New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, September 10, 1851.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 637, 10 September 1851, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, September 10, 1851.

Any effort that may'be made .by the into’ " bitants of Wellington to assist the Govern ment in carrying out such measures as n> USi palpably tend to promote materially thei® provement of the settlement, and the hap* piness and welfare of the settlers, is be paralyzed by the evil agency of a e factious agitators, who, employing selves with no legitimate occupation to nefit either themselves, their famil‘ eS » or country, make it their daily busmes* create in the minds of the peup* v - of discontent against the Govern® 6 every unscrupulous means, telling t they are miserably oppressed an o’ dened with taxes to raise a revenue maintenance of a host of inefficient officials who possess no interest m c

with the settlers—by these, and many other arguments as absurd as they are false, do these selfish individuals, affecting to be imbued with patriotic feeling, endeavour to exercise a tyrannical influence. Through the apathy of the settlers, and a disregard for all that concerns the prosperity of the town, Wellington seems likely soon to be an apt illustration of the fable of the race between the hare and the tortoise. For if we turn our attention to the other settlements, we find that they have already, or are about to enjoy, privileges which give them in part self government. At Auckland we find the district divided into hundreds, and wardens - elected by the laud holders who have the power to make regulations for the depasturing of stock on the waste lands, and to administer the revenue, derived from assessments and a‘portion of the land sales we also find the district Comprising the hundreds about to be constituted into a Borough —indeed, in all probability, it is even now so constituted. Again, we find New Plymouth anxious to have some management of its own affairs; Wanganui is now formed into a hundred. The settlers of the Hutt have shewn their good sense in not submitting to be bullied and dictated to by the Faction’s organ the Independent, for we find that that fertile district, peopled by an intelligent zealous people, is about to be constituted into a Borough. Going across the Straits to Nelson, we again find a district that is being divided into hundreds ; at Lyttelton, where there has been a cry for self government on the most liberal principles, the settlers do not form themselves as it were into a stumbling block to their own [advancement, but on the contrary, alive to [their own interests, they have been desirous [to have in operation Ordinances passed by a [Nominee Council. At Otago we find the [settlers meeting together— not to draw up [on paper grievances which do not exist, and bublish to the world gross falsehoods put calmly and with consideration to express their wishes to the Government, sug■rocfinnl mnncnrno mklnk 4.1 _1 _ t* t .hvu«u.uq nuivu uucj mvuiseives reel would operate well for the good of the com■ounity. It is not to be denied that the ■esire for self government is as strong in |hese settlements we have named as it is at ■Veilington, and yet how differently do the ■eople here act. Led, as we have said, by ■ few selfish factious individuals, they seem ■etermined to show every hostility to the

government, obstructing if possible every peasure calculated to benefit them, and thus |o to retard the progress and prosperity of pe town, as to deprive it of all those adiantages which from a combination of cir■i instances it should possess. Even in a ■atter which concerns the health and comBrt of the inhabitants, does the Independent past of the steps taken by the patriots to gefeat the measure. The Roads and Streets grdinance is to be rendered inoperative rough their machinations, and if the Indendent is to be relied upon, the townspeoe, one and all, with scarcely an exception, .ve determined to assist in its overthrow., re evil will only recoil on themselves. The dependent likewise parades forth the prentment said to have been made at the sitrg of the Supreme Court, in Reference to e dangerous state of the roads. The Grand iry therein state that “ they are of opinion at the present amount of taxation presses fficiently hard on the community—that it both impolitic and inexpedient to force *on it any additional tax for their repair*' °w, as no allusion is made to the present”nt having been received by the Bench, - feel certain that Mr. Justice Chapman d too proper a sense of the high position he 'lds and too just an appreciation of the purity ■ the motives which should prompt him in ■tin any way to participate in a leaning ■her to the Government or the people, to ■eive a presentment prepared for the sole ■rpose of attacking the Government. In■jd his Honor must by this time be pretty ■ aware that the majority of the Grand ■■ors, under the guise of an appearance,of ■cia duty, take on all occasions the op■n^ lty i° f declaimiu S against the Govern- , ■ >n t ie form of presentments. I

We recollect that, on a former occasion, when the Grand Jury presented the dangerous state of the roads, his Honor explained that, so far as the Court was concerned, the nuisance could not be abated, as there was ho one to indict. This difficulty will now soon be removed, for as soon as the Ordinance in question comes into operation, his Honor, should the nuisance still exist, will have the power to direct the Attorney General to proceed against the Road Commissioners for neglect of duty. The Independent therefore in calling on the voters to elect men who will pledge themselves to defeat the operation of the Ordinance shows an evident desire to impose on the people.

In compliance with the request of several of our Subscribers, we have reprinted Sir George Grey’s speech in the Council on the 18th June last, on the proposed extension of the Canterbury Block, the Spectator in which it is contained being out of print. We have besides been induced to do this in consequence of the continued misrepresentations of the opinions expressed therein by the Governor.