequivocally called forth by recent events, —the expression of the full confidence of the settlers in Sir George Grey, and their utter repudiation of the Resolutions and proceedings of “certain persons calling themselves a Constitutional Association,” have fairly appalled the latter, who exhibit the most ludicrous symptoms of ’ discomfiture, and who resort to alf sorts of manoeuvres and misrepresentations to conceal their mortification, and cover their defeat. It must, we admit, be a very bitter disappointment, instead of being able to forward their Resolutions to the British Parliament by their delegate as an expression of public opinion, to find the intelligent portion of the community, the middle classes and country settlers, to a man dead against them; it must be a heavy blow and great discouragement to see their Resolulutions completely extinguished by the temperate and forcible reasons contained in the protest presented to the Governor. How

do they attempt to save appearances, J do they try to bolster up their faili n cause ? By the most impudent misrepjn sentations, by the most unblushing fal<?e hoods. Take for example their account ofth e two public meetings, that in November, an( j the meeting last week. In November, we were informed by the Independent, that the meeting which then took place—at which Mr. Godi e y was played off as their pattern card, whenun der his tutelage, these blind leaders of the blind made the notable discovery that it was not Representative Institutions that they wanted but something else; —we were told that this meeting was one of the largest that had ever been held in Port Nicholson, that there were at least 350 persons present, the build. I ing being quite full in every part.” | saloon in which the meeting was held will | hold, at the utmost, about 250 persons, the ’ odd hundred being thrown in, we suppose.fa add to the importance of their movement, i Granting, however, for the sake of argument the correctness of their statement, admitting i that the building was quite full in every part, 1 350 persons, on their own shewing, is the ' utmost number it can hold ; yet by a plea. ! sant fiction we are told in the same paper, ; and by the same ready writers, that their j resolutions were carried on the 3rd instant with acclamation by fully 500 settlers 1 The ’ Independent affects to sneer at the deputation, and insinuates that they possess no influence in the settlement, that they do not enjoy the confidence of any section of the community. These sneers at the intelligence and influence of the middle classes, who form the great majority, whose sentiments really express public opinion, are worthy the quarter from which they have emanated. The attempts to depreciate the value or weight of the signatures appended to the Protest, come with a good grace from such unscrupulous agitators, who yet profess to be the men of the people. They ask for the credentials of the Deputation. They are to be found, not in a packed meeting, where a body of shingle splitters and sawyers under Ike control and direction of the publican that brought them formed the majority, but in the voluntary signatures of 230 independent settlers who had first read and approved of what they signed. When the Faction talk of false representations made use of to obtain signatures, they unconsciously reveal the artifices which they themselves have practised. Here are to be found no fictitious signatures, no names of children swell the list, no influence of the Bank has been exerted to increase the numbers; thepresentManager of theUnionßank, to his credit be it spoken, having scrupulously abstained from all interference in politics. No! the condemnation of the Faction has been pronounced by the 230 settlers of Wellington, and their verdict has been strengthened and approved by the honest settlers of the Hutt, who to the number of 200 have voluntarily come forward to repudiate the proceedings of the clique that has hitherto attempted with matchless effrontery to pass off its crudities in the name of the people of Wellington.