THE COLONIST.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 350, 1 March 1861, Page 2

THE COLONIST.

NELSON, FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1861

Dr. Monro once honored us in the House of Representatives by alluding to our paper in terms which we really must confess that we did not understand, nor should we now have mentioned it had not the honorable Doctor's •blue-pill and black-draught' been followed by the very harmless * breadpill of a Doctor of much lesser, note. We allude to Dr. Vickerman, of the Province of Marl borough, who, in proposing Mr. Weld as a fit and proper person to represent the inhabitants and interests of that place, was pleased to lecture us on our duties. We give below that part of his speech which was more especially devoted to pointing out an editor's proper course, and to animadverting in his strongest style (which, by the by, is not saying much) on our presumption for • travelling out of the established rule among journalists," in some remarks we. thought fit to make on a most remarkable election production which Mr. Weld issued when he found another Richard in the field. Dr. Vickerman, it will be seen, endeavored to enlighten the benighted minds of the Blenheim electors on certain election practices in England— not the best model in such matters, even if trne, which we deny. Mr. Weld is very unfortunate in possessing friends bo much like hiraself: h& denied the rigty of any

person to represent Blenheim but himself; his friend Dr. Vickerman follows his example by denying the right of a journal not published on the spot to make any comments on the election of a member for the Genera} Assembly. ;We do not think that we should have ' travelled out of the established rule had our remarks been applied to the peculiar idiosyncrasy of any candidate even for the Provincial legislature ; for we take as much interest in the good government of the Wairau as we did of yore, and shall always do our best to forward the interests of that province, though, legislatively, divorced from us.

Dr. Vickerman said: As he had told them in his letter of the 12th of January, the present political contest in this province was not Weld versus Eyea, but the Fox party and Wellington interests against the Staffoid Ministry and the general good of the colony at large. Since he had written that letter notable proof of the truth of his statements had been given, which showed that the contest was regarded in that light in other places. He alluded more particularly to the Colonist, a Nelson paper, the strong advocate of Mr. Fox's views, which actually travelled out of the established rule among journalists, and dedicated a leader to the subject of the present election in the Wairau, couched in the same terms as would be used in a local paper. Of its value and regard for truth, the Marlborougli public could judge for themselves from the following, which any lad of ten years old could contradict :—' What the public know, and what they will feel, to the third and fourth generation, is, that the Stafford Government has plunged the country into war.' He asked the electors if they thought so? Was it the fStaffora Ministry, with Mr. Weld as a member, that shot down harmless and unarmed people, who refused to abide by agreements, and defied the authority of the Queen'? Again, the Colonist attacked Mr. Weld's address with equal truth and candor, and said that Mr. Weld's "assumption that Mr. Eyes will factiously oppose the Stafford, or any other ministry, is a piece of gratuitous folly, if not something worse." Some of his tellow-electora were perhaps not a ware that when in England a member of a ministry which is carrying out a war policy came before his former constituency for their suffrages, and they did not re-elect him, it was, always considered to mean that that constituency condemned the war, and approved of the policy of the opposition. The editor of, the Colonist must have known that; or if he did not, he ought to have known. When Dr. Vickerman uttered the above cloudy nonsense, he must have taken something more palatable than his own physic, although a dose of the latter might have been more effective in clearing the obscu rities of his brain. But we thank him again and reiterate more strongly than.ever that * What the public know, and what they will feel, to the third and fourth generation, is, that the Stafford Government has plunged the country into war.'

While our volunteer companies are in a transition state from raw recruits to accomplished troops —while only one-third are armed, and a very small proportion of these efficient in the use of the rifle—and while another third require the arrival of the Armstrong guns to woo them to a recognition and observance of. their self-imposed duties—a more constitutional but less conclusive proof of the martial force of our population is at work in the shape of a new Militia 801 l issued by the Adjutant, the following being the official authority ior so doing:— 'Nelson, 26th February, 1861. 1 Sir-—-By virtue of the authority contained in the 7th sectionv^pf The Militia Act Amendment Act r Is6<), I hereby appoint you, Captain and Adjutant John W., Lockett, the officer to 'enrol the men liable to serve in the Nelson battalion of Militia for the^year 1861-62; and you will have the goodness to complete the list and forward it to, me on or before the 31st day of March next. •I have, &c, .«M. Richmond, ' Lieut.-Col. Commanding Militia. ' Captain and Adjutant Lockett, * Nelson Militia.'