Answers to Correspondents.

Auckland Examiner, Volume IV, Issue 230, 18 January 1860, Page 2

Answers to Correspondents.

Inquirer. (Late City Council Case. — Our remarks on this subject in ow last were brought to a close abruptly. The printer informed us that want of space compelled, him to break off and “cut it short.” At same time very sagaciously observing that he Qouldflnd, room in next number for the remainder, ft is beyond all doubt in our minds that Afr. A. O'Neill thought himself justified in paying the chairman his salary an the authority laid before him. It may b,e argued that he ought to have examined the authority more closely, in order to ascertain whether it was a forgery or not, before he paid the money. In this he evidently erred, but it was an error arising, perhaps, from over confidence,, rather than from sinister or other improper motives. Dr. Lee, in his place in the Provincial Council, more than once, offered to take his oath that the letter of authority was once in existence. He also declared that he had not the least intention of deceiving, or of taking advantage of the confidence which Mr. A. O'Neill had placed in him. Messrs. Murphy and Mitchell both said they saw the letter of authority — the latter remarking to .4 O'Neill—after the act was done — that he had his- double about its being a genuine document. However, they both saw it, and we can- also trace Us existence to the “Minute Book” of the late “ City Council.” A fact most- important to Mr. A O'Neill which was not brought out at the time of the invest-igation. If it were a. forgery, and proved so on the evidence of Mr. Whitaker, the guilt and: its consequences must have been brought home to D'r. Lee. No part of the evidence goes to prove that Mr. A. O'Neill gained a single penny by. the transaction, or that he had any ulterior object in view. In. mind he has suffered severely, ivhile he is nearly £2OO out of pocket. We should agree that he deserved punishment if absolute guilt could be proved against him. Had Dr. Lee run smoothly, and continued a strong partiznn of the present government it is most likely that the whole transaction would have been hushed up, and not a word of it brought to light. Dr. Lee had the “audacity,” “•atrocity," the “ low, factious’ and mean" assurance to bring before the Council a Petition, signed by many of the influential Catholics, praying for an investigation iuto the working of the “Education Act." The motives of the government party were to creole a pretext to silence Dr. Lee, who had already succeeded in getting a committee appointed to enquire into the Education system, and in this way Williamson and party thought to evade (he enquiry in committee, and thereby prevent the question from being ventilated in Council. To save the Educations system from being touched they rendered Dr. Lee’s character so obnoxious as. to. prevent members of Council from sitting on the Select Committee with him. He (Jlie Dr) being Chairman of the Select Committee, the plan of the Government thus succeeded. The Committee broke up without doing anything, and the discussion on the Education question was evaded. Williamson and his Executive must have chuckled over the clever trick thus played off to effect the present total defeat and the future destruction of Dr. Lee, and also for having sufficiently ignored Allan O'Neill as to get him out of the road to make way for Ormsby. Though both Lee and O'Neill, it will be remembered, were as precious to Williamson os the apple of his eye when they were mgking tools of themselves to oppose Mr. Brown. We consider O'Neill to be in every sense an injured man, both inpocket and mind, we hope, therefore, that he may no longer remain under the imputation cast upon him in the resolution passed at the time of investigation, than till the next sitting of Council. If any. unworthy motive hinders the government from doing justice to an injured individual, it ought to be the generous, and manly business of the members of the Council to repair the wrong done to one of its memb-

ers. An Elector — -dn reference to O'Leary the Constable and the Provincial Government he will perceive, from Saturday's issue of the Examiner, how this disgraceful affair has terminated for the present. Coolahan, the newly elected law giver, and Williamson, the administrator, dexterously evade the odium, and shuffle out of the responsibility incurred by leaving thy whole in the hands of Inspector Naughton. Superintendent Williamson says, in reply to Naughton,- —“I have carefully abstained from interfering with the free action of every individual connected with the Provincial Government in the matter of exercising their right to vote. I have, however, insisted that no person in thp. employment of the Government shall be engaged us Returning Officers at any election. Guided by the rule which I have thus laid down for myself I must decline to interfere on thepresent occasion.” Was Superintendent Williamson guided by this rule when he went electioneering in support of his friend Monro, and to throw out Farmer for Marsdeu ? Would he have declined to interfere in this case providing Constable Leary had made himself so officious, violated the Rules and Regulations of the Force,,

