ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. Wellington, July 28, 1853.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 834, 30 July 1853, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. Wellington, July 28, 1853.

SifC, — The recent conduct mcanvassrng of the ex-members i>f the late Coniritmional An.ocfatibn, coupled with their last night's proceedings, hat at length awakened even those settler* imbued with' the utmost political indifference to a sense of their public duties as Electors at tire present crisis, and- has convinced even those who were most averse to political discussion, tbat a just regard to their purses as tax payers, and their rights as free British subjects requires them, however unwilling, to enter tbe arena of political strife. The objects of the leadeisof the now disorganized faction stand at last unmasked—namely four years of titled and well salaried indolence for one leader — four years of unpledged irresponsible power for his brother agitators, and a proportionate share of the power and profits of office amongst the minor members of the dispersed .faction. These are the benefits "WE, the mere tax paying rabble, are to receive from the " New Constitution" granted, — or as I sadly fear many settlers will soon deem — inflicted on us by the generosity of the British Parliament. It appears to me from their casual remarks and rambling desultory speeches last night, that the learned and patriotic Mr. Firzherbert, if we allow him to enter the Councils (he modesty aspires to both) untrammelled by aught but his own pleasure, interest, or caprice—- will magnanimously condescend to allow us the high honor of calling him our representative, which possibly may, (although I feel somewhat dubious) amply repay us for the power over our purses and liberties which he asks us for four years to place in the hands of himself and his political colleagues. True, we have yet freedom of choice — but our votes once recorded — the power for four years is gone ,from us, like Sampson shorn of bis locks our strength is departed, or like a bartered musket it would us likely wound the former owner as an enemy. In short Mr. Fiizherbert's evasive .dodging escape from the combined pledges honourably proposed by Mr. Hart and voted as needful by the great majority of the Electors assembled last night, and tbe dirty shuffl.ng attempts of himself and his supporters to upset the just decision of the Chairman as to the public voice on the said pledges, has filled myself and numerous other Electors wkh the utmost distrust of his political honesty, and my disgust is much heightened by contrasting his evasions with the honest manly avowal of his political views and tbe reasons for his past political conduct made by our former Nominee member Mr. Moore, who had the moral courage to express ihe true but unpopular opinion — that four years since it would have been unsafe to have granted " tree institutions " to two races so recently opposed to each other in deadly conflict, and although galling to our self conceit, yet so convinced were the majority of tbe meeting of the justice and wisdom of the Governor's peaceable policy, and of the truth and fairness of Mr. Moore's statements, that the personal opponents of Sir George Grey miserably failed in their attempts at raising a groan of censure' at their pet grievance of " delaying free institutions." From studying the qualifications of tbe various candidates for seats in tbe Councils ihe public are gradually be-, cpming convinced of the' fact -.that Sir ' George Grey, although not happy 'enough to'secure in the former Legislative Council. 'Nominees" with the genius of Solomon, or Solon, or Lycurgus, at least selected as able men as we with " free institutions" can ourselves find willing to come forward as our representatives, and I feel no doubt that some of the same Nominees would, if they consented to become candidates, be returned by triumphant majorities as representatives of their fellow settlers. ' Mr. Fitzherbert's janizaries have gained neither additional respect nor electoral snpport by their efforts to upset the public decision by a midnight bole and corner protest signed by some half muddled voters behind the drop scene of the Saloon — which protest is evidently a ftitile and frivolous attempt of the minority to conlrol the great body of their fellow Electors. Could Sir I George Grey have been invisibly present to have witnessed the buffoonery, and heard the diarrhoea j of nonsense spoken bysome of the factious orators, and the shouting and yelling uproar of us "free and independent electors," in lieu of the shame and sorrow, which the sentimental Tom asserts he ought to feel for delaying " free institutions " i he would naturally doubt whether the New Con- ; stitution instead of being conferred four years too late, was not granted a whole generation too soon; and he would deem the Parliamentary gift of "free institutions" as dangerous a boon to us, as a hamper of bowie knives to a parcel ol Bedlamites. In conclusion, I would respectfully advise the Electors not to sacrifice for four years the liberties and interests of this settlement by voting for men who either evade, or insolently refuse to submit to tbe moderate control on their caprices which the corobineVTpledges proposed by Mr. R. Hart, and adopted by three fourths of tbe Public Meeting, would give the public. I remain Sir, Your humble servant, A WORKING MAN.