THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. “Véritè sans peur.” Wanganui, February 28, 1861.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 5, Issue 224, 28 February 1861, Page 2

THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. “ Véritè sans peur.” Wanganui, February 28, 1861.

The /Tonga (Tonga ” with it is to be presumed the .English Mail was signalled at Wellington Heads when the mailman left on Monday, so that it was just a few hours too late for transmission by the overland, mail." A special messenger was sent down to Wellington yesterday to bring up the English mail, which will' at the latest be ready for delivery here on Monday morning, and we. presume another, special despatch will be sent off with a return mail to reach Wellington in tinie for the departure from that place .of the, English and Australian' mails on’ Friday, the Bth March. Meanwhile letters for these mails must be posted to-day by T 1 o’clock. We believe Mr. JVoon wrote down last week ahxiously desiring that the /Tonga Wonga might be delayed till the 9.th proximo, so that flie Overland niail from this next Thursday might be in time for the Wdnga Wonga, but the answer was that the delay could not be made. It would have been, to Wanganui, and there ought to be soine representation sent, to the Postmaster' on the subject. We are within 100 miles of Taranaki as the crow flies and yet we have to dispatch our Australian and English letters generally 14 days before the mail steamier leaves 7’aranaki:

There is now some prospect of the stagnation to which the Province has. Been unfortunately so long doomed being removed. There seems every reason to believe that the obstacles that, have, .existed for some time to its progress and’ prosperity, will-soon, no longer be in existence. Even the organ of the Radical party in Wellington seems at a. loss. No good man can, be, had to; oppose,'Dr.l Featherstou for tho Superintendentship, the nomination to which office takes place,on Saturday, and the election if accessary on the following Friday. Still further no suitable candidates for seats on that side of the Provincial Council are as yet forthcoming in Wellington.: There is little doubt however,that before, the time comes there will be no lack of applicants for the honor. -

Here the nomination and election days have not yet been fixed, but we believe the nomination day is likely to be about the 15th,, and the election day about the 18th March. We are glad to Jearn that some steps have been taken to secure members for this {district fit for the office. A requisition is in course of signature to Messrs. Fox, Waft,; Harrison, and Allison, and we have, no question that it will obtain a large number of names, as it would be difficult to point out four gentlemen in the district more,qualified by their experience and general ability for representing it with credit to themselves and advantage to their constituents. It is absolutely essential: that the members to be elected should be able to attend the sittings of the Council with the utmost regularity. Even in the case of a minority a good moral effect is produced by the formal protest made against a measure of a doubtful or dangerous character. In the case of a majority being certain, the greater that majority is, the greater weight will attach to the opinion that has been- pronounced by it; and when the question of whether the “ayes” or the “ noes” shall have it is in doubt, the attendance- of the members of the house is of the utmost importance. In any case, then, it will be seen that the-absence of members is detrimental to the interests of their constituents in respect to the®decision of the questions that may be i brought up; and it is equally injurious in the | hindrance caused by it to the transaction of ! the general business of the session. ‘ This ad[vantage we believe will be.gained by the,election of these'gent'lemen. ’They will be regujlarly and constantly at their posts.. So much may be certain from the past conduct of the first three, and any one who knows Dr. Allison, knows that he will be conscientiously alive to his dutj&in this respect. Another advantage to be gained by the election of these gentlemen is, that we shall have .the assurance that our interests are looked after by men who have a thorough and practical acquaintance with them, whose, own personal interests coincide with the advancement of our prosperity. Such- questions as that of the ferry, the bridge, the town corporation, roads, sc. will meet from them with due attention, and. with a solution such as may be expected from their intelligence a,nd intimate acquaintance with these various matters.

