IN A FLURRY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4924, 4 January 1877, Page 2

IN A FLURRY.

There is no need to tell people what the whale is accustomed to do when in its “flurry.” Its decease is preceded by an indiscriminate lashing. This well known fact will in all likelihood account for the uncontrollable symptoms of being in a literary flurry which a newspaper venture in Wellington has lately exhibited. Its latest “ lashing ” was in the direction of Mr. George Hunter, who in all probability perfectly comprehends that the movements against him are the customary precursors of dissolution, and intends to do as the old whalers did with “a fish,” watch the “flurry” quietly and accept the result. That it is a#flurry, though only a literary one, will'be made apparent by the fact that all the syntactical blows and thuds are quite in contradiction of what the newspaper venture in question said only a month ago. In order that this may be better appreciated, we print a couple of extracts in parallel columns. (Evening-T/vpis of Dec. 2.) (Evening Argus of Jan. 2.) We are glad to find that Mr. George Hunter is Mr. George Hunter has at a gentleman who plays last found it necessary to many parts. Commerciprotest against the toady- ally, he is Bethune and ism of the New Zealand Hunter, an old-estab-Times. Its constant he- lished mercantile and auospattering of that gentle- tioneering firm ; politicman with fulsome praise ally, he is a member of has long been a source of the House of Kepresentaregret and annoyance to fives, as one of the reins friends, as tending to prosentatives of the city make him ridiculous, and of Wellington ; agriculby nauseating the public, turally, he is the owner of creating a reaction of an a pretty little estate unfavorable character-, known as Hunter’s Farm: With Mr. Hunter's gen- pastorally, he is, perhaps, rrine merits as a citizen, best known as the breeder Wellington is sufficiently of a certain celebrated familiar Mr. bull calf; musically, he Hunter is known to be is a very ostentatious proud, as Ire may well be, patron of the Choral Soof his prize stock, aud so ciety; personally, he is indiscriminate praise was acknowledged as an amilavished on everything he able old gentleman of inshowed, and as it appears, different general inforraaalso.on exhibits existing tion, great constitutional only in the imagination obstinacy, limited practiof the reporter. The cal experience, and still “magnificent horse, Em- narrower sympathies. . . peror," which did not get . . It is notorious that a prize, occupied more in every public movespace in the report than raent with which Mr. the horses which took Hunter chances to be inprizes, although not be- lluentially connected, his longing to Mr. Hunter, influence is used to give Like a modern Canute, all the work to the New Mr. Hunter has now put Zealand Times, outside, Ids sycophants to open of course, of such advershame, and we hope the tisements as must necealesson will do them good, sarily go to the evening papers. The above extracts read curiously. In the first it .will be noticed that Mr. Hunter is asserted to be a disbeliever in the New Zealand Times and all its works, and also to be from every point of view worthy of the greatest respect as a public man. In the second he is made out to be an ardent supporter of the New Zealand Times, and therefore also to be below contempt in every sense as a public man. These “elegant extracts” are given, by insertion in our columns, a publicity they could not otherwise have obtained; but this is freely accorded to them in consideration of the agreeable manner in which they show how some people understand consistency and scurrility.