WORKING MEN OF NELSON.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 106, 26 October 1858, Page 2

WORKING MEN OF NELSON.

Per favor of the Colonist. . A most unprincipled and scandalous attack is about, to be made upon your Superintendent, therefore ho prepared to rally to his support. The would-be-aristocrats are slowly but, carefully collecting and recruiting their forces. /A few of their skirmishers have already appeared (" WaikaroMuinu)" the Motueka Correspondent, and " Our Correspondent" at Collingwood), but these are only thrown forward for the purpose of covering the preparations for'the grand attack which is to be made before, or immediately after, the Provincial Council has met. You will then hear their great guns, biit do "not be alarmed ; they will do you no harm if you face them resolutely. They intended' to surprise you, but tubs which have been loiig empty aresure to leak when taken into use incautiously. You may be thankful it is so, for to this circumstance you are indebted for a fair warning. Now what is the reason of this intended at-, tack ? Is the province in difficulties ? Have affairs been mismanaged? No. The province

"was-never in a more flourishing conditibn,-.nor .its affairs better managed, than they now are' by our present Executive. Then why attack/the ' Superintendent ? Why for the -simple reason, that the prule of thess self-styled gentlemen ia galled to see the unlettered working man' (as they call him) preferred to them by .the .majority of the people, and placed afc the head* of affairs in this province, while so many .of their able men are languishing for office. This.'is the true reason why they are so unscrupulous in ■ their attacks—why they are now planning to oust him. This they are welcome to do, if they 7 can' do it "by fair means;.but let there,be no private hole and omer meetings; let them be public and open to all comers. Let there be no private petitions to bis Excellency the Governor, but let them be made known to the people of this province, that all may have a -voice in the matter. Then if they can drive him from his position, and put a better man in his place, let them do so, and I, for one, will give,.. them credit for so doing. iv"-: I dare say there are many of you who can remember the time ■ when the "Company's Agent" would not pay the working jnen on Saturday nights, although they aiid their families were nearly starving. .Who advocated your ciuse then, and advised you to commit no breach of the peace ?—one of yourselves; a working man then; your"Superintendent now. Who first agitated the " Compensation to' the Poor Man'question ?—your, workiug-man .Superintendent. The gentlemen had enough to do in obtaining as much compensation as possible for themselves, and pretty well they managed it too. But when compensation to the poor man was moored, it .was sneered at by the gentry, and one of them said,".What do they want comp-'usation for; they have nothing to lose." These worthies could not at thaUtime understand that a poor mm's time, was money to him, and that the loss of it and his health together was utter ruin to himself and family. But now, if oiie m iy believe .-ome of their statements, the amelioration ofthe working man's condition lias been their only study from the first minute they settled in the colony. But' to the question. Who proposed to sell land in 40-acre allotments tj poor men on credit, for 16 or 17 years, at an - - iu.erost of about 2\ per cent. per. annum, thus giving the pou* man a chance of improving his condition ?—your working-man Superintendent. But the gentlemen objected, and at one time carried their' point 100 ; artd when at last the bill passed tbe Council, it is well known what tricks were practised to get it disallowed. They s.ud, " If we allow the working men to become lnul owners, what are we- to do'for labor? We must not, (if we can help it), permit them to become proprietors. t -Let them remain the machines they were. intended to be, and then they will be useful to us." Will you, now that you have the power to resist, ailow these men, who are actuated with bat tbe oue idea—self, to,, sway your better judgments,' and lead you to your destruction, because they can get up a little false enthusiasm whenever it may be ia demand ? No, surely not. Remember the desperate but unsuccessful attack they made upon your rights last July on the subject of the gold mining leases. Remember what has been done by the General Assembly in that, affair, r and I am sure you will agree with me in thinking that the rights and privileges of- the working man will be in danger if the " aristocrats" are allowed to displace the working-man Superintendent in the coming , struggle. " "' '" '■' ''- Workmen, unite*for resistance,,and let your --* war-cry be, firm and decided opposition to those who would ■ encroach ou the liberties of- the people. ' I remain, one' of yourselves) A WORKING MAN. ' Nelson, 23rd October, 1858.