Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4603, 21 December 1875, Page 2

It is impossible to regard the opposition to Mr. Fxtzheebeet, at the Hutt, in any other light than as a political blunder. Whatever side in politics Mr. Fitzheebert may take, his presence in the House of Representatives must bo a public gain. His experience of the affairs of New Zealand is perhaps as great as that of any other public man in the colony, and at this crisis especially the country cannot afford to dispense with trained political leaders to make way for raw recruits, however resnoctablo or promising they may be. Tins, as it appears to us, is the state of the case in the Hutt election.

On the one hand the'constituency has a candidate of long experience and proved ability ; on the other hand there is a candidate who has everything to learn, and who, at the very best, cannot possibly be compared with his rival. Long and faithful services, surpassing ability, and proved integrity <iig in the scale as against the pretences of a political novice. Now there is such a thing as public honor, and we believe that the sentiment of public honor is as strong at the 11 utt as elsewhere in New Zealand, and we say without hesitation that public honor demands the election of Mr. Fitzherbert. Moreover, his experience is the property of, the colony in an especial , sense, and the colony has a right to expect that it shall be used in its service. The man who had the political sagacity to introduce the Public Revenues Act, 1867, and the financial ability capable of consolidating the public debt of New Zealand, and raising its credit to a position which rendered subsequent loans possible by inducing the Imperial Go■vernment to cancel its claims against the colony, is not a man to be lightly set 1 aside on any purely local or personal 'grounds. Mr. Fitzhbrbeet has done these things. He rendered abolition of I Provincial Government possible by his financial policy, which was opposed tooth-and-nail by many ,of the present abolitionists ; and by raising the credit of New Zealand, and ; placing it on a secure basis, he paved the way for the policy of Public Works and Immigration, which could not have been initiated but for the financial results of his policy as Colonial Treasurer, and his visit to England in that capacity. We say this all the more willingly because we have frequently opposed Mr. iFITZHERBEET in his public capacity ; but when it comes to be a question as to whether he should have a seat in the Legislature or not, a sense of public duty compels us to speak out. We make no appeal on behalf of Mr. Fitzheebeet. We do not think an appeal is at all necessary ; but we cannot help thinking that if he had been a little less zealous for Wellington than he has been he would have been more popular elsewhere. It is certainly hard when the very community for which a man works loyally and successfully turns round, on a mere political whim, and rends him. Provincialism is dead : no one knows this better than Mr. Fitzheebeet ; but the active principle of political life survives, and it is men like him, to whichever party they may temporarily belong, that are best fitted to direct it aright. We have not a word to say against Mr. Hutchison. As a private citizen his character is unimpeachable. He has also ■attained to the highest civic honor in Wellington. This should satisfy him faiths present; or if he must seek Parliamentary honors, there are Wairarapa and Egmont open without touching the Hutt. Of course it is quite a matter of choice for Mr. Hutchison or any other man to contest the Hutt with Mr. Fitzherbert; but our opinion is that such is an ill-judged proceeding, and if it should byany chance be successful it will be a great public loss to the colony.