MR FISH AND THE CITIZENS' ROLL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3282, 13 August 1872, Page 3

MR FISH AND THE CITIZENS' ROLL.

TO THB KDITOK. Sir—Allow me to take notice of one or ..two remarks mad*; by Mr Fish in Ms speech .at the (Javei-shain nomination, as reported in your paper of Friday hist. Referring to a letter of "A Ratepayer in Leith Ward," -charging him with creating six votes for .special supporters of luh own, by placing -their names on the Citizens' Roll for an unimproved piece of ground leased by him from the Corporation, Sir Fish .vays—" It is very probable that next year, if the present ten:auta leave, instead of merely cutting the property up into gix sections, I wiil cut it up into twelve, and the law cannot prevent me •doing ao." Hero Mr Fish acknowledges that the present tenants have only a yearly interest in the ground. What possibly can the six gentlemen named in the letter -of " A Ratepayer for Lcith Ward" want with er.eh the sixth part of a Wharf aud ■-■Quays Restrve section on a one year's tenancy. Considering that all these gentle* •nen are bosom friends and strenuous supporters of Mr Fish's, does it not look like a collusion to augment the. number of voters on one side for some special purpose ? Until -the Citizens' Roll is thoroughly scrutinised, there is no saying how far this little dodge may have been carried. To my own knowledge Mr Fish appears on the roll as a voter - for Hyman's Pier Hotel, and Mr Carr (Mr Fish's brother-in-law) ps a voter for Mr Fish's .shop. Yet Mr Fish is indignant that these matters should be questioned, and threw •obstructions in the way • of Mr Rossbotnaju bringing them before the Council. Again v(quoting from Mr Fish's Caversham speech), jhtt says " the law will not prevent it." Yety

similar is Portia's reply to Shylock, when he appeals to her for justice, and demands Jus pound of Antonio's flesh,, "The law allows it." Bat although the law "allowed it," did it place Shylock's character in any better light while under it» protection he still demanded the fulfilment of his bond ?

Jseariot betrayed hi» master with a kifts for thirty pieces. of mlver. ".The law allowed it;" and yet Juda« hae boen execrated through generations for his perfidy, .So that '• thelaw allows it" is but a lame and most unsatisfactory oxcufte for Fish. No doubt he fecla that it i» bo, for he next trie* to throw duet in the eye« of the citizens by continuing—" Thesf things arc raised by the B«nseleitfl and miserable jealousy evoked by my success in Unnedin. f have a great many enemies, and they arc annoyed because I have been successful m my appeals to public support." Here he evidently wishes to make the matter assume the appea-ance of persecution.

But surely the Council and ratepayers will not allow theiiißclvca to bo hoodwinked in this manner. This matter fully demands enquiry, and the citizens have a right to know whether Mr Fiuh is really the martyr to " miserable jealousy " which he profess** himself to be, or whether he makes thi« nisiition to catelt public sympathy, and as a cloak to prevent further investigation. I make these remarks through no illfeeling to Mr Fish, but as an cntuiy to all election jobbery, more especially when such jobbery is perpetrated by one 'whose bounden duty it is to protect the citizens from it.—l am, Ice, Nehesi.s. 10th August.

