ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 651, 29 October 1851, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the “ New Zealand Spectator." River Hutt, October 27, 1851. Sir,—The ignorance of the Hutt Settle)s seems to tittle the fancy of the Editor of the Independent not a little, but can he seriously suppose for a moment we are prepared to gulp down or even contemplate without disgust and abhorrence the bare and unblushing falsehoods put forth in his number of Wednesday last 1 Can he basely and falsely pervert any thing that fell from the lips of Sir G. Grev, or any other member of the Legislative Council during its sitting, respecting the Hutt, and imagine that he will not be detected and exposed ? Let me for a moment compare what Sir'George Grey is made to say in the Independent, with what he really said in the Council, let me put the two versions side by side and then let your numerous readers draw their own conclusions, let every honest man in the Hutt determine for himself how little any statement made by the editor of the Independent is to be trusted. The Independent says:— “ Sir George Grey, during the Debates of the late General Legislative Council, declared, that owing to the gross and lamentable ignorance of the Hutt settlers, he had experienced considerable difficulty in persuading them to accept a Municipal Corporation.” Now for the fact, —on the debate on the second reading of the Provincial Councils Bill, in answer to the assertion of the Lieutenant Governor that “the colonists of New Munster generally appeared to him to be rather anxious for Municipal Institutions with extended powers and privileges than for the creation of subordinate Legislatures,” Sir George Grey shewed that this assertion was not borne out by facts, “ that,” to quote his own words, “ There did not appear the least desire for Municipal Institutions; and so strongly was this indifference shown, that when on a former occasion he had thought of doing so, and had mentioned his intention in this Province, he had been strongly desired not to do so.” And subsequently in the same speech referring to our district be observed “ He had been very anxious to constitute a municipality at the Hutt, but owing to the want of information which prevailed, he had experienced the greatest difficulty in inducing the inhabitants of that fertile district to accept it.” Can any misrepresentation, can any perversion of the truth be more wilful or deliberate than that made by the Independent? But let us pass to ‘he next statement. The Independent says —“ persons were employed to canvass the valley

his beneficent intentions &c., &c.” i nave been a settler in the Hutt eleven years, and know every bona fide settler therein, I have watched it through all its various changes and have borne my humble part beside its old and valued settlers, have mourned over the same misfortunes and rejoiced in the same blessings, but never heard, till I read in the Independent, that any person had ever canvassed the valley either upon this or that occasion. Pray who is t..e party that is to be made “ Resident Magiswhat young gentleman is to be made our lown Surveyor,” does the Independent mean Mr. Nation who hawked about the beautiful protest, because I think he will accept no office, holding out so poor emolument; in the Census sheet he describes himself as follows:— C. Nation (Connections, Maori,) Profession, Surveyor General to the Native race, one half acre of potatoes, (Toe Toe) now is it likely a Gentleman thus provided for would except so poor an office? Andifheisnot the party alluded to who is? He is the only gent'eman of that profession so respectably connected, residing amongst us. As to the Town Clerk and Treasurer the best among us cannot even give a guess who these are to be, but I suppose that is to be explained by our very great “ Ignorance.”

The Independent goes on to say “ they smelt a rat from the first,” we do indeed, we smell something a deal worse, a badger, and our next effort will be to unhole him, and then with a few of our old stanch Hutt Terriers worry him to death.

The protest is signed by about 50 Hutt Settlers, it likewise contains the names of some 25 persons who are not Hutt Settlers, who at least hold no land in the valley and are not even known by name. Twelve more are the sons, fine promising youths, the children of our old and valued pioneers, but whose names should not have been placed upon such a document some of them not being more than fourteen years of age.

If we sigh over the moral delinquency of Youth, what are we to say’ of men even in the middle stage of life, while health is blooming on their cheeks and yet who have placed upon record, and published to their fellow settlers and the world, that their morality is so base, their sense of honour so low that they know no shame in subscribing their names to a paper which convicts them in open day of telling a foul and unvarnished falsehood? How could so many of our old fellow settlers subscribe a document which declared that they were not aware that a Public Meeting had been called, when it is a well known fact, that some of them had had frequent conversations respecting it, and were present at the last open meeting of the Committee at the Aglionby Arms when the day and hour was fixed at which the meeting should take place? There is Mr. Editor something wrong and bad here, something rotten which requires to be exposed and thoroughly laid bare? I will not believe my fellow settlers to be so lost to all moral rectitude as to have placed upon that document their names although I read them there. Can the pestilential Independent have so soon destroyed, so early withered all that bloomed so well and looked so fair—the honest truthful independence of the Hutt Settlers? “Tis •yus there is many a slip between the cup and lip ’ and so the Faction will find respecting the Hutt protest. This Paper was carried to every saw pit, to all the shingle splitters &c.: both rallies were canvassed frem end to end and where are the settlers who signed it? Why’ standing erect in their manliness, and willing at all seasons to acknowledge the great benefits that have flown through the administration of Sir George Grey to the Colony, the men of the Hutt would shrink from the foul contamination of such open falsehoods as those contained in the Protest.

The Independent vaunts itself upon having taught his Excellency his knowledge of freedom. 1 he old Hutt Settlers will teach the Independent that if he makes them the subject of his articles he shall at last confine himself within the sacred precincts of truth. He must not so basely insult them under cover of other men’s tongues, and flatter himself there is not sufficient intelligence to detect and expose him. I am Sir, yours obedient servant, A TT C - A XlviT ot tiler.