To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. Wellington, March 31, 1853.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 800, 2 April 1853, Page 3

To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. Wellington, March 31, 1853.

Si a, —lt is said the foolish bird dirties herself with that which grows from her own excrements: so it is with " No Consequence;" for by his writing he states that which only strengthens my cause. Every one most see that he is a party interested, an agent wbo tbioks his own occupation gone! It looks noble to call a few shopkeepers, tradesmen, and labourers landsharks,—intending purchasers of only forty acrei each ! This clearly shows that the poor working man has no right to purchase land, in his estimation. He charges me with endeavouring to dupe the working class. Perhaps be will tell in what and how lam to dupe them. He says lam interested. That I a<lroit; as I want forty acres of land, for which I shall not trouble " No Consequence" to pay, as I may perhaps be able to do it myself. I want to go up the country to farm. How many cry out, there are too many shopkeepers here. Shopkeepers and tradesmen are as necessary in a district as farmers ; aodiome of the best farmers on the Hntt are tradesmen. He wishes to cram down your throats that shopkeepers holding land, residing in Wellington, are tha worst kind of absentees, —'even worse than the Company's system. You see be has not the honesty to tell you that you Can have a farm up the country, and employ a man, possibly a neighbour, to cultivate it, or take care of your brood mare or cattle, —this is absenteeism. Mr. Brown living at Porirua and bis station at Kapiti, or Mr. Clifford and Captain Rhodes at Wellington and their stations on the M.4dle Island—is not absenteeism. The fact is, neither shopkeepers, tradesmen, nor labourers have any business with land,—they must be vassals to the large land proprietor. Nor will they allow us to buy cheap land, for fear we should be independent of them. Of course their lands are of no use without our labour. They now cry that they will sell you land as cheap as the Government: £3, 10s. and £5 per acre to-wit. But w« all recollect the fable of the boy and wolf. And then say they, we will lease you land. I say, let them occupy their own lands; we will not trouble them. Experience tells us whae these generous minded men have done. They may rail against th« people from Sydney; but it is impossible to have a worse set of landholders than we have had. I know this clique are trying to put me down. Look at their opprobrious language ia last Saturday's Independent,—trappist, crawler, &c.; but all will not do : let us use every legal raeana to obtain cheap land in spite of landsharks: their impressions on the colonists will die in its own smoke, like a lucifer, only leaving a hateful stench bebiad it. One of these gents has been stringing t poor man lor the last two years, keeping in his bands £20 deposit, and b» neitfcor con get his

money nor land. Perhaps be thinks this a thing of " oo consequence. '* Yonrt, &c, J. Masters.