Another.'and, very important advantage to be gained by the electioii of these gentlemen is,, the greater certainty it will give us of a relief from that state of political death in which the province has been lying for so many months. It is to be presumed that I)r.,Featherston will be again returned as our Superintendent. It is possible that an opposition candidate may be started; but that such a candidate has any chance of,success it is impossible to conceive. Not to speak of his previous creditable occupancy of the Superintendent’s seat, the.substantial benefits secured to the province by his advocacy of her rights during the late, session of the Assembly would alone entitle him to this’ mark of our respect and confidence. It. is,, indeed, only just that: ife should have the direction of the distribution of those funds, which. he gained for the provincial treasury ;, and, there is little Abubt that in this case they will be distributed in such a manner, as to contribute to the restora-. tion to the province of that prosperity which has been wanting since the fatal ascendancy of

Mf. Wakefield and liia party in the council. Such prosperity, induced by the wise administration of provincial affairs, the public at once /feel and appreciate. The labourer ou the roads may not be able to: discuss measures of state policy with the intelligence of a statesman ; but he knows .when the peaceful and : prosperous state of the country allows the prosecution of public and private: improvements, which ensures constant work to himself, and contentment .and happiness to bis family. This is the real practical test of good statesmanship; and in order that we may have an opportunity of enjoying'it, Dr. ifeatherston must not only be elected Superintendent' but a working ma ■ ' jority in his favour must be sent to the Council. The districts of Wanganui and 7?angitikei have hitherto not been behind in contributing their quota'to that side of the house; and if they send up these four gentlemen to the Council they will have done, what they could to effect this object. Such considerations should not only lead to the requisition being so numerously signed as will afford those to whom it is addressed" no excuse for bolding back, but" if the}': should accept it, to their being unanimously elected.

The Governor is much to be pitied. He seems to know what is right, and would do it.; but lie is so entangled in the meshes of officialism that he is utterly : unable to stir one foot in a straightforward direction. ’ He is for war, sharp and decisive.; but lie cannot get hie coinmander of the forces to act on his suggestions. Disappointed and thwarted in that quarter, lie sees no remedy but peace ; and he is said to have commissioned Mr. Dillon Bell to try his persuasive rhetoric at Taranaki. But as , meanwhile neither of these ends is attainable, his Excellency takes a step in another direction, and issues a request to the colonists, and especially to the press, not to argue the question of the justice of the contest at Taranaki. Had' his Excellency muzzled ■his ministry at the commencement of the late session of the Assembly; had he made this appeal to the members of the two houses, there might have been some reason in it, if not a great deal of wisdom: But now, if the ventilation of the question has caused disaffection among the Maoris (which, however, we call in question), the evil is done; and to make such an appeal is only betraying weakwithout the likelihood of any good result. For the pros and cons of the Taranaki question have been argued till they are threadbare; the question is now entirely different,- —it is a question of British Queen’s or Maori King’s supremacy, respecting which no argument is admissible ; and if there is any fear of a prolongation or extension of Maori disaffection, it is caused not by the arguments of those who disapprove’of. the acts of the government, but by the words and deeds of its officials. The want of energy on the part of some, and of prudence on the part of others, may encourage the rebellion. Enough has been said as to the ineffective prosecution of hostilities at Taranaki. If what is passing around our own doors is not enough to excite insurrection, it must at least induce suspicion and mistrust. And when not only the reckless among the! European population threaten the natives with fire and sword, but those who from their position ought to set an example in forbearance and conciliation are found dping what is likely to stir up discontent and strife, it is reasonable to ask whether the Government ought not rather to eounsel tire refraining from such a kind of agitation, as far more dangerous than that caused by arguments. A stoty is told of a prince who had taken a bishop prisoner in battle, that on the Pope de manding from him the prisoner, he sent his' //oliness the bishop’s armour, with the pithy question,—“ these the garments of thy son?” ;

To the Governor might as appropriately be addressed the question,—“ Are these the doings of the men appointed by the government to promote amity and concord between the races?” On such individuals should be laid an injunction to peace and order. It seems as if in some measure the government had arrived at that carelessness as to character which a Roman historian describes

as existing in his time, when those that were in power preferred only their own creatures, in whom wicked deeds and an infamous reputation were no bar to advancement.

If the disaffection of the natives is at present increasing, the government may rest assured; that the discussions of the press have less to do with the spread of rebellion than the imprudent actions',—not to call them by a worse name,—of some of its own officials. Besides, to;try to stop temperate discussion is vain, and therefore unwise. The effect of the Governor’s appeal will rather be to increase it.