and voted fop Reynolds instead of the I Government candidate Keiley? How many hours purchase would Leary's .situation have been worth io him if the boot had been on the other leg? Do you imagine for one moment that Coolahan and the hungry pack of outsiders would not have insisted upon his being dismissed at once, and all his previous service and good charades treated as no justification whatever for his being retained in office? Reynolds, in writing to the Inspector, says that “ Leary voted at Panmure on the Sth ultimo, contrary to the Regulations of the Police Force, and, as I am informed, in defiance of your own positive prohibition to the contrary?’ Inspector' Naughton’s reply is plain. He says that “ Leary’s voting at Panmure was not only in opposition to the Rules and Regulations of the force, but contrary to my instructions on that head.” Inspector Naughton, in his letter to the Superintendent, is equally as plain where he says—“ I amunable io arriveat any other conclusion than that Leary has been guilty of a deliberate infraction of the Rules and Regulations of the Gonstabulary Force.’’ The case is quite clear against Leary. As. a tacit admission of which, he begs pardon, and promises the Inspector that he never will be guilty of a similar offence. But he does not do even this much till he saw himself deserted by Coolahan and the Superintendent- The Inspector, for this open defiance to Rules and Regulations of the Force and ta his own warning beforehand, gives Leary a severe reprimanding for this first offence! The Rules, and Regulations say nothing about a reprimand—nor even a fine, for such first offence, If the Inspector had adhered to the letter and spirit of the law he would have dismissed Leary. But he was in a fix. R hen he thought of Coolahan and the Superintendent, and the part they had acted in this dirty business—when he thought of Leary and the Regulations—he was at a loss how to act, unless he could risk the consequences to himself. For his own protection he has gone —as far as discretion would permit him. .Dismissal is the punishment under ordinary circumstances. But it would not d» in this case. Nat because cf Leary’s previous good conduct But because, if Inspector Naughton had enforced the law and dismissed Leary, he would have been discharged himself so soon as a pretext could be fabricated by the government for getting rid of him. Inspector Naughton’s “ memorandum” is mere waste paper—unless he could enforce a punishment on members of Council who. are found guilty of taking policemen ta vote, and also on Superintentendents who closet and tamper with policemen beforehand. Had Inspector Naughton discharged Leary he would only be punishing the “ tool,” while-those who. made use of him and then deserted him would have gone unpunished. Hadhe discharged Leary he would have been punishing himself at the first opportunity the government had of wreaking- their vengeance on an already marked man. Where is (he justice in Leary and Naughton being punished while Williqmson qnd Coolahan—the really yuity parties—escape? Naughton has been too wide awake to fall into the trap ! 7he proceedings all throughout are perfectly in character with the conduct of the present Frovincial Government,

A Southern Division Elector— asks—Why “ Slipslop’,’ omits, in its enumeration of works performed in the Southern Division io include the bridge constructed by. Mr. Foley at Otahuhu ? Had Foley been government hack, the new Otahuhu bridge would have been held up in the New Zealander on Saturday last as a- most substantial work, and one which they would have been too glad to -include in the list of their grand performances —“ all for the good of the Province/’’ Had this bridge been built by any one of their own partizans it would have afforded “ Slipslop” a third point on which to make up occasional messes. Instead of the Wharf and the Laud Regulations—the Land Regulations and the Wharf, we should have had a little metre variety, which the poet says is charming, by “ Slipslop’’-wrung changes on the Bridge, the Wharf, and the Land Regulations—or the Wharf, the Bridge, and the Forty-acre meg. Old “Slipslop” could not praise the Bridge without at the sane time reflecting credit on a political opponent. Oh ! that would be really too much ! The old lady could not think of such, a

thing! What! say a single word in favor of anything touched by that wretched and tormenting old political sinner Foley ! Absurd ! Monstrously absurd, degrading, ungented, not respectable ! We have seen the. bridge in question. Il carried us safe oyer. It is a good, substantial work, and reflects great credit on the contractor. Il is an ornament to the neighbourhood. Il will be standing and firm years after oqr wooden temporary Wharf, about which we have seen so much twice a week for the last two years in “ Old Slipslop,” will be decayed, and only remembered as one of the things that were. Before Cadman attempts a third time io build his tumble down trail he would do well to go out as far as Olahuhu, and take a lesson from the bridge, and at the same time solicit a little friendly advice from that abominably wicked Foley, instructing him how to build a wall that will stand, 1 That will not tumble down at the first dash of water that may come against it.