New Zealand Spectator AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, March 12, 1851.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 585, 12 March 1851, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, March 12, 1851.

We observe that Mrs. Harris, in her extreme mortification at the compliment intended to be paid by the independent settlers of the Hutt district to Sir George Grey, affects to sneer at it as a party movement, and. also insinuates that the Nelson enter-

tainment was got up merely by one or two individuals who have been rewarded for their service by Commissionerships. It would be ] a waste of time seriously to refute all Mrs. t Harris’s assertions, since very few but those j of her own party believe her, or pay any at- > tention to what she says. It is well known, however, that the dinner to be given to- ( morrow to Sir George Grey is entirely got up by the small landed proprietors of the , Hutt district who, influenced by a feeling that does them honor, wish to mark in a public manner their appreciation of the benefits which they have experienced from Sir George’s administration of the Government of the colony. A similar feeling, approval of his acts as Governor joined to respect and esteem for the man, influenced the great majority of the settlers at Nelson, and caused the popular demonstration which seems to have so sorely displeased Mrs. Harris. Perhaps also a desire to mark their entire disapproval and repudiation of the series of malignant and scurrilous personalities directed by Mrs. Harris against Sir George, which were understood to emanate from Mr. Fox’s pen (with an infusion of additional rancour from the sour man of medicine) and many of which were approvingly republished in the Examiner, gave additional heartiness to the Nelson demonstration; assuredly a similar feeling actuates the honest settlers of the Hutt district. Neither is Mrs. Harris more fortunate in her arithmetic, two Commissioners at £3OO a-year each will certainly cost the colony less than a Principal Agent at £lOOO a-year, and a SubAgent at £5OO. To our apprehension the saving to the colony by the recent appointments is £9ooayear, to say nothing of the further reductions to be made in sweeping away a host of clerks, accountants, and other useless lumber that were maintained in idleness at the colony’s expence by the Company’s misrule. Besides, the newly appointed Commissioners will have something to do, their offices will not be such useless sinecures as were the Company’s Agents. But Mrs. Harris having shewn her skill in figures, that we may not be ignorant of the extent of her accomplishments,—favours us with a scrap of French— ■“ la chandelle ne ' vaut pas la peine”— and, as usual, whenever ’ she attempts to quote, if it be only a trite trench proverb, betrays her blundering ignorance, and talks nonsense. What Mrs. Harris meant to say, if she really had any meaning, no doubt was “Ze jeu n’ en vaut . pas la chandelle,” a truth which must have ■ often forced itself even upon her obtuse mind in the proceedings of the Faction with J which she is identified.