LETTEES TO THE EDITOR.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 193, 31 May 1860, Page 2

LETTEES TO THE EDITOR.

May 23rd, 1860. Sir,—An article appeared in your issue of the Wanganui Chronicle of the 17th date, written by some friend of Mr. Fox’s (or probably Mr. Fox himself), in which he speaks of the meeting held on Thursday, 3rd May, being in some respects a remarkable one, and asking several questions as to who convened it, &c. I, being one of that so-called remarkable meeting, cannot see anything very remarkable, secret, or obscure in it. The fact of W. Watt, Esq., M.P.C., being present at the so-called remarkable meeting, should assure Mr. Fox and his friends that there was nothing mysterious or secret in it. However, for the better information of the public, I say there was nothing remarkable, secret, or obscure, neither was there anything arranged to secure secrecy, but, on the contrary, everything that could be done at so short a notice was done to ensure its publication. " And I assure the writer, that it was accident alone..(that prevented one, if not more, of the so-daUed private conclave from opening the proceedings of the meeting. Had not; that weathercock, P. M’Cornish, commenced, the termination, probably, might not have been so gratifying to Mr. Fox and his friends. '

I find by Mr. Fox’s letter of the same issue' that he plumes himself on still retaining the confidence of a large body of his constituents, oMma Uo very gratifying toJbnm. _ I do not wish to prolong a subject whieff ; seems to be turned and twisted a great deal in public, but will suggest, that a requisition be drawn up, calling upon Mr. Fox to resign his , seat in the General Assembly, and that the requisition be placed in some public place, so that the Wanganui; Rangitikei, and Turakina , electors, might have an opportunity of signing as they think proper. lam sure, if some such step be taken, Mr. Fox will then know Ma real position. I would be glad to sign, it any day, and think I was doing good service; for ; I am not at- all satisfied with Mr. Fox’s letter , of the 3rd of May, or his explanation* whieh* in fact, was no explanation at all. And with respect, I am, sir, one of' the socalled private conclave* , John Morgan. [Mr. Morgan has not read the article he refers to, or after having read it, >does not know its contents, for we can scarcely suppose he gives a wilful misrepresentation of them. The meeting characterised in the article as “ remarkable” Was fully reported in the Chronicle of the same date, and therefore could not be, and certainly was not called, “ mysterious, secret, or obscure,” and Mr. Fox, having been present during the whole of it, does not need to be told so, or to be told that Mr. Watt wa& present, as he no doubt both saw him and heard liim second a resolution. As to the meeting on the 3rd of May, we still hold, that the public knew, and, with the exception of the chairman’s name, know till this moment,nothing of who were present at it. The notice issued by it by it was not even, signed by the chairman ; not one of those, who were present at it —(with the exception of the chairman, who only avowed his connection with it on Mr. Fox asking -who was chairman) —so far as we can ascertain, spoke at the public meeting; and it would be satisfactory to know what remarkable “ accident” prevented them from asking Mr. Fox for the explanation, which it appears from Mr. Morgan’s letter they have not yet got. It matters little who wrote the article, but we may mention it was the same individual as wrote the other articles that have appeared in the Chronicle referring to Mr. Fox’s letter—so that Mr. Morgan may judge for himself whether it was written by Mr. Fox, oi by “some friend ” of his.— Ed.~\

May 19th, 1860. • Sir, — I am sorry to trouble you twice on the same subject, and would not perhaps have done so, if Mr. Fox had taken the trouble of pointing out where, your correspondents (who commented on his previous letter) had misquoted, and based their arguments on misquotations from that letter, as he states in his letter in your last paper. Beiug one of the correspondents referred to, I beg to state that I neither misquoted, nor, based any arguments on misquotations froin that, letter. And as to referring us, to. the meeting,-—* what explanation -did he give there to regain the confidence of his constituents, or convince our settlers that they did 1 , wrong in signing the memorial ?

* . He first appears to have convinced Mr. he Was a courageous Rangitiki . J rifleman j.ftfie fact of his so coolly facing a jjjiuob of his angry constituents ' ought to have satisfied Mr. McCoiuish on that point.

He then proposed a memorial so dictatorial : and distrustful in its sentiments, that it would ‘ rather have been an insult than compliment to our government. When asked why the Provincial Council of . TFellington had not encouraged the volunteer movement by obtaining firearms, &c : , Mr Fox said, there had been no opportunity, and that were it proposed by the TFanganui members * it would be.negatiyed by the other side of the y house, but that he thought the General Go* rj vernment' wrong in keeping the arms in its arsenal for Auckland. * JVlr. Fox is, I think, premature in answering the above question so positively, seeing * that the Provincial, members have not been called together to concert measures for the defence of this Province, or tender their ser-

vices to the Governor, as in other provinces. tP-th e. arms. bei ngjt ept Jorucld an iL:Jf ‘ case ITwourd bo excusable, seeing that’Auckland borders on the powerful Waikato country; hut if so, who supplied rifles aud muskets to New Plymouth ?—who ■offered us arms here a twelvemonth ago if we would volunteer?'—and who is now supplying this province with arms ? Certainly not the Provincial Government of Wellington ! : In conclusion, I must say that Mr. Fox has failed to convince our settlers that they did wrong in signing the memorial in question; other provinces have got up similar ones; and no General Assembly members in. those provinces seem to have disapproved of them. We have, therefore, reason to be proud of not being the last to forward such an address, and as the war is necessary to the welfare of the colony, I am sure we shall never have reason to regret supporting our government in its prosecution. I am, &c. - P. G. Wilson.