NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, September 23, 1854.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 954, 23 September 1854, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, September 23, 1854.

When facts and legitimate conclusions in any case are all against a person put on his defence, in other words, when he has nothing to say in his own favour, he has always the resource left of attacking his opponent. It is a manoeuvre as old as the hills, and has not been pretermitted in the controversy -just now raging respecting the sayings and doings of the House of Representatives. The last we have heard of will be memorable in the history of the colony for the blind rage with which a discomfited party has attacked its opponents in a manner not only to disgrace themselves, but to cast a blot on the introduction of free institutions amongst us. The ex-ministers, finding their conduct respecting the crisis which expelled them from office condemned throughout the length and breadth of the colony, became rabid and outrageous. They had no defence, indeed their case was hopeless, because they had smashed themselves. There was therefore nothing for it but to divert attention from their own misdeeds by trying to damage their adversaries. "We have no merits," says the attorney for the defendant to his counsel, "abuse the plaintiff's attorney." Accordingly at it they went. Colonel Wynyard and Mr. E: G. Wakefield were to be vilified, and if possible degraded in public estimation. As, however, it is difficult to find matter for abuse, or even slander, in the career of those who have never mixed in civil business, Colonel Wynyard, who up to the time of his becoming Superintendent of Auckland had been entirely devoted to the duties of his profession, was almost unassailable. Not so Mr. E.G. Wakefield. He had Ibeen prominently before the public for twenty years. About that number of years he commenced his career by discussing colonial matters, and immediately became the associate of many of the most distinguished writers and politicians of the day. Soon afterwards he projected and founded South Australia, and after taking an active part in Canadian politics, the colonization of New Zealand was suggested by him and ultimately effected. In the course of his constant and various labours he has been opposed to many interests and to all kinds of persons, and therefore, like all public men, has enemies. He could, therefore, be much more easily attacked than Colonel Wynyard, but surely his assailants on the present occasion labour under one great disadvantage, which is, that, without exception, all were formerly; his fervent admirers. The vety same men who now paint him as a devil, a short while since praised him as an angel of light. The solution of the paradox is simple. As long as Mr. Wakefield was forming companies for founding colonies, in which companies there were good berths, and in which colonies there were careers for those who had none, he was called a great man by all who profited or hoped to profit by his brains and enterprise, but no sooner does he appear as a champion of the rights of all the colonists, than he becomes utterly hateful to those who see no further prospect of using him as an instrument for their own aggrandizement. This sufficiently explains why Mr. Revans poured out his Billingsgate, and Mr. Fitzgerald his malice in the chamber against Mr. Wakefield, and why the Provincial Treasurer composed the article in the last number of the Independent on she same subject. These three men owe every thing to the man so foully bespat-

tered by them, and this is their way of requiting him for the benefits they have received. The unenviable notoriety of the first renders any description unnecesi sary, and any blows from such an assailant are perfectly harmless. The second, formerly in the British Museum on a small salary, began his New Zealand career by receiving eight hundred pounds from the Canterbury Association, was by a lucky chance and the misconduct of the Re- [ turning Officer elected Superintendent of Canterbury, and afterwards, by still greater luck and Mr. SewelPs thrusting forward, was made Prime Minister of New Zealand. Well might he exclaim, as he did to Dr. Monro on their being "sent for" by Colonel Wynyard, "this is the happiest moment of my life !" ■ The poor deluded man is now a laughing-stock. The third is well known as having feathered his nest by means of two offices under the New Zealand Company, as being a placeman with £400 a^year, and as being a jobber par excellence. These are the high minded and disinterested patriots who would fain make the public believe that Mr. E. G. Wakefield— whose labours in the cause of colonization and local self-government are on all sides admitted and have been by these very men most warmly acknowledged, and by whose intellect they are completely overshadowed — is an incarnation of villany and folly. In making these observations we do not assume to be the champions or panegyrists of Mr. Wakefield. Our object is to expose the unprincipled conduct of men who, under the hollow pretence of public principle, seek to aggrandize themselves at the expense of the colony, whose proceedings have already inflicted serious injury on its interests, and whose violence, contrasted with Mr. Wakefield's moderation, and the constitutional assistance afforded by him to the acting Governor in his difficult and trying position, cannot fail to enlist in his favor the sympathy and support of the great majority of the colonists.

On Wednesday the inhabitants of Wellington were gratified with the unwonted and exciting sight of the chase and, capture in the harbour of a right whale. Early in the morning it was observed .that a whale had .entered the harbour ; two boats were promptly fitted out with the necessary whaling gear by Messrs. Bethune and Hunter, and started in pursuit, one" with the two Rileys as headsman and boatsteerer, the other, which was launched after the chase had, been continued some time by the first boat, with Baley, formerly mate of .the American whaler Mount Wollaston, as headsman, and the younger Hebberly, boatsteerer ; the crews were composed of hands belonging to this port. The chase lasted the greater part of the day, the whale making a circuit of the harbour from Kaiwarraitowards the head of the bay, several times approaching so close in shore as to be seen to the greatest advantage by the settlers who lined the beach, watching the chase with the greatest interest, as he rose to the surface, stretching his huge bulk on the waters— And seems a moving land ; and at his gills Draws in, and at his trunk spouts out, a sea. At last, about 2 o'clock, the whale was struck by a harpoon 'from Baley's boat, and after a short struggle was finally captured by the two boats. The carcase was towed to the eastern side of Lambton Harbour, and during Thursday was quite an object of attraction, being visited by the greater part of the inhabitants of Wellington, particularly towards the evening, when upwards of two hundred must have been collected together to see the huge leviathan. It is supposed that the oil and bone will be worth between three and four hundred pounds. This is the second whale that has been captured in Port Nicholson since the formation of the settlement.

We have received numerous complaints of the high charge exacted in this Province for the registering of brands, which is universally stigv matised as a shamefulimpositronand robbery-. At Canterbury the charge for registering brands is one shilling, while in Wellington a fee of ten shillings is demanded. If such a charge had been made under Sir George Grey's Government what an outcry would have been raised by those who, now they are intrusted with authority, seem to think the only use to be made of it is to provide'for themselves and their needy hangers on. We are asked on all sides — who is to get the-money ?

Resident Magistrate's Court. — On Tuesday last, Sept. 19th, Mr. Charles Valance, of Evans Bay, was summoned by "Mr. Bradey, of Tamworth Cottage, before this Court, for driving his cattle off the Town Belt, illegally impounding them in his stockyard, and demanding payment before he would restore the same. The case being proved against the defendant, he was fined £5 and costs/