NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, April 27, 1853.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 807, 27 April 1853, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, April 27, 1853.

In noticing the proceedings of Dr. Feather', ston's friends, on the occasion of their first political demonstration in connection with the coming elections under the new constitution

it would be a manifest neglect on our part to pass over without any comment the observations made by Mr, Fitzherbert, more especially as it seems to have been a labour of love on ' his part, an affair that has evidently cost him not a little trouble and consideration; and after having got his speech quite to his mind, he has slipped the composition into the hands of the printer, italics and all, in such a way as to shew that, according to his notion of things, it ought not to fall still born from the Press. . Mr. Fitzherbert's idea of the office of Superintendent is, that he who fills it should be " a counterpoise to the Governor-in-Chief—a man to stand in the gap between the colonists and their imperial ruler,"— in plain English he seems to think the Superin tendent should be the head of a clique or faction, and his chief recommendation that he should be always in a state of political antagonism, of factious opposition to the head of the Government. He assumes that the settlers are always in a state of downright hostility to the Governor, who can never have the slightest chance of knowing their wishes and wants ; which it seems can only be ascertained through this " transparent channel" — and whatever the Superintendent may choose to say, — if ho only happens to be one of tho right stamp.one of his set, marked with the true constitutional brand,— is precisely "in its unpolluted purity" what the settlers mean. If the Superintendent, who will be an executive officer of the Government, should be transparent enough to attempt to realise Mr. Fitzherbert's idea, the settlers would speedily repent of their handy work, and try to get rid of one who would prove so thoroughly impracticable and incompetent to discharge the duties of his office. To suppose the wishes and opinions of the settlers to be so great a ''mystery" as to require a " man of medicine" to be their exponent, is another fallacy so absurd as hardly to require refuting. Are the settlers so accustomed to conceal their sentiments, to speak " with 'bated breath and whispering humbleness," on any of the questions that affect their interests as to leavo any doubt as to their opinions ? Does it require, for example, any transparent channel to collect in one stream the general current of opinion which prevails in favour of cheap jyyjyd^so as to prevent the Governor being " in ignorance of the truth?" Or is the general feeling of suspicion and distrust with which Mr. Fitzherbert's party is regarded, from the way in . which they have made common* cause with those who have tried to prevent the Land Regulations from coming into operation, so profound a secret that it cannot be fathomed ? He, at til -events, does not seem to be without a tolerably, distinct apprehension of the public » opinion in this respect, for having cautiously felt his way beforehand and found that there was not the slightest possibility, not the ghost of a chance, of his being elected for the Hutt, the odds being, as expressed by themeeting, 200 to 3' against him ; — he tikes an early opportunity of trying to damage the popular candidate under the pretence of inveighing against Nomineeism. Of course it must be a sore point with Mr. Fitzherbert to find himself weighed in the balance against a Nominee, and in the deliberate judgment of his neighbours and fellow-electors to kick the beam. It was clear the electors had anticipated Mr. Fitzherbert's recommendation, and had " thoroughly sifted his claims to the bottom," and they have proved to be "as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff; you shall seek all day ere you find them ; and when you have them, they are not worth the search."

The Resolution,ttom the Chatham Islands has brought intelligence of the wreck of the American Whaler Antarctic/ of New Bedford, E. Bradbury, jun., master, which latter vessel parted from her anchors during a heavy gale on the morning of the 20th March, and went ashore on the Waitangi beach. All hands were saved with the exception of the chief mate, F. Macy, of Nashua, New Hampshire, who was unfortunately drowned in the surf by the upsetting of the boat while attempting to land.- We "understand that another of the hands has since been drowned in the river. The vessel, when she was wrecked, had a considerable amount of oil on board, which has been saved. Two of the crew are passengers by the Resolution.

On Monday evening, in compliance with Mr. E. G. Wakefield's, invitation, several of the country settlers from Karori and Porirua, and others resident in Wellington, attended at the Wellington Hotel to confer with him on the subject of the disposal of his land. A long discussion ensued, in which however, as we understand, no rery definite conclusions were arrived at. Mr. Wakefield expressed himself to be desirous of disposing of his scrip on mot® favourable terms than those offered for the purchase of land by the Govern, went, ft period of seven years to be allowed for the payment of the purchase money, interest or rent being paid in the .mean time at from eight to { ten per cent. l£ was suggested that he should put,up his scrip to auction, which he declined doing on the plea that it might let in the speculator as a purchaser ; it was also suggested to him that the purchase money, to be in conformity with the object he professed to hare in view, should be less than , the Government upset price, and the interest less than the current rate of interest. - Some

of those present, we are informed, came with definite proposals respecting particular sections belonging to Mr. Wakefield in the vicinity of their own land ; others at Karori, and in other localities, wished to purchase the hilly land .in the rear of their property, as runs for their stock. To these Jast Mr. Wakefield could not offer any terms, the Land Regulations fixing the upset price of, such land at ss. an acre, at which price Mr, Wakefiold is not disposed to undersell the Government, in parting with his scrip. Mr. Wakefield, we are informed attended a meeting at the Hutt last evening, for tho purpose of explaining his views to the settlers of that district.