THE COLONIST. NELSON, TUESDAY. APRIL 19, 1859.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 156, 19 April 1859, Page 2

THE COLONIST. NELSON, TUESDAY. APRIL 19, 1859.

We presume that the general tenor.and. contentsof the Superintendent's address at the late opening of the Provincial Council will, to' a great extent, have relieved the few sufferers that between the sessions have been puffing and swelling, like pouter pigeons, upon empty air, or something as unsubstantial, or occasionally tumbling over in a similar way to another of the species, and so re-; versing matters, that it is not difficult to believe that the confusion they complain of in the political atmosphere proceeds from the peculiar gyrations of their own minds, rather than any objectionable presence really existing in the element. It is s therefore, to be hoped that, soothed by the application of plain common-sense, they are quietly resting in their dove-cotes, picking up the peas of contentment, with the consolation of having made a clatter in mid-air at the pleasure of the man who waves the flag, while he, satisfied with the com-* motion, benignly whistles, and allows them to settle, satisfied that the flapping they have produced, will convince the spectators that in spite of the overwhelming quantities of his neighbor, he is still able to send forth his flight of political pigeons, though anyone can see that the force of the demonstration is only sustained by feathers, which, if plucked away, allows the substance to fall a dull, unsightly mass to the earth. To continue the metaphor, we-refer to those political pigeons who will constantly find a head wind to beat against, regardless of the distance of the strata of air that they must rise into, and quit the placid surface. 'Tis true the minds of these writers are the wings that enable them to batth bravely when they reach the region of their morbid choice, and their pinions furnish the pens with which they register the subtle workings and combinations of their brain; but sorry are we, that with all these misused attributes, they descend to puddles for the ink which is to record, and there dabble their feet, and render the element turbid, in order to procure a thick, envious, uncharitable, and acrid fluid, to compare which with the productionspf Stephensoi'Walkpen, proves thelatter jetty mixtures are as pure and clear as crystal. We cannot help thinking of the old story of the doctor who was in a quandary when he found lie had taken his own, physic by mistake, and, knowing the vile combination too well, prepared to make his will. For the sake of poetical justice, we should like to see how certain political physic would act if applied to the compounder himself. There is no doubt a very useful lesson might be . learnt upon the disinterestedness of human nature, for the insight that political doctors have of incidental diseases is so great, that they will name and prescribe for them long before they are known to exist. Some have evidently a weakness for printed addresses, or viva voce harangues, or windy speeches of any kind, and if the health politic is not announced ten times as explicitly as a Buckingham Palace bulletin and twenty times as often, they are in despair at losing the chance of seizing on one of the points whereon they would persuade us we are not well, and their amour propre suffers, as well as their designs, if they are left in the dark for a moment. . We are also told that our Government repudiates any requirement for capital, and by a string of reasoning that is beset with knots, we arrive at conclusions that would leave us all little better than those' chartists of the worst form that London could produce some years ago; we are also told that "Frugality may become avarice, as generosity may be turned into thoughtless extravagance." In his Honor's speech it was declared that the sums put at the disposal of the Executive for the all-important subject of roads and public works at the diggings had been far exceeded, but Convince a man against his will, He's of the same opinion still ; and we will therefore content ourselves with merely observing that these worthy disease-seekers might find scope for their tastes in the subject of education; and perhaps for once the "generosity turned into thoughtless extravagance* may find an illustration in the salary of the Inspector of Schools, and a sad contrast in that of the masters of them, to say nothing of the different way in which the two duties are comparatively fulfilled. But apropos of the public works at the gold-fields, we are reminded of sundry other political doctors that date their prescriptions from that locality; but in comparison of talent to the one we first referred to, some of them should not be denominated auything higher than doctor's boys 1 ■ Well, these are evidently so unskilful in their recipes, that even their own friends laugh at them. They are consequently deserving our pity, as we should be sorry to think their caligraphical throes were fair representations of the wants of an industrious body of digger's, because the assistance of such questionable championship is likely to damage rather than advance a good cause, which we are sure our Executive require no urging to assist to the utmost extent of their lawful power.