TO THE KDITOIU tSni—'flic celebrated Roman orator, in Ju'a patriotic but eavago invectives against a notorious co"«pirator agriinht the freedom ami liberty of hi« countrymen, used the following phrase— puryu urftfin ; which I would freely translate thus : Purge the Roll. That seven citizens, headed by tlio Chief Magistrate, and including a Councillor, should chum seven votca for a consideration of a guinea tendered to the Corporation for a small plot of land devoid of anything in the shape of even a canvas or wooden shanty, is an astounding piece of effrontery. Hut that they should actually have exercised the franchise on the atrcngth of such a flimsy plea i« an unparalleled example of ■civic degradation ; and that the citizeiiH do not rise in a body u> B'juash out such incipient corruption j» a signal j»roof that the community has fearfully degenerated. Sevtsial letters, iudcvd, have appeared anonymously in yourcohunns iqxm that tranttactic>n. Mr Waltcr'fi letter--it is univcrflnliy admitted—i« an ijisiilt to common Hcnse. It is not a ?<nliifnctory exjihination, and I marvel how a man of his intelligence should have regarded it an nueh. Afr Fish, nt Caverrfiam, thnatenfd to further subdivide that portion of O»ri)or.ition property. By the way, what right has a member of tho Corporal ion to dabble in City property * Does he pay reut as well n» a rate for the section ? .Stuffing the roll—l can call it nothing clue—what is that but corruption of the deepest dye? Sir, that wbh the tirat net perpetrated by the Tammany King of world-wide infamy. New York wlept, while the enemy wa» »ow:n^ tarew in the Cot*i>oration field, and lo ! the harvest that Hprang up. The city became degraded, the citizena were robbed, and Ki«k and Co. now "point a moral and adorn a tale," io alarm both tho new and old world. '** The sink of both hemispheres" is tho title under which New York is now known.

Mr Fisk always held that there was no Biich thing as consistency—that it was a fool'a word. I find-Mr Fish, at Cavcrshaui, boldly asserting that Government is simply a system of compromises. Certainly in these days, honest principle in not iv the market at any quotation. Mr Fish hr.s thrice tuniod his political coat, ami has thrice been presented with substantial testimonials. What is to bo the upshot of such actions ? Why, Sir, to drive every man of principle, sooner or later, out of the ; Colony; to deliver up the reins of rule ■to charlatans—professional, political, and venal. It is time to give up such spurious ovations, testimonials, and elections. I hope the city —this infant city—will arouse itself, from its cradle, and Hercules-like, strangle the snakes of corruption at the very outset. Lot the councillors call together the ratepayftrs, atid consult with them respecting their future actions. We arc on. the verge of a precipice. Let us tlierefore paune, reflect, and right the wrong ere it be too late. We have AnH'rica and New York as beacons of warning before us. Politics there have sunk into contempt. The greatest city in the Union has become a bye-word and a proverb of reproach. Corruption in the political world, and 3piritualjmn in the religions spheres are fast demoralising the continent from Boston to San Francisco, from Niagara to the Mexican Lake. New Zealand is following in the same course. Stop the tide ere it attains too great a volume. ,<■■-. Sir, I have read with great pleasure the sensible and business-like Kpeech of MrLeary in your issue of to-day. I know not the man personally, but I like much his speech. I think the Cavershnm electors should endeavour on the present occasion to ctecr clear between the Scyila of grasping monopoly and the Charybdis of Spiritualism, and direct their course straight towards Lcary cove. There are two Organisations that ought not to receive any countenance from good citizens at any of our electiono—those, to wit, that canvass the colon bits ff»r subscriptions for spurious testimonial, and that endeavour fco sap the very foundations of morality and religion in our infant community. Mr Fish hns his own peculiar follower?, and Mr Stout is the champion—or, at least, one of the champions—of the Spiritual Association. To return either of these men, in the present conjuncture of affairs, would.be a public calamity. Let both rqK'iit of their actions, openly renounce their principles— their odious principles—and, then, it will le right to vote for them : but not till then. Of Leary I know nothing, except from hif,reported speech. But that is t-nough. it is sensible, and free from claptrap. Until, therefore, matters mend, I would earnestly urge upon the Cavcrsham electors not to ciacourago, by a single vote, the ignorant pretensions of a Fish, or the llippant vanity and spiritualistic hallucination of a Stout. In a word, it is now high time to put a stop to the downward progress—socially, politically, and religiously—of this city and Province. —I am, &c., . : ,"; ;■> '.-.■■■ ■•"/. i' ~ ' J. G. S. Gkant.